Lycopene is a carotenoid that serves to give red color to vegetables and fruits, and in the human body, it possesses antioxidant benefits.
It is present in foods, which we can consume to increase resistance to aging and protect the cardiovascular system, as well as to use certain supplements in capsules with plant extracts to enhance its effects.
Contents
What is Lycopene and What is it Used For
Known as lycopersicum, lycopene is a phytochemical for its medicinal properties for humans. It acts by protecting against free radicals, free molecules that damage cells and accelerate the aging of the skin, heart, and other tissues of the body.
Lycopene is a carotenoid without vitamin A activity. It is also a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon or unsubstituted alkene, and its chemical structure corresponds to tetraterpenes.
As a food additive, it is classified as E160d.
Properties and Benefits
In humans, lycopene has medicinal properties and benefits for the skin and as an antioxidant agent that protects against oxidation and inflammation.
When taken through foods, its most common source, or through dietary supplements usually sold in capsules or tablets, lycopene is absorbed by the intestine.
Once metabolized, it can be detected in the blood as it is transported by some lipoproteins, with the highest amount found in adipose tissue or fat, skin, adrenal glands, and liver. It is also present in other areas of the human body after consumption, although in lesser quantities than in the indicated parts.
We can say that the properties of lycopene include:
- Anticancerous.
- Antioxidant.
- Anti-aging.
- Cardiovascular protectors.
- Anti-hypercholesterolemia.
Cancer
Research has advanced on lycopene’s properties in halting the onset of prostate cancer, with evidence showing that people consuming lycopene-rich foods are less likely to develop it.
However, although there are many indications that it may act as an anticancer agent, evidence is insufficient, and further studies are needed to demonstrate its properties similar to other antioxidant flavonoids.
Many of lycopene’s benefits against cancer are due to its action on molecules that promote cancer regression.
Many cancer processes result from oxidative damage. This can damage cellular DNA and lead to abnormal cell growth and differentiation. Lycopene against prostate cancer neutralizes free radicals (oxide and peroxide) in a way similar to other antioxidants, hence why the benefits of resveratrol are somewhat similar. They capture free molecules damaging cellular tissue and therefore are less harmful.
Anti-aging for Skin
Considered one of the best natural antioxidants, lycopene possesses anti-aging properties, useful in delaying skin aging and deterioration.
It protects epidermal cells, preventing much of the damage caused by free radicals. These radicals produce oxidative stress, which, besides aging the skin, are major contributors to certain cardiovascular diseases and tumor formation leading to cancer.
It is believed that the effects of lycopene are greater than those of other antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin B2, C, D, and even vitamin E. All these vitamins are recognized as healthy for protecting against oxidative stress, with more potent effects than beta-carotenes.
Macular Degeneration
By offering a remedy against aging of the cardiovascular system and keeping capillaries younger, lycopene is a natural antidote against macular degeneration and eye disorders that cause blindness.
It strengthens capillaries and veins throughout the body, preventing, in many cases, hemorrhages in the eye that can lead to poor vision and partial or total blindness in people over 60.
Cholesterol
Recent data indicates that it also has beneficial properties regarding LDL cholesterol oxidation. This type of cholesterol is considered harmful, causing cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis.
To reduce cholesterol levels, it is recommended, in addition to pharmacological treatment in necessary cases, to consume fresh tomatoes, carrots, and red fruits, as these are some of the best natural sources of lycopene.
Prostate
Associated with prostate cancer prevention, lycopene plays an important role in inhibiting oxidation caused by free radicals. Consuming tomatoes and carrots is one of the best ways to achieve this.
While there have been studies trying to demonstrate that lycopene has properties against prostate cancer, the reality is different. The benefits of lycopene are associated with the consumption of whole tomatoes due to their wide variety of polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals. It cannot be proven that taking lycopene capsules provides anticancer effects or reduces the incidence of prostate cancer in humans.
Contraindications and Side Effects
- Carotenoderma.
As it can be used as a food coloring due to its ability to dye and change the color of tissue, people with carotenoderma, a condition characterized by yellowish discoloration of the skin, should avoid consuming large doses of this phytochemical.
Lycopene contraindications include this skin disorder. People with elevated levels of beta-carotenes should not increase the dose of antioxidants and polyphenols of any kind, except upon express recommendation by a doctor.
Side Effects
- Diarrhea.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Stomach cramps.
- Intestinal gas.
- Stomach pain.
- Loss of appetite.
It is considered safe, although some people may experience lycopene side effects. Generally, these are related to gastrointestinal discomfort, which may vary depending on each person’s tolerance.
Taking lycopene during pregnancy and breastfeeding has no contraindications or side effects, although high levels of this substance are detected in breast milk. However, this occurrence has not reported adverse reactions in babies or in fetal development.
It is always recommended to avoid dietary supplements during pregnancy, except those expressly indicated to regulate possible deficiencies caused by pregnancy.
And now that we know all its properties and benefits, the adverse reactions it can produce, let’s indicate the foods that have the highest amount of lycopene.
Foods Where It’s Found
Most red, orange, and pink-colored foods are rich in lycopene, although some with a different color also contain it. These will almost always contain less quantity.
Foods rich in lycopene include:
- Olive oil.
- Apricots.
- Cherries.
- Strawberries.
- Guava.
- Papayas.
- Grapefruits.
- Rosehip.
- Watermelon.
- Tomatoes.
- Carrots.
Lycopene from Tomatoes
Tomatoes are considered one of the best lycopene-rich foods. They contain a large amount of antioxidants, and as can be observed in their color, the pigments they contain give them that reddish and strong color.
In addition to the phytochemical, they are also an important source of beta-carotenes and vitamin A, all of which are cardiovascular protective substances that also provide benefits for delaying aging of the ocular system and skin.
The lycopene from tomatoes is found in different concentrations depending on how it is consumed, meaning the content can vary if consumed fresh, crushed, or as juice.
The amount of lycopene in tomatoes is as follows:
| Lycopene content in tomatoes | Per 100 g. |
|---|---|
| Tomato juice | From 5 to 11.6. |
| Fresh tomato | From 0.72 to 20. |
| Crushed tomato | 6 mg. on average. |
Within the composition of tomatoes, we find that lycopene is the carotenoid with the highest presence in this food, constituting between 80% and 90% of all the carotenoids this fruit contains.
Additionally, tomatoes are high in fiber and very low in calories, making them an essential element in the diet of adults, the elderly, and children.
Olive Oil
Although it is not proven that olives or olive oil contain lycopene in large quantities, some companies enrich this product to make it more potent and effective against certain human health disorders.
Lycopene-enriched olive oil is a manipulated product, enriched, meaning that after pressing the olives to extract their oil, the carotenoid is added. This way, lycopene can be obtained in oil to complement the diet in a healthy way and offer all the advantages that this nutrient has for human health.
Lycopene and Lutein
Both are antioxidants with properties and benefits for humans, and the mixture produces more potent effects.
Lycopene and lutein are carotenoids with some very similar effects but complement each other very well.
Lycopene is red while lutein is yellow, which is why the former can be found in red fruits and vegetables and the latter, lutein, in yellow-colored foods like peppers, plums, etc.
The combination of lutein with lycopene increases antioxidant effects, also providing advantages against cancer.
Lycopene modulates the cell cycle, duplication, and differentiation, while lutein has detoxifying properties, promoting the expulsion of carcinogenic substances from the body.
Both pigments or carotenoids have the property of increasing apoptosis of cancer cells, reducing the risk of tumors and improving blood circulation.
Lycopene and Vitamins
Despite being a carotenoid, lycopene does not convert into vitamin A. Other carotenoids do make this conversion, becoming classified as provitamin A carotenoids.
However, although this conversion does not occur, its properties increase when lycopene is combined with vitamin E. Both substances are used as elements to prevent cancer in people with family history or those who have already developed lung, stomach, pancreas tumors, etc.
Sometimes, it is also recommended to include vitamin C in the diet for its antioxidant role, which, along with other vitamins with similar effects and flavonoids, promotes greater protection against cell DNA degeneration and duplication.
Uses
- Cardiovascular protector.
- Anti-aging supplement.
- Eye system protector.
- Food coloring E160d.
Most of the time, lycopene is used as an antioxidant product to protect the skin and prevent the appearance of wrinkles in the medium and long term. Also as a complementary supplement to aesthetic treatments.
It plays an important role in reducing cell damage, improving heart efficiency, and protecting organs essential for life.
Additionally, lycopene is a food coloring with the name E160d. It is used to enhance the color of foods and to better preserve them.
References
- Fuxing Technology Co., Ltd, «Lycopene from Tomato» CAS No.: 502-65-8».
- Nutrition Data, USDA Nutrient Database, «Foods highest in lycopene«.
- Journal of the American College of Nutrition, «Role of Antioxidant Lycopene in Cancer and Heart Disease«.
- Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, «Labelling of ingredients«.
- UK Food Standards Agency, «Current EU approved additives and their E Numbers«.
- Garrido M, González-Flores D, Marchena AM, Propr E, García-Parra J, Barriga C, Rodríguez A.B. (2013), «A lycopene-enriched virgin olive oil enhances antioxidant status in humans«.
- Agarwal A, Rao AV. «Tomato lycopene and low density lipoprotein in oxidation: a human dietary intervention study«.
- Iwasaki A, Gagnon C, «Formation of reactive oxygen species in spermatozoa of infertile patients«.
- World Cancer Research Fund/ American Institute for Cancer Research. «Food, nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective«.
