Reduce Risk of Serious Disease by Eating Tomatoes - Part 2

Lycopene: Just The Facts

As we saw in part 1 Tomatoes and tomato products have a high level of beneficial antioxidants in their red pigmentation which is called lycopene.

So we know studies have shown that lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes. (A caroteniod or carotene is an orange-yellow to red hydrocarbon occurring in many plants that is converted to vitamin A by the liver.)
Also Lycopene is a proven antioxidant that could lower the risk of heart disease and cancers.

So, in the human body, lycopene is deposited in the colon and skin as well as the liver, lungs, and prostate gland. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.

Studies for the control of disease in various worldwide populations have shown that high intake of lycopene containing vegetables has a reverse affect when it is associated with certain types of cancer. For example, Italians have shown to have a decrease of cancer risk of the digestive tract when a habitual intake of tomato products has been consumed.

As we saw earlier studies at Harvard has shown the diets of over 45,000 men consuming regular amounts of tomatoes and tomato products (which contain large amounts of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship and reduce the risk of prostate cancers. Therefore, with the increase of lycopene in the blood from the consumption of tomatoes and tomato products the prostate cancer risk decreased.

There also have been studies at a university in Israel that may have identified a unque mechanism in regards to lycopene. Lycopene protects against cancer which is by activating cancer preventive phase II enzymes. However this is another subject for another day.

With much more ongoing research, it also suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of cancers of the skin lung, bladder, cervix, serum lipid oxidation and macular degenerative disease.

As we can clearly see, just like our mommies use to tell us, "eat up your veggies honey for they will make you big and strong" these studies are proving just what mama knew all along.

Randy has been writing articles for a short time and enjoys health and diet. Reading and now writing about health and diet is an ever growing passion and something he practices himself. If you like crafts like Randy does check out his latest websites at rubber stamps crafts collecting decorative rubber stamps can be very addictive.