|
Lycopene
Lycopene is the substance that makes tomatoes red and it is also a powerful
antioxidant that may help prevent aging diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
Increased concentrations of lycopene give an increased protective effect, so
concentrated food sources, like tomato puree and ketchup, are better protectors
against these diseases. The human body cannot produce lycopene and must obtain
it from tomatoes in the diet.
Lycopene is an unsaturated carotenoid that gives red color to tomatoes, guava,
rosehip, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. Carotenoids found in fatty tissue
in the body, are transported by lipoproteins, act as dietary precursors to vitamin
A, and support the immune system. Lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs,
prostate gland, colon, and skin, in higher concentrations than other carotenoids.
Regular high consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended as part of
healthy eating. Studies have shown as consumption of tomato products increase,
levels of lycopene in the blood increase, and that the heat processing of tomatoes
and tomato products increases the bioavailability of lycopene. People consume
lycopene because they believe it can reduce their risk of getting cancer, particularly
prostate cancer. Consumers also use lycopene in the hopes that it will slow
down the progression of heart disease and age-related blindness, such as macular
degeneration. Most information about the effects of lycopene in humans comes
from studies that observe dietary patterns and disease incidence. This data
suggests that eating tomatoes and tomato products may prevent certain cancers
and may slow the progression of heart disease and age-related blindness. In
one study, researchers estimated dietary lycopene intake for 47,894 healthy
male health professionals and found a significant association between a high
dietary intake of lycopene and decreased risk of prostate cancer. Some animal
trials and human cell studies have demonstrated that high lycopene levels in
blood and tissue can stop the growth of cancer cells.
Lycopene is also linked to heart disease protection and results from a study
in Europe demonstrated that men who ate more lycopene-containing fruit and vegetables--and
had the highest levels of lycopene in their blood--had a 48% reduced risk of
suffering a heart attack, when compared to those with the lowest levels of blood
lycopene. Few studies support the role of lycopene in preventing age-related
blindness, however, one study did find that those with the lowest blood levels
of lycopene were twice as likely to have age-related blindness.
Lycopene reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary heart
disease according to a recent study published that showed that daily consumption
of tomato products providing at least 40 mg of lycopene was enough to substantially
reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation. This lycopene level can be achieved
by drinking just two glasses of tomato juice a day. Lycopene found in tomatoes
can be absorbed more efficiently by the body when processed into tomato juice,
sauce, paste and ketchup, as the temperature changes involved in processing
enable lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body. The process of cooking
breaks down the cell walls of the tomato, allowing the body to absorb the lycopene.
Eating tomatoes with oil or fat is another way to enhance lycopene absorption.
Evidence is building to suggest that lycopene consumption may also reduce the
risks of:
· Cervical cancer
· Infertility
· Osteoporosis
Lycopene helps prevent degenerative diseases by donating its electrons to oxygen
free radicals and neutralizing them before they can damage cells. Free radicals
are molecules that have at least one unpaired electron and by donating an electron
lycopene stabilizes the free molecule.
There are no reported negative side effects associated with eating lycopene
and there are no known interactions between therapeutic drugs and lycopene.
Most of the studies that reveal health benefits of lycopene have examined lycopene
intake from food sources, such as tomato products, not from lycopene supplements.
The safety and efficiency of purified lycopene supplements is untested. It may
be premature to conclude that the lycopene food component exerts health benefits,
as more clinical trials are needed before conclusions can be drawn.
|
