SPONSORED BY:  The International Institute for Health and Wellness, Inc, of Orem, Utah
An affiliated institution with Rio Verde University Graduate School
 

#1 Lycopene a 3 Part Series

Scientists are finding evidence that the red-pigmented antioxidant lycopene, found in many fruits and vegetables -- especially tomatoes -- may play an important role in reducing risks of many diseases, including cancer.

Red research
Since the 1980s, when scientists discovered lycopene's powerful antioxidant activity (that is, its potential ability to help prevent and repair cell damage), several studies have linked diets high in tomatoes with lower risks of certain cancers. A Harvard study in the mid-1990s found that men who consumed at least 10 servings of tomato products per week had a 34 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than other men. More recent research suggests that lycopene benefits women, too. Studies have shown that women who consumed diets high in lycopene-rich tomato products had a 30 to 50 percent lower risk of developing clinical breast cancer. And while this research is promising, more studies are needed to confirm lycopene's role regarding reducing cancer risks.

Canned goodness
Other studies indicate that high consumption of lycopene may lower the risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness. Using a major European study and analysis of other research, a University of North Carolina report found that men with higher blood-lycopene levels than other men were less likely to have heart attacks, and Harvard researchers found that women with high blood levels of lycopene had a lower risk of heart disease. Lycopene may also play a role in reducing blood pressure and lowering LDL, or "bad" cholesterol
 

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