Ingredient guide
Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit. Meta-analyses support modest benefits for blood pressure and prostate cancer risk. Whole tomato intake often performs better than isolated lycopene supplements in trials.
Moderate evidenceLycopene is the carotenoid that gives tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and papaya their red colour. Unlike beta-carotene, it is not a vitamin A precursor, so its job is purely antioxidant. Cooking tomatoes in oil increases lycopene bioavailability several fold, which is why tomato sauce and paste are richer sources than fresh tomato slices.
Lycopene is among the strongest antioxidants in nature, especially good at neutralising a reactive molecule called singlet oxygen. It also influences blood vessel function and inflammatory signalling. These actions combined explain its interest for cardiovascular and prostate health, the two best-studied uses.
For blood pressure, a systematic review and meta-analysis found that tomato and lycopene supplementation supports modest positive effects on blood lipids, blood pressure, and endothelial function. Notably, tomato intake provided more favourable results than isolated lycopene for most cardiovascular endpoints, with the exception of blood pressure where lycopene supplements were better.
For prostate cancer, observational studies and dose-response meta-analyses link higher lycopene intake with a lower risk of prostate cancer, with the threshold between 9 and 21 mg per day. Higher circulating lycopene levels also significantly reduced risk. We grade the overall evidence as moderate. Both whole tomato and concentrated lycopene have real, if modest, supporting evidence.
For whole-food intake, cooked tomato products like sauce and paste, eaten with some olive oil, give the best absorption. For supplements, 10 mg per day with a fat-containing meal fits trials. The two approaches can be combined. Long-term high doses or use alongside blood thinners need a healthcare provider's input.
Trials commonly use 5 mg to 30 mg of lycopene per day, often 10 mg, taken with a meal containing some fat to aid absorption. Allow 8 to 12 weeks. Tomato sauce and paste are richer dietary sources than fresh tomato. Ask your healthcare provider before regular use if you take blood pressure or blood-thinning medicine.
Dose-response meta-analyses link higher lycopene intake with lower prostate cancer risk, with a threshold between 9 and 21 mg per day. The effect is modest.
Both can be useful. Whole cooked tomato products outperform isolated lycopene for many cardiovascular endpoints, except blood pressure where the supplement was better.
Cooking breaks down cell walls and changes lycopene to a more absorbable form. Adding oil helps, since lycopene is fat-soluble.
Very well tolerated. Very high long-term doses can temporarily orange the skin, which reverses on stopping. Lycopene from food has no known upper risk.
