Lycopene is a red plant pigment (a carotenoid) that’s most famously found in tomatoes but also in watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papaya.
Lycopene loves the prostate, and the evidence is overwhelming.
- A study of almost 50 thousand men found those with higher intakes of lycopene were less likely to develop prostate cancer.
- A meta-analysis of 17 studies found that men with increased tomato product consumption correlated with 15 to 20% lower rates of prostate cancer.
There’s also a bunch of research showing how lycopene inhibits prostate growth, otherwise known as benign prostatic hypertrophy.
I’m just going to list a series of lycopene factoids that illustrate just how important this carotenoid is to human health.
- Among all the carotenoids (over 600 of them), lycopene has the highest free-radical scavenging ability.
- When men suffering from infertility took 2 milligrams of lycopene a day for 3 months, 66% of the men showed improved sperm concentration while 73% showed improved sperm motility.
- In addition to showing promise in fighting prostate cancer, lycopene has also shown promise against bladder, cervical, oral, esophageal, and rectal cancers, in addition to leukemia and cancers of the colon, lung and breast.
- Levels of lycopene are inversely related with plasma glucose levels and fasting insulin levels. That means you are more insulin sensitive, thus thwarting Type II diabetes and inefficient carbohydrate metabolism in general.
- As little as 5 to 7 mg. a day of lycopene is thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but in the case of existing cardiovascular disease, doses of 35 to 75 mg. per day might be needed.
- Lycopene seems to protect the skin against UV-B induced sun damage.
- Lycopene can inhibit platelet-derived growth factor, which inhibits the growth, invasion, and metastasis of melanoma.
- In hairless mice, lycopene improved the visual appearance of skin, made the skin moister, and even increased skin thickness.
- Increased lycopene levels may be associated with a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration.
- Lycopene can activate the adaptive immune response; the T-cells and B-cells that produce antibodies that attack specific infections.
- Lycopene is thought to have promise in combating neurodegenerative diseases.
- A meta-analysis of 12 studies found that 25 mg. of lycopene taken daily reduced LDL (the bad cholesterol) and high blood pressure.
- An observational study of 6,000 people found that eating tomatoes protected against digestive cancers: those of the throat, stomach, and colon.
- Taking up to 3 grams of lycopene per kilogram of bodyweight has no adverse effects. In other words, it’s extremely safe.
That should satisfy even my doubtful readers; don’t you think?
That’s it for now; see you all the next time.
