6 benefits of Lycopene

In recent years, numerous studies have indicated that a Lycopene-rich diet is associated with a lower risk of certain chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Here are the main benefits of Lycopene:

1. As an antioxidant. Human studies conducted at the University of Toronto on dietary Lycopene confirmed that it acts as an antioxidant. As Lycopene levels in the blood go up, the levels of oxidised lipoprotein, protein and DNA compounds go down. This, in turn, may lower the risk of cancer and heart disease.
    
2. Reduces prostate cancer. A study of 48,000 men by Harvard Medical School estimated that consuming tomato products twice a week, as opposed to never, was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of up to 34 percent. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only tomato products showed a measurable relationship with reduced prostate cancer risk.
    
3. Inhibits cancer cells. Research conducted into breast, lung and endometrial cancer at Ben Gurion University and Soroka Medical Center in Israel shows that Lycopene is even more effective than the other bright vegetable carotenoids alpha- and beta-carotene, in causing a delay in the cell cycle progression from one growth phase to the next.
    
4. Reduces heart risk. A study, conducted by the University of North Carolina, compared fat samples from 1,379 American and European men who had suffered a heart attack with those of healthy men. It found that those with high levels of Lycopene were half as likely to have an attack as those with low levels.
    
5. Reduces blindness. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the most common form of blindness for elderly people in the western world. Lycopene is the only micronutrient whose serum level is shown to be inversely related to the risk of ARMD. 
    
6. Reduces atherosclerosis. Lycopene prevents oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

The human body does not produce Lycopene, but it's readily available through the diet. How to get more Lycopene