Unlike other carotenoids, only lycopene found in only a small number of plants, primarily red fruits and vegetables. The tomato products (juice, ketchup, tomato sauce, soup) are sources of lycopene per excellence. The raw tomatoes are our main source of lycopene intake. They are followed by canned tomatoes, sauces and pizzas.
Cooking it goes
Chemically, lycopene exists in two forms called “cis” and “trans”. When you eat tomatoes, they ingest the trans form predominates in plants. However, it is poorly absorbed by the body prefers the cis form. The good news is that cooking tomatoes promotes transformation into cis form.
Also, products of processed tomatoes (sauce and mashed) deliver more lycopene in our bodies than raw tomatoes. The presence of fat (the typical pizza and tomato sauce with cheese and cooking oil), as well as the dose consumed and the presence of other carotenoids like beta-carotene (found in the tomato and carrot, which often added to tomato sauce or tomato soup) increase even further the absorption of lycopene in the intestine.
In practice a daily consumption of one serving of tomato seems sufficient to obtain protection from lycopene.
Cancer and heart attack
Numerous epidemiological studies are in favor of a protective effect of tomatoes against cancer and this knowledge has existed for over 20 years. Products tomato, if consumed regularly, appear to reduce overall mortality from cancer. But the greatest impact is measured on the prostate, lung and stomach. (more…)
