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To prevent cancer, many people are changing personal habits. At first it seemed enough to just stop smoking and excess drinking to stay in good health. Over the past few years, however, the focus has been on what we put into our bodies as well as what we don’t, as some nutrients found in foods are considered to fight cancer. Raw fruits and vegetables, like broccoli, have been recommended for years, but recently, a surprising discovery has been made that may expand the group of “healthy” foods. Before you give up pizza to cut down on fat and before you change from marinara to pesto on your pasta, you’ll want to know about the new nutrient on the block called lycopene. This new “micronutrient” is a definite must in the diet for prostate health.
What is Lycopene? Lycopene is part of a group of nutrients known as carotenoids. You are probably familiar with some of the nutrients in this group like beta-carotene and retinol, which are both found in carrots. Similarly, Lycopene, in certain foods, is the coloring agent. It also does not have the vitamin A characteristics that beta-carotene and retinol do, but is fat-soluble similar to vitamin A.
Most commonly, Lycopene is found primarily in tomatoes and tomato products. It can also be found in fruit such as watermelon, pink grapefruit, and guava. Lycopene exists in a limited number of other foods as well. Most of the lycopene consumed, as you can well imagine, is in the form of tomato products such as ketchup, tomato juice, spaghetti, and pizza sauces. Unlike many other nutrients lycopene does not dissipate during the cooking of tomato products and can often be concentrated because of the cooking process. This then gives us the clue as to what to look for when looking for lycopene rich foods.
Many of us have been consuming adequate quantities of lycopene with out even realizing it, for instance, on friday night pizza night, Sunday’s spaghetti dinner, and eating watermelon after on a hot summer day. Tomatoes contain 3.1 grams per 100 and watermelon 4.1 grams per 100 of lycopene. Tomatoes also contain amounts of Beta Carotene (which can be converted to A-Carotene) and Vitamin C, which fight free radicals in the system. Overall, for cancer protection and overall health benefits, tomatoes are a powerful food.
In a John Hopkins’s Research study, researchers found lower levels of lycopene in those individuals with cancer. According to an Abstract from The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Lycopene, a caroteniod without Vitamin A activity found in a small set of plant foods, has significant antioxidant potential and may play a role in preventing prostate cancer. The American Society for Clinical Nutrition also cites that three times as much lycopene is found in tomato paste than raw tomato products, therefore the absorption of the lycopene depends on the treatment of the foods. Due to the fact that lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, however, the amount of fat used in cooking will determine how much lycopene the body absorbs. There are also links being studied between intake of lycopene and reduced instance of cardiac disease. Studies have shown that the antioxidant protection is more dramatic in those who do not smoke, than in those who do, as smoking introduces more free radicals into the body that need cleaning up. It is also more likely that lycopene will be consumed by non-smokers who generally make more health conscious choices as to food and other variables like exercise and alcohol consumption. However, in those already affected by cancer, studies are being done concerning the relationship between consumption of lycopene and the slowing of tumor growth.
These findings are not only found in medical journals, but also advertised on television, as a famous maker of tomato soup sites in a commercial that lycopene, found in cooked tomato products, help in the fight against prostate cancer. Unlike most vegetables that lose vitamins when cooked, lycopene increases during cooking, so the products gaining popularity include tomato juice, tomato sauce, and salsa.
In studies concerning diet and health, Italian men are known to have a low instance of prostate cancer, however, high fat in traditional Italian foods can lead to other problems. Cooked tomato products are gaining in popularity again due to these findings and many people are including cooked tomato products in their diet.
How can lycopene be incorporated into a personal cancer prevention program? To promote health without sacrificing taste, foods containing lycopene can be combined with other foods containing antioxidants to make delicious meals that help fight cancer. Garlic and Onions, both containing powerful antioxidants, can be cooked with tomatoes to make a healthful sauce. You can add some red peppers to a sauce to increase the antioxidant benefit. To insure maximum protection, go easy on any fats or oils in the sauce to assure that maximum absorption will occur. Marinara sauce (without meat) has gained popularity as a healthy way to enjoy lycopene. Tomato soup is now packaged in “on the go” containers, so tomato soup can be enjoyed on a lunch break away from home. As cooked tomato products are relatively inexpensive, it is easy for those on a budget to enjoy this health benefit for the whole family to help in the prevention of cancer and other disease.
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