Side Effects of for Lycopene

Lycopene is the carotenoid pigment that gives tomatoes their characteristic red color. It is also present in papayas, watermelons and red carrots. Lycopene has been shown to have a number of health benefits, many of which are due to its antioxidant properties which help boost the immune system and eliminate toxins from the body.

• Tomato is a source of lycopene

Sources

• Lycopene is not one of the essential nutrients for humans. It is commonly found in most people's diets from dishes containing tomato sauce and ketchup. Although it is contained in raw tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body from tomatoes that have been processed. When it is absorbed from the digestive system, lycopene accumulates in the adrenal glands, liver, skin, colon and testes.

Reported Benefits

• Numerous studies claim to show that a high intake of foods rich in lycopene are related to a reduced risk of certain types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, macular degeneration and blood disorders. The problem with these studies is that they have only estimated lycopene consumption based on the food content of daily diet, not on lycopene alone. Because tomatoes and other sources of lycopene are also rich in folate, vitamin C and potassium, the beneficial effects of tomato juice and watermelon may not be due to lycopene but a combination of these nutrients.

Lycopene and Cardiovascular Disease

• Many claims have been made about lycopene's antioxidant properties. One of the main claims is that lycopene can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its ability to cleanse the blood, increase oxygen flow and eliminate toxins from the body. However, a 2005 study by Das et al., showed that although tomato juice may have these benefits, the benefits could not be attributed specifically to lycopene.

Lycopene Side Effects

• Lycopene is usually safe in dietary amounts or as a supplement of no more than 30mg per day to be taken no longer than 8 weeks. Lycopene intake during pregnancy and breast feeding is considered safe if in the amounts commonly found in food. There are no conclusive studies to show if the ingestion of lycopene supplements are safe if taken during pregnancy and breast feeding. Recent studies are suggesting that lycopene may be a risk factor for or may worsen already established prostate cancer.

Lycopene and Cancer

• Some manufacturers of lycopene supplements recommend it for the prevention of certain types of cancer, and particularly prostate cancer. However a number of studies including an intensive study by Peters et al. entitled "Serum Lycopene, Other Carotenoids, and Prostate Cancer Risk: a Nested Case-Control Study in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial," showed that not only is lycopene not recommended in prostate cancer prevention, it may actually increase the risk of prostate cancer and may also increase the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, particularly in smokers.