Lycopene, a kind of carotene found in plant foods, is also a red pigment. Dark red needle shape crystallization, soluble in chloroform, benzene and oil and insoluble in water. It is unstable to light and oxygen and turns brown in iron. Formula C40H56, with a relative molecular mass of 536.85. There are 11 conjugated double bonds and 2 nonconjugated double bonds, which are formed as a straight-chain hydrocarbon. It has no physiological activity of vitamin A, but it has a strong antioxidant function. The ripe red plants are high in fruit, especially in tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, papaya and guava. It can be used as a pigment in food processing, and it is also commonly used as a raw material for antioxidant health food.

Health Benefits of Lycopene

1.Protect the heart and blood vessels

Lycopene can deeply remove blood vessel garbage, regulate plasma cholesterol concentration, protect low density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation, but also repair the oxidized cells, promote the formation of glia, and enhance the flexibility of blood vessels. A survey study showed that the serum lycopene concentration was negatively associated with the incidence of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage.lycopene against atherosclerosis in rabbits shows that lycopene can effectively reduce the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in rabbits, which is comparable to that of fluvastatin sodium. Other studies have shown that lycopene has a protective effect on local cerebral ischemia, which mainly inhibits glial cells through antioxidant and free radical clearance, and reduces the area of cerebral perfusion damage.

2.Protect the skin

Lycopene also reduces radiation or ultraviolet (UV) damage to the skin. When UV irradiated skin, lycopene in the skin binds to the free radicals produced by UV to protect the skin tissue from damage. Compared with skin without UV, lycopene is reduced by 31% to 46%, and the content of other components is almost unchanged. Studies have shown that the usual intake of foods rich in lycopene can fight UV and avoid UV irradiation. Lycopene can also quench free radicals in epidermal cells, which has obvious fading effect on senile color spots.

3.Enhance immunity

Lycopene can activate immune cells, protect phagocytes from their own oxidative damage, promote the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes, stimulate the function of effector T cells, promote the production of some interleukins and inhibit the generation of inflammatory mediators. Studies have found that medium-dose lycopene capsules can improve the body's immunity and reduce the immune damage of acute exercise.

Sources of Lycopene

Mammals cannot synthesize lycopene by themselves and must be obtained from vegetables and fruits. Lycopene is mainly found in foods such as tomato, watermelon, grapefruit, and guava. The content of lycopene in tomato varies according to the variety and maturity. The higher the maturity, the higher the lycopene content is. The content of lycopene in fresh mature tomatoes is generally 31~37mg / kg, and the content of lycopene in tomato juice / sauce is about 93~290mg / kg according to the concentration and preparation method. The fruits with high lycopene content include guava (52mg / kg), watermelon (45mg / kg), grapefruit (about 14.2mg/kg), etc. A small amount of lycopene (0.1~1.5mg/kg) can also be provided in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, plums, persimmons, peaches, mangoes, pomegranates, and grapes.

Lycopene Supplements

GNPD data show 177 new supplements containing lycopene worldwide. As found by China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), there are 31 kinds of lycopene health care products obtained, including 2 kinds of imported health care products, and the others are domestic health care products. These 31 kinds of health care products are mainly used for antioxidant, anti-aging, enhancing immunity, regulating blood lipid, etc., among which 2 kinds are tablets, 1 kind of oil agent, and the rest are capsules.

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