Lycopene: useful properties, TOP products
What is Lycopene?
Lycopene is a red-colored pigment that breaks down fats. Mainly found in tomatoes. Lycopene belongs to the family of pigments called carotenoids. In turn, carotenoids are a natural pigment responsible for the bright color of autumn leaves, fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables. The color of vegetables and fruits ranges from bright yellow (some pumpkin varieties), to orange (pumpkin and carrots), and red (tomatoes and peppers).
The recommended daily requirement for lycopene is 5-7.5 mg.
Lycopene is an antioxidant
Modern researchers have studied lycopene quite thoroughly. Lycopene has antioxidant properties. Numerous studies have shown that a diet that includes foods containing lycopene can reduce the likelihood of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.
At Harvard University in the mid-1990s, a study was conducted in which it was found that out of 50,000 men who ate tomatoes 10 or more times a week (namely, tomatoes are high in lycopene), the risk of prostate cancer in some cases decreased by 34% … Antioxidants help fight cancer, protect cells from free radical damage, thereby slowing down the aging process.
Antioxidants fight free radicals that form when our cells convert oxygen into energy. Antioxidants can keep the immune system healthy, while reducing the risk of certain forms of cancer and other diseases. Vitamins such as vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and lycopene, and some other vitamins, are effective antioxidants.
Additionally, antioxidants have been shown to have beneficial effects on heart disease. Recent studies have shown that men with high levels of lycopene in their bodies had a 50% lower risk of heart attack, compared to those with low levels. As the researchers suggest, the content of lycopene in the body directly depends on its amount in the diet.
Read more: Antioxidants
Lycopene properties
Lycopene helps to normalize cholesterol metabolism, activates the digestion process. Lycopene normalizes appetite, suppresses pathogenic intestinal microflora, prevents the development of atherosclerosis, maintains normal acid-base balance, promotes weight loss. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and capillaries, has a beneficial effect on the skin of the face, nourishes and rejuvenates, especially for dry, wrinkled and pigmented skin. As a prophylactic agent against various liver disorders.
Since lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, it is able to destroy free radicals - such reactive molecules that destroy cell membranes, attack DNA, and thereby cause various diseases. Studies have shown that patients with HIV infection, colds and high cholesterol (with and without fat-lowering therapy) may have low blood lycopene levels. The level of lycopene in the blood does not always decrease due to smoking and alcohol consumption, in contrast to other carotenoids. This is influenced by the aging process.
Several studies have shown that a lycopene diet reduces the risk of a number of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and age-related macular degeneration. As an antioxidant, lycopene prevents the oxidation of low-level lipoprotein, that is, bad cholesterol, which leads to atherosclerosis (decreased patency of the arteries) and coronary artery disease.
With an increase in lycopene levels, the level of oxidized lipoprotein, protein and DNA components decreases, due to this, the risk of heart disease decreases. From this we can conclude that people with high lycopene levels have half the risk of heart disease than people with low lycopene levels. Again, there has been a direct link between lycopene supplementation and a reduced risk of prostate and stomach cancer. In the notes on these diseases, lycopene was the only carotenoid that helped reduce the risk of such diseases.
Clinical studies conducted at the end of 2001 on prostate cancer showed that the use of lycopene significantly reduced the growth rate of cancer cells. This method has reduced the spread of cancer cells by about 73%.
If you eat tomatoes at least twice a week, you can reduce your risk of cancer by 34%. If anything, that's what the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute says. Tomatoes alone, out of 46 fruits and vegetables in the study, have been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In addition, there is some medical evidence that shows that regular consumption of lycopene-rich tomatoes can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal cancer.
Lycopene-containing foods
Since the human body itself does not produce lycopene, it must be administered with food.
Lycopene is found in foods such as:
- Spaghetti sauce
- Tomato juice
- Ketchup
- Pizza sauce
The record holders among vegetables and fruits in terms of lycopene content are:
- Red tomatoes (one tomato contains an average of 1.5 mg of lycopene)
- Watermelon
- Red pepper
- Pink grapefruit
- Any other vegetables are red. Fruits also contain lycopene, but to a lesser extent.
Most lycopene is in tomato paste, only 1 tablespoon fully satisfies the daily requirement for lycopene. Tomato paste contains 30 times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes and 6 times more than ketchup.
Despite the fact that the main source of lycopene for humans is tomatoes or products made from them, the bioavailability of this enzyme is quite different. When preparing the sauce, tomatoes are stewed in oil, while the absorption of lycopene increases, as this enzyme dissolves in fat. When tomatoes are heated, the chemical formula of lycopene changes into a different form, which the body digests much easier. One study showed that lycopene from tomato paste is absorbed 2.5 times faster than fresh vegetables.
Despite the fact that there are no specific dietary recommendations, according to studies, drinking two cups (approximately 540 ml.) Of tomato juice a day, a person gets approximately 40 milligrams of lycopene. This amount is enough to significantly reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol, according to research on daily human nutrition.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
