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Lycopene Fact Sheet
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• Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red colour to the tomato, guava, rosehip, watermelon and pink grapefruit.
• Lycopene is a proven antioxidant that may help lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.
• Research shows that lycopene can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into ketchup, juice, sauce and paste. Lycopene found in tomatoes is converted by the temperature used in processing to a more absorbable form.
• In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.
• Regular high consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended as part of healthy eating. Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to help decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.
• Ongoing research suggests that lycopene may help reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.
• Lycopene may also help lower the risk of prostate cancer. In one
six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. In 2002, a Harvard Medical School follow-up study confirmed the previous results revealing frequent tomato product consumption is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Data compiled from 1986 to 1998 show two or more servings a week of tomato sauce is associated with up to a 36 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer. Tomato sauce alone was more strongly related to prostate cancer risk than any dietary pattern associated with tomato sauce. Dietary variables such as body mass index, smoking, physical activity, alcohol use, and olive oil use were controlled.
• Researchers from the University of Illinois suggest tomato sauce, and possibly the lycopene present in tomato sauce, may play a role in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. In 32 prostate cancer patients, recruited from the Westside Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital in Chicago, the consumption of tomato sauce-based pasta dishes for three weeks (30 mg of lycopene per day) resulted in reduced oxidative DNA damage in prostate tissue and leukocytes. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker for prostate cancer, were also significantly decreased.
• A study conducted by Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute evaluated the effect of lycopene on patients with prostate cancer. The study involved 30 men with localized prostate cancer scheduled for surgical removal of the prostate. In a three-week period prior to surgery, participants randomly received either 15 mg of lycopene (as a pure tomato extract) twice daily or no intervention at all. Following surgery, the tissues were analyzed. The study demonstrated that tumours in the treated group were smaller than the group that received no treatment, and serum levels of PSA decreased in the group that received lycopene. As well, tumours in the patients who received lycopene showed regression and decreased malignancy.
• In a recent review of 72 studies, Dr. Edward Giovannucci at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that 57 of these studies demonstrated that a high intake of blood lycopene level was able to reduce the risk of a number of cancers. The evidence was strongest for prostate, lung and stomach cancers. Plasma lycopene levels were significantly lower in prostate cancer patients than in controls. These results lend support to findings showing lycopene as one of the most effective carotenoids in lowering prostate cancer risk.
• More recent studies in different parts of the world have provided support to these earlier findings. The mechanism by which lycopene exerts itself in the fight against prostate cancer is actively researched.
• Studies are underway to investigate other potential benefits of lycopene. These studies will focus on lycopene's possible role in the fight against osteopororsis and cancers of the digestive tract and breast.
Source: Heinz Canada, hjheinz.com
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