Lycopene is what gives tomatoes, watermelons, grapefruits and papaya their red color. A pigment synthesized by some plants and animals to protect them from the sun, lycopene evolved as a weapon against certain types of free radicals.Lycopene is so effective at quenching free radicals, it beat out vitamin E in one study on oxidized fat. This suggests that lycopene might have importance in preventing heart disease, which involves oxidized LDL cholesterol.Several studies have linked lycopene with a lower risk of prostate cancer. |
