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Lycopene and Women's Health
– A summary of research studies on the Health Benefits
of Lycopene
Edited by Christine Dreher, CCN, CCH
| From the
media, we have already heard about the impressive benefits of
Lycopene for men’s prostate health. But did you know the
impressive benefits of Lycopene for women’s health? The following
is a summary of research studies on the benefits of lycopene for
women’s health and longevity. (Men, you can still benefit from
reading this too.)There is evidence that the intake of lycopene
can positively impact chronic health concerns that are important
to women. These include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical
cancer, cardiovascular disease, vision and longevity.
Lycopene and Breast Health |
Source of Lycopene – Rose Hips |
In the United States, women who live to be 90 have a
1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer, with 205,000
cases expected in 2002 (1). While some studies have found no
significant association between dietary lycopene intake and breast
cancer, others have found a positive relationship between lycopene
in breast tissue and breast cancer risk (2). In cell cultures,
lycopene has been found to inhibit breast cancer tumors more
efficiently, when compared to alpha and beta-carotene (3). In a
case-control study conducted between 1993 and 1999 which examined the
relationship between 17 micronutrients and breast cancer risk,
lycopene was significantly inversely associated with breast cancer
risk. The study reviewed the diets of 289 Swiss women with confirmed
breast cancer and 442 controls. Median intake of lycopene in the "high
intake" group was 6229 g/day (4). In a study published in 1998,
samples taken from The Breast Cancer Serum Bank in Columbia, Missouri
were analyzed to evaluate the relationship of levels of carotenoids
(including lycopene), selenium and retinol with breast cancer. Only
lycopene was found to be associated with a reduced risk for developing
breast cancer (5).
| Lycopene and Ovarian
and Cervical Health Intake of dietary
lycopene may also play a role in the prevention of ovarian and
cervical cancers. An estimated 23,300 cases of ovarian cancer
and 13,000 cases of cervical cancer are expected in the U.S. in
2002 (1). From a population-based study of 549 cases of ovarian
cancer and 516 controls, researchers estimated consumption of
several antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids including lycopene.
Intake of lycopene was significantly and inversely associated with
risk for ovarian cancer, predominately in postmenopausal women.
The foods most strongly associated with a decreased risk for
ovarian cancer were raw carrots and tomato sauce (6). In a
study involving 147 confirmed cervical cancer patients and 191
non-cancerous subjects (7), only lycopene was found to be
significantly lower in cancerous patients. In another study of
non-Hispanic, black women, those women with higher levels of
lycopene in the blood were found to have a decreased risk (by 33%)
of developing cervical cancer (8). |
Source of Lycopene – Saffron |
Lycopene and Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the
United States. According to the American Heart Association (9),
over 32 million American women have one or more types of
cardiovascular disease. Studies have indicated that consuming
tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene reduce the risk
for cardiovascular disease. Lycopene intake has also been found to
be associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (10).
In a study of participants from 10 European countries, it was
found that consumption of lycopene in fruits and vegetables might
reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease (11). In a
recent report from the 2002 American College of Cardiology annual
meeting, blood samples from nearly 500 women participating in the
Women's Health Study were analyzed. Researchers found that
women with the highest levels of plasma lycopene had a 33 percent
lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with
the lowest blood levels (12). |
Source of Lycopene – Tomatoes |
Lycopene and Vision Health
Maintaining healthy vision as people age is an
important factor in maintaining their independence. According to the
National Eye Institute, over half of all Americans age 65 and older
are afflicted with cataracts (13). In one cross-sectional survey of
372 women and women aged 66 to 75 years in Sheffield, England, the
risk of cortical cataract was lowest in participants with the highest
plasma concentrations of lycopene. The researchers noted the findings
suggest that a diet rich in carotenoids may protect against cataract
development. This conclusion was based on observational data.
Human, randomized controlled trials should be conducted to verify the
results (14).
| Lycopene and
Pregnancy Antioxidants have been suggested to
play a role in preeclampsia. In one study, placental tissue,
maternal serum, and umbilical cord venous blood levels of four
dietary carotenoids (including lycopene) were compared in 22
normal pregnant women and 19 women with preeclampsia. Levels of
beta-carotene, canthaxanthin, and lycopene in placentas in
preeclamptic women were lower than from those with a normal
pregnancy, as were beta-carotene and lycopene levels of maternal
serum. These findings suggest that oxidative stress or dietary
antioxidants may affect preeclampsia (15). |
Source of Lycopene – Sea Buckthorn |
Lycopene and Longevity
Lycopene may also improve longevity in women. In a
study examining plasma lycopene and longevity in nuns, lycopene and
other carotenoids were measured in 94 participants, ages 77 to 99
years, living in the same convent. After six years of follow-up, only
13% of those with low plasma lycopene were still alive, while 48% of
those with moderate lycopene and 70% of those with high lycopene were
living (P=0.0001). Life table analyses indicated an 11-year difference
in life expectancy between those with low and high plasma lycopene
(16).
Lycopene Conclusion
In conclusion, lycopene, as an antioxidant, reduces
oxidative stress. It may play an important role in many health
concerns for women. These include breast cancer, cervical cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and preeclampsia. As stated above, serum
lycopene levels in women also appear to be positively correlated with
longevity. It is therefore advisable for women to regularly include a
food source of lycopene in their diets.
Notes from Christine:
 To
ensure you are getting a sufficient source of Lycopene in your daily
diet, I suggest supplementing with a concentrated, high-quality source
of lycopene like
LycoPom by
New Chapter. LycoPom contains multi-carotenoid lycopene-rich
herbals including tomato, rose hips, saffron and sea buckthorn.
LycoPom delivers a combination of nature's most protective
nutrients featuring a novel blend of pomegranate and lycopene
containing herbal extracts. Among the class of protective
compounds called carotenoids, lycopene stands as the most brilliant.
More than 50 scientific studies have shown lycopene's cell protective
effects on multiple organ systems. An impressive body of research
illustrates that pomegranate, revered since ancient times, can be
particularly effective at supporting cardiovascular, breast and
prostate health.
The lycopene in LycoPom is dramatically different
from conventional lycopene products. Conventional lycopene
products are typically chemically extracted to yield an isolated
lycopene molecule. In contrast, New Chapter delivers lycopene as part
of a symphony of nutrients responsible for lycopene's benefit in
nature. Our lycopene source comes from a blend of supercritically
extracted lycopene rich herbals and a proprietary hexane-free tomato
extract. LycoPom delivers a full complement of synergistic
compounds to lycopene like phytofluene and phytoene in tomatoes
and rubixanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin in rose hips.
New Chapter's pomegranate extract is derived from
organically grown whole fruit and delivers a consistent and broad
spectrum of protective compounds, including ellagic acid and the
important class of compounds called punicalagins reported in research
to be five times more potent than vitamin E. Along with the
synergistic herbal extracts, each capsule of LycoPom remarkably offers
the approximate equivalent of seven ounces of tomatoes and fifteen
whole pomegranates.
For more information on LycoPom by New Chapter, click here.
Read another
informative article about the health benefits of
Lycopene and Pomegranate,
click here.
References:
1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures
2002, 4
2. Zhang S, Tang G, Russell RM, Mayzel KA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC,
Hunter DJ. Measurement of retinoids and carotenoids in breast adipose
tissue and a comparison of concentrations in breast cancer cases and
control subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66:626-632
3. Levy J, Bosin E, Feldman B, Giat Y, Miinster, Danilenko M, Sharoni
Y. Lycopene is more potent inhibitor of human cancer cell
proliferation than either A–carotene or beta–carotene. Nutr Cancer
1995; 24:257-266
4. Levi F, Pasche C, Lucchini F, La Vecchia C. Dietary intake of
selected micronutrients and breast-cancer risk. Int'l J. of Cancer
2001; 91:260-263
5. Dorgan JF, Sowell A, Swanson CA, Potischman N, Miller R, Schussler
N, Stephenson HE Jr. Relationships of serum carotenoids, retinal, a-tocopherol
and selenium with breast cancer risk: results from a prospective study
in Columbia, Missouri. Cancer Causes Control 1998; 9:89-97.
6. Cramer DW, Kuper H, Harlow BL, Titus-Ernstoff L. Carotenoids,
antioxidants and ovarian cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.
Int'l J. of Cancer 2001; 94:128-134
7. Goodman MT, Kiviat N, McDuffie K, Hankin JH, Hernandez B, Wilkens
LR, Franke A, Kuypers J, Kolonel LN, Nakamura J, Ing G, Branch B,
Bertram CC, Kamemoto L, Sharma S, Killeen J. The association of plasma
micronutrients with the risk of cervical dysplasia in Hawaii. Cancer
Epidemiol Biomark Prev 7:537-544, 1998
8. Kanetsky PA, Gammon MD, Mandelblatt J, Zhang ZF, Ramsey E,
Dnistrian A, Norkus EP, Wright TC Jr. Dietary intake and blood levels
of lycopene: association with cervical dysplasia among non-hispanic,
black women. Nutr Cancer 31:31-40, 1998.
9. American Heart Association. 2002 Heart and Stroke Statistical
Update, 4
10. Sanjiv A, Rao AV. Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and
chronic diseases. Can Med Assoc J 2000; 163:739-744
11. Kohlmeir L, Kark JD, Gomez-Garcia E, Martin BC, Steck SE,
Kardinaal AFM, Ringstad J, Thamm M, Masaev V, Riemersma R,
Martin-Moreno JM, Huttunen JK, Kok FJ. Lycopene and myocardial
infarction risk in the EURAMIC study. Am J Epidemiol 1997; 146:618-626
12. PRNewswire: Study suggests lycopene may contribute to women's
heart health. www.prnewswire.com. April 4, 2002.
13. National Eye Institute. Facts about cataract. http://www.nei.nih.gov,
accessed 4/20/02.
14. Gale CR, Hall NF, Phillips DIW, Martyn CN. Plasma antioxidant
vitamins and carotenoids and age-related cataract. Opthalmology 2001;
108:1992-1998
15. Palan PR, Mikhail MS, Romney SL. Placental and serum levels of
carotenoids in preeclampsia. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2001; 98:459-462
16. Gross MD, Snowdon DA. Plasma lycopene and longevity: findings from
the Nun Study. FASEB Journal 2001; A400 (abstract)
The statements contained in this article have not
been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information
contained here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease. Suggestions and ideas presented in this article are for
information only and should not be interpreted as medical advice,
meant for diagnosing illness, or for prescriptive purposes. Readers
are encouraged to consult their health care provider before beginning
any cleanse, diet, detoxification program, or any supplement regimen.
The information in this article is not to be used to replace the
services or instructions of a physician or qualified health care
practitioner. |
