Looking at Lycopene :: Health and Disease

Looking at Lycopene
by author Graham Butler, CNPA

Ongoing research indicates that lycopene consumption may inhibit a variety of commonly occurring cancers as well as offer benefits to those with cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and some eye disorders.

What is Lycopene?

Lycopene is a carotenoid, a fat-soluble pigment that imparts the red colour to tomatoes (the most common and richest source), guava, rosehip, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. Occurring naturally in food, lycopene is part of the same family of nutrients as beta-carotene. The human body does not produce it.

How Does Lycopene Work?

As an antioxidant, lycopene is believed to inhibit and possibly repair oxidative DNA damage, which may be an underlying cause of some cancers. Concentrations of lycopene in body tissues - the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon, and skin - are normally higher than other carotenoids.

Although fresh tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, the heat used to process tomato-based products - tomato juice, sauces, ketchup, soups, and so on - appears to increase the bioavailability of this nutrient. Some manufacturers and researchers also believe that absorption is aided by the presence of carotenoids such as phytoene and phytofluene, as well as vitamin E - antioxidants that occur naturally with lycopene in tomatoes.

Proven Benefits

Studies that focus on the effects of diet and lifestyle on disease have shown that high-intake of lycopene-containing fruit is inversely associated with the incidence of cancer of the digestive tract and prostate. Preliminary research also indicates increased lycopene intake may be associated with reduced risk of macular degeneration, serum lipid oxidation, and cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, cervix, and skin. Ongoing studies at the University of Toronto and the American Health Foundation are currently studying the benefits of lycopene in digestive tract, breast, and prostate cancer. The possible benefits for those with cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are also being investigated.

How should I take it?

Given that most of the research favouring lycopene has involved food sources, increasing our intake of these products seems a logical starting point (see chart). In addition, lycopene is available as a food supplement. Most manufacturers in Canada favour a balanced product containing lycopene’s naturally occurring and synergistic co-nutrients, such as phytoene and phytofluene, as well as vitamin E. At present there are no firm recommendations regarding dosage although participants in a Harvard University study had the greatest benefit with daily consumption levels of 6.5 mg or above.

The Bottom Line

Research to date indicates that lycopene shows exceptional promise in the fight against cancer and a variety of other common ailments. Lycopene is definitely a nutrient to watch.

Product	Lycopene (mg/100 g)
Tomato paste, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) Tomato sauce, 1/4 cup (60 ml) Spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup (125 ml) Tomato ketchup, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) Tomato juice, 1 cup (250 ml) Tomato soup, prepared, 1 cup (250 ml) Watermelon, 10 x 1 in (25 x 2.5 cm) slice Pink grapefruit, 1/2 medium Raw tomato, 1 medium	42.2 14.1 21.9 15.9 9.5 7.2 4 4 3

Graham Butler, CNPA, writes on numerous natural health topics based on his experiences as a consultant, retailer, educator, and lobbyist. Contact him at graham_butler_41@hotmail.com

Source: alive #258, April 2004

Anti-Cancer Antioxidants
Imagine the cells in your body turning brown just like an apple does when exposed to the oxygen in the air.

Beta-carotene
Scientists have confirmed that beta-carotene acts primarily as a fat-soluble antioxidant protecting our cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

food/nutrition
Keep your eye on lutein Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness in this country, and every year more than 244,000 Canadians undergo cataract surgery. Spanish researchers have found a more natural, less invasive solution for this age-related condition: lutein, a phytonutrient found in spinach and other leafy greens.

Colourful Carotenes
Carotenes are a highly coloured (red to yellow) group of fat-soluble plant pigments. A great deal of scientific investigation has shown that dietary intake of carotenes offers protection against developing certain cancers and other diseases..

Lutein and Zeaxanthin
As baby boomers age they are under assault from several types of degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). In western societies, ARMD is the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly.

Lycopene
Lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family, is a plant pigment that gives tomatoes, watermelons, and papayas their characteristic red colou.

Profile of Dr. Andrew Weil
Andrew Weil is definitely changing the face of medicine. His familiar, white-bearded face has beamed at us from the cover of TIME magazine twice in the last nine years, most recently last October when his new book, Healthy Aging (Knopf, 2005) hit the stands.

Back to Basics
Building your strongest nutritional foundation begins with two basic steps: eating a balanced nutritious diet and taking a high-quality daily multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. This back-to-basics strategy has proven effective for young and old alike.

Seeing is Believing
Eyesight is often the first sense adversely affected by time and poor nutrition. Macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts are three of the most common causes of blindness in North American seniors.