Lycopene is not produced in the body, so you can only obtain its benefits by eating foods rich in lycopene. Cooked or processed tomato products, such as spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, ketchup and pizza sauce are, by far, the major sources of lycopene in the typical American diet.
Lycopene is better absorbed by the body when it is consumed in cooked tomato products, rather than fresh tomatoes. In one study, heat processing released up to 2.5 times the lycopene from tomatoes, making it more available and absorbable in the body. Also, because Lycopene is fat-soluble, adding a little oil helps absorption too. Fruits such as watermelon and pink grapefruit will contribute lycopene to the diet too.
Processed tomato products are a better source of lycopene than the raw fruit. Lycopene is the most prominent carotenoid in tomatoes. Lycopene also is responsible for the red color of the fruit. The carotenes exert antioxidant activity. Lycopene is touted as the highest overall single oxygen-quenching carotenoid, double than that of beta-carotene. Cooking releases desirable antioxidants from tomatoes. Absorption of lycopene, which is lipid soluble, is improved in the presence of oil or fat. Raw tomatoes contain lycopene 3.1 mg per 100 g of fruit compared with tomato paste or sauce, which contains an average of 6.4 mg.
Epidemiological evidence finds the constituent lycopene to be associated with a reduced risk of certain diseases and cancers. Lycopene is being studied for its role in cancer prevention, including prostate, pancreatic, and stomach cancers. Lycopene’s antioxidant actions are well documented. Carotenoid mixtures display synergistic activity against oxidative damage, most pronounced with the presence of both lycopene and lutein. This combination also was found to have potent anti-carcinogenic activity in animal studies. Lycopene has synergistic effects in some cases when used in conjunction with other antioxidants.
But a new respect and growing interest in lycopene traces not to its role in a tomato’s eye appeal but to its superior ability to quench the oxidative radicals that play a role in aging and many degenerative diseases.
Initially cultivated by the Aztecs, tomatoes started out yellow. Through breeding efforts over the centuries, most now ripen into deep, lycopene-rich red.
In plants, algae, and other photosynthetic organisms, lycopene is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of many carotenoids, including beta carotene, responsible for yellow, orange or red pigmentation, photosynthesis, and photo-protection. Structurally, it is a tetraterpene assembled from eight isoprene units, composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen, and is insoluble in water. Lycopene’s eleven conjugated double bonds give it its deep red color and are responsible for its antioxidant activity. Due to its strong color and non-toxicity, lycopene is a useful food coloring.
Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared with tomato sauce. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes.
If you do not eat a lot of tomato sauce or tomatoes you can supplement Lycopene in your diet by taking a simple pill each day. Lycopene is available at your local or internet health food store in capsule, tablet, and softgel form. Always look for name brands to ensure quality and purity of the product you purchase.
*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Lycopene is not intended to diagnose, treat and heal or prevent disease. Always confer with your professional wellness care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.