Lycopene supplement benefit, side effects, prostate cancer by Ray Sahelian, M.D.  Dosage and 10 mg tablets, tomato source

What you will find on this page
Lycopene carotenoid information
Prostate Power Rx with lycopene -- formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D. for healthy prostate
Eyesight Rx for better vision

Lycopene, a carotenoid in the same family as beta carotene, is what gives a tomato, and several other fruits, their deep red color. Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids in the diet of North Americans and accounts for close to 50% of the carotenoid distribution found in blood. Foods that are commonly consumed which contain lycopene are tomato products, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots, papaya, and guava.

Lycopene content in Tomato
There is about 5 mg of lycopene per 100 gram of ripe tomato fruit. Lycopene concentration in tomatoes increases significantly during the ripening process.

Lycopene supplement, 10 mg

Lycopene is the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color, and is one of four main carotenoids normally found in human blood and tissue. Studies show that lycopene is a scavenger of singlet-oxygen, offering powerful antioxidant activity. Supplementation with this nutrieint has been shown to increase serum levels of lycopene. Lower blood levels of lycopene are associated with higher body weight, aging, and smoking.

Supplement Facts
Lycopene 10 mg

Click here to buy Lycopene supplement, Prostate Power Rx, or to sign up to a FREE and very popular newsletter

Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter.  Once or twice a month we email you a brief abstract of several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including lycopene, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Suggested Use: One lycopene softgel a few times a week with a meal, or as recommended by your health care professional.
* Lycopene daily value not established.

 

Prostate Power Rx with Lycopene
Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

With Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, Stinging Nettle, Lycopene and important Ingredients for support of normal prostate size. Prostate Power Rx is carefully formulated with important herbs and nutrients to provide optimal prostate health.

Lycopene Benefit
There are many medical conditions where lycopene supplements could potentially be helpful, but until actual human trials are done, we will not know for certain. Below I list some of the lycopene benefit that could be possible. Please keep in mind, though, that most Americans do consume a good amount of lycopene naturally in their diet, therefore it is difficult to know whether a lycopene supplement is as helpful for those living in the USA as it would be for those who live in countries where lycopene is not consumed as much in one's diet.

Lycopene as an Antioxidant
Lycopene, one of more than 600 carotenoids found in nature, is a powerful antioxidant, probably more powerful than beta carotene. Studies show lycopene works well together with several other antioxidants, including vitamin E and flavonoids.

Lycopene and Vision
Lycopene is a carotenoid that provides healthy eyesight support. Lycopene is found in the eye.

Prostate Cancer
Lycopene has shown to potentially play a role in prostate cancer, and perhaps other cancers, including cervix, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum. Lycopene helps prevent damage to DNA.

Lycopene and the Heart
Lycopene and other carotenoids may provide healthy support to the cardiovascular system. Lycopene, as an antioxidant, helps protect cholesterol from being oxidized.

Oral Leukoplakia
One study showed that lycopene supplements were helpful in oral leukoplakia.

Lycopene and Blood Pressure
Researchers in Israel have found that a daily dose of lycopene helped lower blood pressure among 31 men and women with mild hypertension. On average, their systolic pressure -- the top number in a blood-pressure reading -- dropped 10 points, while their diastolic pressure, or bottom number, dipped four points.

Lycopene mechanism of action
Lycopene acts in many different ways in the body. Lycopene works as an antioxidant and it may help reduce DNA damage. Furthermore, lycopene inhibits prostatic IGF-I signaling, IL-6 expression (interleukin), and androgen signaling. Moreover, lycopene improves communication between cells, and induces phase II drug metabolizing enzymes.

Lycopene in Food
Cooking tomatoes weakens the fruits' cell walls, which makes it easier for your body to absorb the lycopene. A half-cup of spaghetti sauce has as much lycopene as four or five medium raw tomatoes. There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance or Dietary Reference Intake for lycopene, but studies suggest that about 20 milligrams daily is beneficial. That's roughly 1 cup tomato juice. Besides tomatoes, other pink- and red-hued fruits contain lycopene. These are the lycopene amounts for some often-used products:

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup: 2 milligrams
1/4 cup cocktail sauce: 7 milligrams
1/4 cup tomato sauce: 9 milligrams
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce: 20 milligrams
1/2 pound watermelon: 10 milligrams
1 whole pink grapefruit: 3 milligrams
1 papaya: 3 milligrams

You can get lycopene in a supplement, but consuming foods such as canned tomatoes or guava bestows benefits beyond lycopene, including vitamins A, C, and E; folate; potassium; and fiber. And these nutrients may work with lycopene to offer health benefits.

Do You Need More Lycopene?
Lycopene, found in many fruits and vegetables -- especially tomatoes and watermelon -- may play an important role in reducing risks of many diseases, including prostate cancer and breast cancer. Some epidemiological studies indicate that high consumption of lycopene may lower the risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and macular degeneration. However, would you benefit from taking a lycopene supplement? It is difficult to say. I think tomatoes and tomato based products are consumed by Americans in a disproportionate basis compared to other fruits and vegetables. In other words, we may be consuming enough lycopene in our diet but perhaps not enough of other healthy substances found in a number of fruits and vegetables that are eaten infrequently. Therefore, I am not yet convinced that taking a lycopene supplement will provide benefits to most people, unless their diet is low on tomato based products. Perhaps those who consume adequate or large amounts of tomato based products may be better off taking other types of supplements such as those found in acai, goji, noni, pomegranate, curcumin, soy extracts, artichoke, asparagus, barley grass, etc. The point is, if you plan to take supplements, it may be better to take those that you don't normally consume in your diet as opposed to something like lycopene where it may already be abundant in your diet.

Lycopene Research Update
Dietary intake of lycopene is associated with reduced pancreatic cancer risk.
J Nutr. 2005 Mar;135(3):592-7.
Although fruits and vegetables have been implicated in the etiology of pancreatic cancer, the role of phytochemicals in these food groups has received little attention to date. In this study, we investigated the possible association between dietary carotenoids and pancreatic cancer risk. A case-control study of 462 histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer cases and 4721 population-based controls in 8 Canadian provinces took place between 1994 and 1997. After adjustment for age, province, BMI, smoking, educational attainment, dietary folate, and total energy intake, lycopene, provided mainly by tomatoes, was associated with a 31% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk among men when comparing the highest and lowest quartiles of intake. Both beta-carotene and total carotenoids were associated with a significantly reduced risk among those who never smoked. The results of this study suggest that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato-based products with high lycopene content may help reduce pancreatic cancer risk.

Efficacy of oral lycopene in the treatment of oral leukoplakia.
Oral Oncol. 2004 Jul;40(6):591-6.
This study evaluates the efficacy of lycopene in the treatment of oral leukoplakia and compares two different doses with a placebo. Fifty-eight clinically and histologically diagnosed patients of oral leukoplakia were selected for the study. They were randomly divided into three groups. Group A: (n = 20; 8 mg lycopene/day), Group B: (n = 20; 4 mg lycopene /day) and Group C: (n = 18; placebo). The duration of the therapy was three months. Outcome was assessed clinically as well as histologically. Clinically the patients in Groups A, B, C had a mean response of 80%, 66.25% and 12.5% respectively. Histological evaluation too had similar results. Patients receiving lycopene in both regimes show highly significant difference in response as compared to placebo (Group C). The observed effect of lycopene suggests that it can be effectively and safely used for the management of oral leukoplakia.

Taking lycopene supplements doesn't help athletes who have difficulty breathing during exercise, a condition called exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), according to a report in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Dietary lycopene and other carotenoids may protect against prostate cancer, Australian and Chinese researchers report. The findings confirm those of other studies that have identified lycopene as a protective agent against some types of cancers. Lee, of Curtin University of Technology, Perth, and colleagues conducted a study in southeast China involving 130 patients with prostate cancer, and a comparison group of 274 cancer-free "controls."  After factoring in age, total fat and caloric intake, as well as family history, diet appeared to have an influence on the odds of developing prostate cancer. The risk of prostate cancer declined with increasing consumption of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and other carotenoids. Consumption of foods including tomatoes, spinach and citrus fruits was also associated with a reduced cancer risk. The researchers conclude that "carotenoids in vegetables and fruits may be inversely related to prostate carcinogenesis among Chinese men." SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, March 1, 2005.

Lycopene: modes of action to promote prostate health.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 2004 Oct 1;430(1):127-34.
Epidemiological evidence strongly suggests that lycopene consumption contributes to prostate cancer risk reduction. Preclinical studies show that lycopene acts via different mechanisms, which have the potential to cooperate in reducing the proliferation of normal and cancerous prostate epithelial cells, in reducing DNA damage, and in improving oxidative stress defense. The mechanisms include inhibition of prostatic IGF-I signaling, IL-6 expression, and androgen signaling. Moreover, lycopene improves gap-junctional communication and induces phase II drug metabolizing enzymes as well as oxidative defense genes. These findings provide plausible explanations for the epidemiological findings how lycopene can contribute to reduced prostate cancer risk. The novel finding that lycopene reduces local androgen signaling in the prostate suggests also efficacy in prevention of benign prostate hyperplasia. Intervention trials in humans are required to finally prove clinical efficacy of the lycopene molecule in prostate health.

Tomato phytochemicals and prostate cancer risk.
J Nutr. 2004 Dec;134(12):3486S-92S.
Mounting evidence over the past decade suggests that the consumption of fresh and processed tomato products is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer. The emerging hypothesis is that lycopene, the primary red carotenoid in tomatoes, may be the principle phytochemical responsible for this reduction in risk. A number of potential mechanisms by which lycopene may act have emerged, including serving as an important in vivo antioxidant, enhancing cell-to-cell communication via increasing gap junctions between cells, and modulating cell-cycle progression. Although the effect of lycopene is biologically relevant, the tomato is also an excellent source of nutrients, including folate, vitamin C, and various other carotenoids and phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, which also may be associated with lower cancer risk. Tomatoes also contain significant quantities of potassium, as well as some vitamin A and vitamin E. We carried out cell culture trials to evaluate the effects of tomato carotenoids and tomato polyphenols on growth of prostate cancer cells. We also evaluated the ability of freeze-dried whole-tomato powder or lycopene alone to reduce growth of prostate tumors in rats. This paper reviews the epidemiological evidence, evaluating the relationship between prostate cancer risk and tomato consumption, and presents experimental data from this and other laboratories that support the hypothesis that whole tomato and its phytochemical components such as lycopene reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

Do dietary lycopene and other carotenoids protect against prostate cancer?
Int J Cancer. 2004 Oct 28
To determine whether dietary intake of lycopene and other carotenoids has an etiological association with prostate cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Hangzhou, southeast China during 2001-2002. The cases were 130 incident patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The controls were 274 hospital inpatients without prostate cancer or any other malignant diseases. Information on usual food consumption, including vegetables and fruits, was collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured food frequency questionnaire. The risks of prostate cancer for the intake of carotenoids and selected vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for age, locality, education, income, body mass index, marital status, number of children, family history of prostate cancer, tea drinking, total fat and caloric intake. The prostate cancer risk declined with increasing consumption of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Intake of tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, watermelon and citrus fruits were also inversely associated with the prostate cancer risk. The adjusted odds ratios for the highest versus the lowest quartiles of intake were 0.18 for lycopene, 0.43 for alpha-carotene, 0.34 for beta-carotene, 0.15 for beta-cryptoxanthin and 0.02 for lutein and zeaxanthin. The corresponding dose-response relationships were also significant, suggesting that vegetables and fruits rich in lycopene and other carotenoids may be protective against prostate cancer.

Influence of organic versus conventional agricultural practice on the antioxidant microconstituent content of tomatoes and derived purees; consequences on antioxidant plasma status in humans.
 J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Oct 20;52(21):6503-9.
The present study aims first to compare the antioxidant microconstituent contents between organically and conventionally grown tomatoes and, second, to evaluate whether the consumption of purees made of these tomatoes can differently affect the plasma levels of antioxidant microconstituents in humans. When results were expressed as fresh matter, organic tomatoes had higher vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenol contents (except for chlorogenic acid) than conventional tomatoes. When results were expressed as dry matter, no significant difference was found for lycopene and naringenin. In tomato purees, no difference in carotenoid content was found between the two modes of culture, whereas the concentrations of vitamin C and polyphenols remained higher in purees made out of organic tomatoes. For the nutritional intervention, no significant difference (after 3 weeks of consumption of 96 g/day of tomato puree) was found between the two purees with regard to their ability to affect the plasma levels of the two major antioxidants, vitamin C and lycopene.

Comparative multiple dose plasma kinetics of lycopene administered in tomato juice, tomato soup or lycopene tablets.
Eur J Nutr. 2004 Jan 26;:1-9.
Lycopene is mainly provided in tomato and tomato products in Western diet. Among other factors the systemic availability of lycopene from natural sources is dependent on release from the cell matrix as achieved by food processing. The purpose of this study was to compare plasma concentration responses of total lycopene and its major isomers to dosing of the carotenoid as tomato juice, tomato soup or tablets containing synthetic lycopene. METHODS. Intake of lycopene rich food products was restricted throughout this randomized, parallel group study, including 6 volunteers per group. Following a 14 day lycopene depletion phase subjects ingested 20 mg of lycopene daily for 8 days as tomato juice, soup prepared from tomato paste or lycopene tablets. Lycopene plasma concentrations were monitored throughout the depletion and dosing phases and for 22 days post-dosing and kinetics were evaluated using both empirical and compartmental modelling. Irrespective of the lycopene treatment all-E lycopene was the predominant lycopene isomer, whereas 5-Z lycopene was the most abundant Z isomer. Plasma concentration response of total and all-E lycopene to dosing of the carotenoid in tablets and tomato soup was comparable but exceeded that of intake in tomato juice. No differences were noted in dose normalized 5-Z lycopene concentrations between groups. The estimates of efficient half-life were approximately 5 and 9 days for all-E and 5-Z lycopene, respectively. The systemic availability of synthetic lycopene from a tablet formulation is comparable to that observed from processed tomatoes (soup from tomato paste) and superior to that from tomato juice. No differences were observed in disposition kinetics of natural and synthetic lycopene. The synthetic lycopene tablet formulation used in this investigation may be of value for future clinical investigations.

Lycopene and prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2002;5(1):6-12.
The role of diet and dietary supplements in the development and progression of prostate cancer represents an increasingly frequent topic of discussion in the urologist's office. As access to information becomes forever easier, patients are more aware and educated about this subject than ever before. The role of antioxidants including carotenoids in all this has been the subject of great interest for some time. Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables their red colour, has been of particular interest recently as regards its role in prostate cancer. The aim of this review is to briefly outline the biology and chemistry of lycopene, the scientific basis for its proposed anticancer properties and evaluate what conclusions the practicing urologist may draw from the data thus far. The media and industry have raced to encourage not only diets high in lycopene but also dietary lycopene supplements but there is probably only sufficient evidence to recommend to patients a diet rich in all vegetables and fruits of which tomatoes and tomato based products should certainly be a part.

The relationship between dietary carotenoids and prostate cancer risk in Southeast Chinese men.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S117.
To investigate whether dietary intake of lycopene and other carotenoids has an etiological association with prostate cancer, a case-control study was conducted in Hangzhou, southeast China during 2001-2002. The cases were 130 incident patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The controls were 274 hospital inpatients without prostate cancer or any other malignant diseases, who were matched to the age of cases. Information on usual food consumption, including all vegetables and fruits, was collected by face-to-face interview using a structured food frequency questionnaire. The risk of prostate cancer for the intake of carotenoids and selected vegetables and fruits rich in carotenoids was assessed using multivariate logistic regression, adjusting for age, locality, education, income, body mass index, marital status, number of children, family history of prostate cancer, tea drinking, total fat and caloric intake. The prostate cancer risk declined with increasing consumption of lycopene, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Tomatoes, pumpkin, spinach, watermelon and citrus intake were also inversely related to the risk of prostate cancer. The dose response relationships were also significant, suggesting that intake of lycopene and other carotenoid rich vegetables and fruits may associate with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

Efficacy of oral lycopene in the treatment of oral leukoplakia.
Oral Oncol. 2004;40:591-6.
This study evaluates the efficacy of lycopene in the treatment of oral leukoplakia and compares two different doses with a placebo. Fifty-eight clinically and histologically diagnosed patients of oral leukoplakia were selected for the study. They were randomly divided into three groups. Group A: ( [Formula: see text]; 8 mg lycopene /day), Group B: ( [Formula: see text]; 4 mg lycopene /day) and Group C: (placebo). The duration of the therapy was three months. Clinically the patients in Groups A, B, C had a mean response of 80%, 66.25% and 12.5% respectively. Histological evaluation too had similar results. Patients receiving lycopene in both regimes show highly significant difference in response as compared to placebo (Group C). The observed effect of lycopene suggests that it can be effectively and safely used for the management of oral leukoplakia.

A comparison of lycopene and orchidectomy vs orchidectomy alone in the management of advanced prostate cancer.
BJU Int. 2003 Sep;92(4):375-8; discussion 378.
To compare the efficacy of lycopene plus orchidectomy with orchidectomy alone in the management of advanced prostate cancer. Fifty-four patients with histologically confirmed metastatic prostatic cancer (M1b or D2) and a performance status of 0-2 (World Health Organization) were entered into the trial. The trial comprised two treatment arms, i.e. patients were randomized to orchidectomy alone or orchidectomy plus lycopene, each of 27 patients. Lycopene was started on the day of orchidectomy at 2 mg twice daily. Patients were evaluated clinically before and every 3 months after the intervention, with measurements of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a bone scan and uroflowmetry, with the clinical response assessed as the change in these variables. RESULTS: At 6 months there was a significant reduction in PSA level in both treatments, but more marked in the lycopene group. After 2 years these changes were more consistent in the lycopene group. Eleven (40%) patients in orchidectomy and 21 (78%) in the lycopene group had a complete PSA response, with a partial response in nine (33%) and four (15%), and progression in seven (25%) and two (7%), respectively. Bone scans showed that in the orchidectomy arm only four (15%) patients had a complete response, vs eight (30%) in the lycopene group, with a partial response in 19 (70%) and 17 (63%), and progression in four (15%) and two (7%), respectively. There was a significant improvement in peak flow rate in the lycopene group. Of the 54 patients who entered the trial, 19 (35%) died, 12 (22%) in orchidectomy and seven (13%) in lycopene group. CONCLUSION: Adding lycopene to orchidectomy produced a more reliable and consistent decrease in serum PSA level; it not only shrinks the primary tumour but also diminishes the secondary tumors, providing better relief from bone pain and lower urinary tract symptoms, and improving survival compared with orchidectomy alone.

Lycopene synergistically inhibits LDL oxidation in combination with vitamin E, glabridin, rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, or garlic.
Antioxid Redox Signal. 2000 Fall;2(3):491-506.
Several lines of evidence suggest that oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is atherogenic, and that atherosclerosis can be attenuated by natural antioxidants, which inhibit LDL oxidation. This study was conducted to determine the effect of tomato lycopene alone, or in combination with other natural antioxidants, on LDL oxidation. LDL (100 microg of protein/ml) was incubated with increasing concentrations of lycopene or of tomato oleoresin (lipid extract of tomatoes containing 6% lycopene, 0.1% beta-carotene, 1% vitamin E, and polyphenols), after which it was oxidized by the addition of 5 micromol/liter of CuSO4. Tomato oleoresin exhibited superior capacity to inhibit LDL oxidation in comparison to pure lycopene. Because tomato oleoresin also contains, in addition to lycopene, vitamin E, flavonoids, and phenolics, a possible cooperative interaction between lycopene and such natural antioxidants was studied. A combination of lycopene with vitamin E resulted in an inhibition of copper ion-induced LDL oxidation that was significantly greater than the expected additive individual inhibitions. The synergistic antioxidative effect of lycopene with vitamin E was not shared by gamma-to-cotrienol. The polyphenols glabridin (derived from licorice), rosmarinic acid or carnosic acid (derived from rosemary), as well as garlic (which contains a mixture of natural antioxidants) inhibited LDL oxidation in a dose-dependent manner. When lycopene was added to LDL in combination with glabridin, rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, or garlic, synergistic antioxidative effects were obtained against LDL oxidation induced either by copper ions or by the radical generator AAPH. Similar interactive effects seen with lycopene were also observed with beta-carotene, but, however, to a lesser extent of synergism. Because natural antioxidants exist in nature in combination, the in vivo relevance of lycopene in combination with other natural antioxidants was studied. Four healthy subjects were administered a fatty meal containing 30 mg of lycopene in the form of tomato oleoresin. The lycopene concentration in postprandial plasma was elevated by 70% in comparison to plasma obtained before meal consumption. Postprandial LDL isolated 5 hr after meal consumption exhibited a significant (p < 0.01) reduced susceptibility to oxidation by 21%. We conclude that lycopene acts synergistically, as an effective antioxidant against LDL oxidation, with several natural antioxidants such as vitamin E, the flavonoid glabridin, the phenolics rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid, and garlic. These observations suggest a superior antiatherogenic characteristic to a combination of different natural antioxidants over that of an individual one.

Changes in Contents of Carotenoids and Vitamin E during Tomato Processing.
J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Nov 17;52(23):7005-10.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different types of tomato processing on contents of lycopene, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol. Samples of tomato sauce, tomato soup, baked tomato slices, and tomato juice were taken at different times of heating, respectively, after each step of production. Due to the loss of water during thermal processing, contents of lycopene, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol on a wet weight basis increased. On a dry weight basis, contents of lycopene increased or decreased depending on the origin of the tomatoes used, whereas the beta-carotene contents decreased or were quite stable. In contrast to lycopene, beta-carotene isomerized due to thermal processing. The alpha-tocopherol contents significantly rose during short-term heating. The increase was not caused by release of alpha-tocopherol from the seeds containing predominantly gamma-tocopherol and accounting for 2% of total alpha-tocopherol content only.

Lycopene Article
Why do tomatoes look red? It's because of lycopene, the pigment that gives some vegetables and fruits their deep red color. Lycopene, one of more than 600 carotenoids found in nature, is a powerful antioxidant, probably more powerful than beta carotene (the carotenoid found in carrots).

What Foods Contain Lycopene?
Foods that are commonly consumed which contain lycopene are tomato products, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots, guava, and papaya. Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids in the diet of North Americans and accounts for close to 50% of the carotenoid distribution found in blood.

How Much Lycopene in there in a Tomato?
There is about 5 mg of lycopene per 100 gram of ripe tomato fruit. Lycopene concentration in tomatoes increases significantly during the ripening process. Lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into juice, sauce, paste and ketchup. The chemical form of lycopene found in tomatoes is converted by the temperature changes involved in processing to make it more easily absorbed by the body.

Benefit of Lycopene
There are several areas in medicine where the benefit of lycopene could be appreciated. There have been claims that lycopene lowers the risk of heart disease (hardening of the arteries of the heart), macular degenerative disease, and lipid oxidation (damage to normal fat molecules that can then cause inflammation and disease). A major potential lycopene benefit is in the treatment or prevention of cancer. Let's examine these lycopene benefit claims.

Cancer
Population studies show that people who eat large amounts of foods with lycopene, such as cooked tomatoes, have a reduced risk of certain cancers. A preliminary investigation of 21 men with prostate cancer found that lycopene supplements appeared to reduce the uncontrolled growth of prostate cancer cells. Additional studies have shown that men and women who have a high level of lycopene in their blood have a lower risk for a number of cancers. Although lycopene has often been mentioned in relation to prostate cancer, the benefits of this red pigment are not limited to the prostate. Lycopene is likely to play a role in other cancers including cervix, mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum. While animal and laboratory studies show lycopene to hold promise as a cancer treatment, long term human studies are determine to learn whether the results apply to humans.

Eyesight
Since lycopene is found in the eye, it is one of the other essential carotenoids, in addition to lutein and zeaxanthin, in helping maintain optimal vision.

Lycopene and the heart
Lycopene and other carotenoids provide healthy support to the cardiovascular system. Lycopene helps protect cholesterol from being oxidized. It is often the oxidation of cholesterol in the bloodstream that allows it to stick to the inner lining of the arteries and cause plaque formation.

Oral Leukoplakia
One study showed that lycopene supplements were helpful in oral leukoplakia. Leukoplakia is a precancerous mucous membrane condition -- manifested by white patches -- that develops on the tongue, gums, or the inside of the cheek. Occasionally, leukoplakia patches develop on the female external genitalia. Leukoplakia is most common in older men. Leukoplakia may develop as a response to chronic irritation, for instance dentures, or from smoking or alcohol abuse.

How it works
Lycopene acts in many different ways in the body. Lycopene works as an antioxidant and it may help reduce DNA damage that occur from toxins and oxidnats. Furthermore, lycopene inhibits prostatic IGF-I signaling, IL-6 expression (interleukin), and androgen signaling. Moreover, lycopene improves communication between cells, and induces phase II drug metabolizing enzymes.

Side Effects
Lycopene obtained from eating fruits and vegetables has no known side effects and is thought to be safe for humans. The potential side effects of lycopene supplements are not known.

Availability and Dosage
Lycopene is sold either by itself or often combined in a multivitamin or antioxidant formula. The ideal daily supplement dose is not know. Those who consume a high intake of vegetables and fruits, particularly the ones that have a good amount of lycopene, are not likely to benefit much from supplements. If you do supplement, it is preferable that you also take other carotenoids in order to have a good balance.
     Most lycopene supplements range from 5 to 20 mg per capsule. I believe a range of 5 to 10 mg taken a few times a week should be adequate for most people. However, if you eat tomato products frequently, or eat watermelon or other fruits and vegetables with a high concentration of lycopene, you would not likely need to take a lycopene supplement at all. Most Americans have a high intake of tomato products and may not benefit from a lycopene supplement as much as perhaps people in other countries whose routine diet does not include tomatoes. Lycopene benefit.

Lycopene pill questions
Q. I'd like to use the multivitamin - MultiVit Rx, but it contains lycopine from tomato and I have adverse reaction to tomato and some other citric acid fruits. What do you advise?
   A. There are many other compounds in tomato besides lycopene, and if some people have problems with tomato, it is almost always not due to the lycopene, but something else within the tomato. For instance, these same people can eat watermelon which has lots of lycopene.

Q. Is lycopene present in semen?
   A. Yes, there is lycopene in human semen, the levels of which can be significantly increased after supplementation with lycopene.