The one-a-day pill -- Inneov Fermete -- developed by L'Oreal, one of the world's biggest cosmetic company, in collaboration with Nestle, harnesses the health-giving properties of tomatoes to fight against ageing.

The pill uses lycopene, a red carotene pigment found in tomatoes, to promote the regeneration of new skin cells and protect old ones from being damaged.
The scientists modified the compound into a form more readily absorbed by human cells and combined it with a form of vitamin C and with isoflavones -- chemicals extracted from soya beans.

All three ingredients are powerful antioxidants which, developers claimed, help protect tissue against damage. It is being hailed as the latest weapon against ageing by the manufacturers.

Initial trials of the sweet red pill have shown that it slows down the ageing of the skin, the Telegraph reported.

The drug was tested on two groups of female volunteers: 90 post-menopausal women aged 51-69 and 70 others with an average age of 45.
After six months, their skin showed an 8.7 per cent better rate of elasticity -- the rate at which it sprang back into place after being stretched or twisted rather than leaving wrinkles.

The pill has already gone on sale in parts of Europe and South America and will be soon launched in Britain.