Functions and Health Benefits of Lycopene - Healthy Living Tips

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Functions and Health Benefits of Lycopene - Healthy Living Tips
Lycopene (lycopene) are compounds found in fruits and certain vegetables.

These substances are known as carotenes and a pigment responsible for giving red color to vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, oranges and watermelon.

What are the health benefits of lycopene?

Lycopene is known to have strong antioxidant properties.

Very powerful antioxidant effective in fighting free radicals that can damage cells in the body, helping to reduce the risk of cancer and stroke.

The beneficial effect of antioxidants on heart disease have been well documented.

In a recent study, it was found that men with higher concentrations of lycopene had a risk of heart attack 50% lower.

Here are the other health benefits of lycopene:

• Helps prevent kidney disease and aging problems such as degeneration of the nervous system and cell damage caused by the aging process.

• Assist patients with diabetic issues.

• Research recently stated that, like beta-carotene, lycopene may play an important role in maintaining eye health and prevent cataracts.

• Lycopene also may help reduce exercise-induced asthma cases.

• Lycopene may help keep skin fresh and youthful. Burned skin by UV rays, or experience premature aging can be overcome with the antioxidant lycopene.

Various sources of lycopene

Lycopene is not produced naturally in the body and hasus obtained through diet.

Tomatoes and tomato products, such as tomato juice, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce, a few foods rich in lycopene.

Some vitamin supplements may also contain lycopene, although natural sources would be an advantage.

Supplements are needed when the intake of food is insufficient or when a person experiences certain conditions such as pain.