Lycopene: Benefits, Sources, and Health Impacts

Lycopene is a substance that is known for its benefits to the prostate, adrenal glands, lungs and eyes. According to the Mayo Clinic, high intakes of lycopene foods have reduced instances of cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration, but it is not clear if it is beneficial by itself. They cite the fact that there are other nutrients in the foods that are also beneficial, such as Vitamin C.

Features

• Fruits and vegetables are the main source of lycopene. A common characteristic that can be seen is they will have a reddish color.

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes are one of the most known foods that contain lycopene. Tomato sauce and ketchup have higher concentrations than whole tomatoes.

Melon

• Regular melons such as cantaloupe have digestive enzymes in them. Watermelon is known for its lycopene concentration.

Citrus

• Grapefruits are citrus fruits that are known for their Vitamin C content. They also have lycopene.

Vegetables

• Red peppers, asparagus, cabbage and carrots are all vegetable sources of lycopene.

Identification

• There are also a couple of spices that have lycopene. Two of which are cinnamon and chili powder.