Lycopene is a pigment and a member of the carotenoid family. Its antioxidant power is twice that of beta-carotene and 100 times that of vitamin E. Lycopene not only protects plants from UV rays, air pollution, etc., but also exerts antioxidant capacity in the human body, eliminates free radical damage to the human body, enhances immunity, delays aging, and inhibits cancer, thereby improving male fertility. It also has excellent effects in reducing the damage of cigarettes and alcohol. The human body cannot synthesize lycopene by itself and can only be taken from food. The study found that a tomato every day for 4 weeks can increase the body’s good cholesterol content by 15%, while reducing the bad cholesterol content, thereby protecting the cardiovascular.
(1) Improve immunity: It can enhance immunity and restore physical fitness.
(2) Anti-aging: Helps reduce UV damage to the skin, improve skin aging and age spots
(3) Inhibition of cancer cell growth: Women with higher levels of lycopene in serum have a lower risk of cervical cancer; and can inhibit the growth of breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer and endothelial cancer cells.
(4) Protection of cardiovascular: It can inhibit the formation of arteriosclerosis and improve cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipemia and coronary heart disease. Because lycopene can prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in the blood, it can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Some scholars have concluded from the study of 10 European countries that eating tomato products containing at least 40 mg of lycopene per day can significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
(5) Men can help prevent and improve urinary system diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis, and help improve male sperm quality and reduce infertility risk.
(6) Prevention or improvement of cataract and age-related macular degeneration. Cataract and age-related macular degeneration are common eye diseases in the elderly.
Health tips:
● It is recommended to take 25-30 mg of lycopene per person per day, which is equivalent to a bottle of 250 ml tomato juice or 2 to 3 large tomatoes.
● Lycopene is fat-soluble and is more easily absorbed by the body when cooked with oil. Therefore, tomato processed products such as tomato juice, tomato sauce, etc. are more easily absorbed than fresh tomatoes.