*LYCOPENE*

Lycopene is cancer-preventative phytonutrient — an antioxidant with a laundry list of amazing benefits. It’s most commonly found in tomato, but you can consume it in a number of common fruits and veggies. It has some properties in common with beta-carotene, although they’re not identical.

As a pigment in food, lycopene is responsible for the red color of tomatoes, although not all red fruits and vegetables contain this antioxidant.
Lycopene is fat soluble so adding a little oil helps absorption better.

*Lycopene Benefits*

1. One of the Most Powerful Antioxidants in the World.

Antioxidants are so important for many reasons, especially in a world where processed food has eliminated most of what gives your body the ability to prevent and fight disease.

Another function this phytonutrient can serve is in the treatment of candidiasis, better known as yeast infection. This is effective for both candidiasis in the mouth andvaginal yeast infections.

Not only can lycopene help with infections, but its antioxidant properties even have been found to repair damage in the blood-spinal cord barrier in cases of spinal cord injury. This incredibly recent research is groundbreaking, as destruction of that barrier is part of what causes paralysis to people who suffer spinal cord injury.

2. Helps Prevent Cancer

Also related to its powerful antioxidative qualities, lycopene plays a role in preventing and slowing several types of cancer, making any foods containing it cancer-fighting foods.

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth studied lycopene’s ability to slow the growth of breast and prostate cancer by interrupting signal pathways that would normally cause the tumors to grow more. Another study including over 46,000 men showed a significant correlation between high lycopene intake and a reduced risk of prostate cancer. That research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, specifically noted the consumption of tomato sauce played a critical role in the process.

Similar to its effect on breast and prostate cancer, lycopene also stunts the growth of renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of malignant kidney tumors. This also suggests it has a crucial part in prevention of this cancer.

Another cancer-related treatment use of lycopene is its use against HPV infection, a major cause of uterine cancer. People who supplement their diets with additional lycopene recover faster than those with low lycopene diet.
3. Keeps Your Eyes Healthy:
Lycopene also protects your eyes from oxidative stress that causes common eye diseases.

4. Alleviates Neuropathic pains: it has pain inhibiting properties for those suffering from neuropathy.

5. Good for the brain.

6. Improves heart health.

7. Keeps your bones strong - especially beneficial for women as they tend to 'lose bone' with child bearing and age.

*Foods rich in Lycopene*
1. Tomato in its various forms, with Sun dried tomatoes having the highest level of lycopene.
2. Watermelon
3. Pawpaw
4. Red grape fruit
5. Guava (red/pink)
6. Asparagus
7. Mango
8. Red cabbage
9. Carrots