# Lycopene

Lycopene is an acyclic, fat-loving carotenoid (a plant pigment) that gives tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit their red color. You absorb it better from heat-processed tomato products, like sauce and paste, than from raw tomatoes, and dietary fat helps too. In the 2017 Rowles meta-analysis (42 observational studies, 692,012 people), higher lycopene, both in the diet and in the blood, was tied to a modestly lower prostate-cancer risk (about 1% per extra 2 mg). But randomized supplement trials have been smaller and inconclusive. So the protective link rests mainly on observational data. It is most likely down to a tomato-rich diet overall, not to isolated lycopene capsules. There is no EU-authorized health claim for lycopene.

## Sources

- Rowles JL 3rd, Ranard KM, Smith JW, An R, Erdman JW Jr. (2017). Increased dietary and circulating lycopene are associated with reduced prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2017.25
- Cheng HM, Koutsidis G, Lodge JK, Ashor AW, Siervo M, Lara J. (2019). Effect of dietary and supplemental lycopene on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Advances in Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmz031

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_Canonical: https://longevity-switzerland.com/en/glossary/lycopene · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-06-22_