It wasn’t that long ago that lycopene made headlines because of all of the benefits that it offers to the human body. Suddenly the tomato was sexy because it was possible that it could prevent cancer and many other things as well.
While it’s true that lycopene isn’t the cure for cancer, the truth of the matter is that it is one heck of a carotenoid that is present in the liver, lungs, prostate, colon, skin and in human serum.
Despite all of the recent intrigue about lycopene, there seems to be no conclusive information about how much of a benefit that it offers the human body when taken in supplement form. In addition, because tomatoes have the highest level of lycopene of any fruit or vegetable, it is the veggie (or fruit depending on who you are!) that is used in studies.
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Lycopene and Tomatoes The problem that occurs from the sole use of tomatoes in lycopene studies is that tomatoes are rich in other vitamins and nutrients and, although studies do show the tomatoes offer many benefits, no one is quite sure whether the benefits come from the combination of g... more
The problem that occurs from the sole use of tomatoes in lycopene studies is that tomatoes are rich in other vitamins and nutrients and, although studies do show the tomatoes offer many benefits, no one is quite sure whether the benefits come from the combination of great things found in the tomatoes or because of the lycopene in the tomatoes. It is worth nothing that studies using lycopene supplements could not produce the type of results that studies using tomatoes produced.
Lycopene is an antioxidant, which is why scientists have such high hopes for the benefits of lycopene. Lycopene is responsible for providing the red color you see in tomatoes and other red plants, fruits and vegetables.
Antioxidants, it has been discovered, are able to reduce the risk certain types of cancer. Different antioxidants provide different benefits. Studies show that the most benefit for the human body comes when a person has several different types of antioxidants in their system, not just one.
While tomatoes contain the highest concentrate of lycopene of any fruit and vegetable in the world, there are plenty of other sources of lycopene as well. They include:
The difference between the lycopene found in tomatoes and the lycopene found in other sources, other than the concentration, is that in tomatoes the lycopene levels increase when the tomato is cooked. This is actually unusual for any fruit or veggie as in most cases the benefits of food are reduced when they are cooked!
As mentioned above, the benefits of lycopene as an independent supplement are unknown. The body has lycopene in it and it uses lycopene, but there don’t seem to be any issues if someone doesn’t eat lycopene. In other words, there is no such thing as a lycopene deficiency.
As an antioxidant, it is believed the lycopene reduces free radical damage in the body. Because lycopene is present in the colon, prostate and liver, it is believed that lycopene reduces the risk for cancer in these organs. Much of the evidence for this is anecdotal as was discovered that people who lived in areas that ate a lot of tomatoes had very low instances of these types of cancers.
It is also believed that lycopene can act as an anti inflammatory and reduce the risk of allergy and asthma attacks.
Many supplement companies also bill lycopene as a heart healthy supplement. However, the studies using lycopene supplements to determine the benefits for hearth health were contradictory at best.
The bottom line is that there appears to be no conclusive evidence to show the benefit of lycopene as a supplement. This doesn’t mean that there is no benefit, but the truth is that lycopene is best absorbed through food, especially through tomato-based sauces.
Because a lycopene deficiency doesn’t exist, there are not recommendations as to how much lycopene that a person should ingest each day. In addition, since studies are leaning more towards the benefits of tomatoes rather than lycopene itself, it may be best to consider eating tomato based products instead of taking a lycopene supplement. In fact, there are several other antioxidant supplements that may be more beneficial.
With that being said, typically a dose of up to 30 milligrams a day is standard. There are no concerns about side effects or long-term use of lycopene products so you can take it for up to 6 months without being concerned. The exception is if the lycopene is combined with other ingredients then you need to understand the nature of those ingredients as well.
The cost of lycopene will vary depending on a number of factors. However, you can expect to pay between $4 and $25 for lycopene supplements. Compare lycopene and other antioxidant options by using the free supplement finder now!
| None Known |
| All-Trans-Lycopene, Licopeno, Lycopène, Lycopenes, Psi-Psi-Carotene |
| Allergies |
| Asthma |
| Inflammation |
| Reduce Cancer Risk |
| Reduce Free Radical Damage |