*********Free Shipping on all orders $50.00 or More! U.S Only!**********
21st Century’s! Lycopene 25mg Maximum Strength is a high potency phytonutrient from tomato with antioxidant benefits.
Studies have shown that lycopene may reduce the risk of many cancers and may greatly reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men.*
For Your Health:
No Sugar, Salt, Yeast, Preservatives, Artificial Flavors or Colors. Unconditionally guaranteed for purity, freshness and label potency.
Directions:
Take one (1) tablet daily with any meal for maximum daily results, or as directed by a medical practitioner.
LYCOPENE: THE FACTS
· Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red colour to the tomato, guava, rosehip, watermelon and pink grapefruit.
· Lycopene is a proven antioxidant that may help lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.
· Research shows that lycopene can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into ketchup, juice, sauce and paste. Lycopene found in tomatoes is converted by the temperature used in processing to a more absorbable form.
· In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.
· Regular high consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended as part of healthy eating. Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to help decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.
· Ongoing research suggests that lycopene may help reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.
· Lycopene may also help lower the risk of prostate cancer. In one
six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. In 2002, a Harvard Medical School follow-up study confirmed the previous results revealing frequent tomato product consumption is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. Data compiled from 1986 to 1998 show two or more servings a week of tomato sauce is associated with up to a 36 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer. Tomato sauce alone was more strongly related to prostate cancer risk than any dietary pattern associated with tomato sauce. Dietary variables such as body mass index, smoking, physical activity, alcohol use, and olive oil use were controlled.
· Researchers from the University of Illinois suggest tomato sauce, and possibly the lycopene present in tomato sauce, may play a role in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. In 32 prostate cancer patients, recruited from the Westside Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital in Chicago, the consumption of tomato sauce-based pasta dishes for three weeks (30 mg of lycopene per day) resulted in reduced oxidative DNA damage in prostate tissue and leukocytes. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a marker for prostate cancer, were also significant.
· A study conducted by Wayne State University and Karmanos Cancer Institute evaluated the effect of lycopene on patients with prostate cancer. The study involved 30 men with localized prostate cancer scheduled for surgical removal of the prostate. In a three-week period prior to surgery, participants randomly received either 15 mg of lycopene (as a pure tomato extract) twice daily or no intervention at all. Following surgery, the tissues were analyzed. The study demonstrated that tumours in the treated group were smaller than the group that received no treatment, and serum levels of PSA decreased in the group that received lycopene. As well, tumours in the patients who received lycopene showed regression and decreased malignancy.
· In a recent review of 72 studies, Dr. Edward Giovannucci at the Harvard School of Public Health reported that 57 of these studies demonstrated that a high intake of blood lycopene level was able to reduce the risk of a number of cancers. The evidence was strongest for prostate, lung and stomach cancers. Plasma lycopene levels were significantly lower in prostate cancer patients than in controls. These results lend support to findings showing lycopene as one of the most effective carotenoids in lowering prostate cancer risk.
· More recent studies in different parts of the world have provided support to these earlier findings. The mechanism by which lycopene exerts itself in the fight against prostate cancer is actively researched.
Lycopene and Women's Health
There is evidence that the intake of lycopene may positively impact chronic health concerns that are important to women. These include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, cardiovascular disease, and vision.
In the United States, women who live to be 90 have a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer, with 205,000 cases expected in 2002 (1). While some studies have found no significant association between dietary lycopene intake and breast cancer, others have found a positive relationship between lycopene in breast tissue and breast cancer risk (2). In cell cultures, lycopene has been found to inhibit breast cancer tumors more efficiently, when compared to alpha and beta-carotene (3). In a case-control study conducted between 1993 and 1999 which examined the relationship between 17 micronutrients and breast cancer risk, lycopene was significantly inversely associated with breast cancer risk. The study reviewed the diets of 289 Swiss women with confirmed breast cancer and 442 controls. Median intake of lycopene in the "high intake" group was 6229 mg/day (4). In a study published in 1998, samples taken from The Breast Cancer Serum Bank in Columbia, Missouri were analyzed to evaluate the relationship of levels of carotenoids (including lycopene), selenium and retinol with breast cancer. Only lycopene was found to be associated with a reduced risk for developing breast cancer (5).
Intake of dietary lycopene may also play a role in the prevention of ovarian and cervical cancers. An estimated 23,300 cases of ovarian cancer and 13,000 cases of cervical cancer are expected in the U.S. in 2002 (1). From a population-based study of 549 cases of ovarian cancer and 516 controls, researchers estimated consumption of several antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids including lycopene. Intake of lycopene was significantly and inversely associated with risk for ovarian cancer, predominately in postmenopausal women. The foods most strongly associated with a decreased risk for ovarian cancer were raw carrots and tomato sauce (6). In a study involving 147 confirmed cervical cancer patients and 191 non-cancerous subjects (7), only lycopene was found to be significantly lower in cancerous patients. In another study of non-Hispanic, black women, those women with higher levels of lycopene in the blood were found to have a decreased risk (by 33%) of developing cervical cancer (8).
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. According to the American Heart Association (9), over 32 million American women have one or more types of cardiovascular disease. Studies have indicated that consuming tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Lycopene intake has also been found to be associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (10). In a study of participants from 10 European countries, it was found that consumption of lycopene in fruits and vegetables might reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease (11). In a recent report from the 2002 American College of Cardiology annual meeting, blood samples from nearly 500 women participating in the Women's Health Study were analyzed. Researchers found that women with the highest levels of plasma lycopene had a 33 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest blood levels (12).
Maintaining healthy vision as people age is an important factor in maintaining their independence. According to the National Eye Institute, over half of all Americans age 65 and older are afflicted with cataracts (13). In one cross-sectional survey of 372 women and women aged 66 to 75 years in Sheffield, England, the risk of cortical cataract was lowest in participants with the highest plasma concentrations of lycopene. The researchers noted the findings suggest that a diet rich in carotenoids may protect against cataract development. This conclusion was based on observational data. Human, randomized controlled trials should be conducted to verify the results (14).
Antioxidants have been suggested to play a role in preeclampsia. In one study, placental tissue, maternal serum, and umbilical cord venous blood levels of four dietary carotenoids (including lycopene) were compared in 22 normal pregnant women and 19 women with preeclampsia. Levels of beta-carotene, canthaxanthin, and lycopene in placentas in preeclamptic women were lower than from those with a normal pregnancy, as were beta-carotene and lycopene levels of maternal serum. These findings suggest that oxidative stress or dietary antioxidants may affect preeclampsia (15).
Lycopene may also improve longevity in women. In a study examining plasma lycopene and longevity in nuns, lycopene and other carotenoids were measured in 94 participants, ages 77 to 99 years, living in the same convent. After six years of follow-up, only 13% of those with low plasma lycopene were still alive, while 48% of those with moderate lycopene and 70% of those with high lycopene were living (P=0.0001). Life table analyses indicated an 11-year difference in life expectancy between those with low and high plasma lycopene (16).
In conclusion, lycopene, as an antioxidant, reduces oxidative stress. It may play an important role in many health concerns for women. These include breast cancer, cervical cancer, cardiovascular disease, and preeclampsia. In addition, serum lycopene levels in women also appear to be positively correlated with longevity. It is therefore advisable for women to regularly include a food source of lycopene in their diets.
References
1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2002, 4
2. Zhang S, Tang G, Russell RM, Mayzel KA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hunter DJ. Measurement of retinoids and carotenoids in breast adipose tissue and a comparison of concentrations in breast cancer cases and control subjects. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66:626-632
3. Levy J, Bosin E, Feldman B, Giat Y, Miinster, Danilenko M, Sharoni Y. Lycopene is more potent inhibitor of human cancer cell proliferation than either A–carotene or beta–carotene. Nutr Cancer 1995; 24:257-266
4. Levi F, Pasche C, Lucchini F, La Vecchia C. Dietary intake of selected micronutrients and breast-cancer risk. Int'l J. of Cancer 2001; 91:260-263
5. Dorgan JF, Sowell A, Swanson CA, Potischman N, Miller R, Schussler N, Stephenson HE Jr. Relationships of serum carotenoids, retinal, a-tocopherol and selenium with breast cancer risk: results from a prospective study in Columbia, Missouri. Cancer Causes Control 1998; 9:89-97.
6. Cramer DW, Kuper H, Harlow BL, Titus-Ernstoff L. Carotenoids, antioxidants and ovarian cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women. Int'l J. of Cancer 2001; 94:128-134
7. Goodman MT, Kiviat N, McDuffie K, Hankin JH, Hernandez B, Wilkens LR, Franke A, Kuypers J, Kolonel LN, Nakamura J, Ing G, Branch B, Bertram CC, Kamemoto L, Sharma S, Killeen J. The association of plasma micronutrients with the risk of cervical dysplasia in Hawaii. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev 7:537-544, 1998
8. Kanetsky PA, Gammon MD, Mandelblatt J, Zhang ZF, Ramsey E, Dnistrian A, Norkus EP, Wright TC Jr. Dietary intake and blood levels of lycopene: association with cervical dysplasia among non-hispanic, black women. Nutr Cancer 31:31-40, 1998.
9. American Heart Association. 2002 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update, 4
10. Sanjiv A, Rao AV. Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and chronic diseases. Can Med Assoc J 2000; 163:739-744
11. Kohlmeir L, Kark JD, Gomez-Garcia E, Martin BC, Steck SE, Kardinaal AFM, Ringstad J, Thamm M, Masaev V, Riemersma R, Martin-Moreno JM, Huttunen JK, Kok FJ. Lycopene and myocardial infarction risk in the EURAMIC study. Am J Epidemiol 1997; 146:618-626
12. PRNewswire: Study suggests lycopene may contribute to women's heart health. www.prnewswire.com. April 4, 2002.
13. National Eye Institute. Facts about cataract. http://www.nei.nih.gov, accessed 4/20/02.
14. Gale CR, Hall NF, Phillips DIW, Martyn CN. Plasma antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids and age-related cataract. Opthalmology 2001; 108:1992-1998
15. Palan PR, Mikhail MS, Romney SL. Placental and serum levels of carotenoids in preeclampsia. Obstetrics & Gynecology 2001; 98:459-462
Gross MD, Snowdon DA. Plasma lycopene and longevity: findings from the Nun Study. FASEB Journal 2001; A400 (abstract)
Studies reviewing Lycopene and the incidence of breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and cause of death from cancer in women throughout the world. Most people know that diets high in fruits and vegetables probably reduce the risk of developing cancer, but now studies indicate that high consumption of tomatoes and tomato products also reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. The reason? Lycopene, an antioxidant that inhibits tumors and is more easily absorbed by the body when tomatoes are processed into juice, sauce and paste.
There are three different sets of evidence for the protective role of lycopene in breast cancer: a) cell culture studies, b) animal studies, and c) epidemiological studies.
In cell culture studies, lycopene's activities in inhibiting breast cancer tumors were compared with those of alpha and beta-carotene(1). The cell cultures that were enhanced with lycopene showed that it inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and that alpha and beta-carotene were far less effective than lycopene in inhibiting the cell growth. When lycopene was fed to mice genetically susceptible to developing breast tumors(2), it was found that lycopene-fed mice had suppressed and delayed tumors. Another study(3) showed that rats injected with lycopene developed fewer and smaller size carcinogen-induced tumors than rats without lycopene injections. Beta-carotene didn't provide any protection against breast tumors in this study.
Several studies have showed insignificant or no association between either lycopene from the diet(4) and concentrated lycopene(5) and breast cancer risk, however others have found a relationship between breast tissue lycopene and breast cancer risk(6). A recent study of samples(7) taken from The Breast Cancer Serum Bank in Columbia, Missouri were analyzed to evaluate the relationship of levels of carotenoids (including lycopene), selenium and retinol with breast cancer. Only lycopene was found to reduce the risk for developing breast cancer. Other carotenoids were not found to be associated with reduced breast cancer risk, however long-term studies are needed to establish the protective role of lycopene in breast cancer.
References
Levy J, Bosin E, Feldman B, Giat Y, Miinster, Danilenko M, Sharoni Y. Lycopene is more potent inhibitor of human cancer cell proliferation than either A–carotene or beta–carotene. Nutr Cancer 1995; 24:257-266
Nagasawa H, Mitamura T, Sakamoto S, Yamamoto K. Effects of lycopene on spontaneous mammary tumor development in SHN virgin mice. Anticancer Res 1995; 15:1173-1178
Sharoni Y, Giron E, Rise M, Levy J. Effects of lycopene-enriched tomato oleoresin on 7, 12-dimethyl-benz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary tumors. Cancer Detect Preven 1997; 21:118-123
Freudenheim JL, Marshall JR, Vena JE, Laughlin R, Brasure JR, Swanson MK, Nemoto T, Graham S. Premenopausal breast cancer risk and intake of vegetables, fruits and related nutrients. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996; 88:340-348
London SJ, Stein EA, Henderson IC, Stampfer MJ, Wood WC, Remine S, Dmochowski JR, Robert NJ, Willett WC. Carotenoids, retinol and vitamin e and risk of proliferative benign breast disease and breast cancer. Cancer Causes Control 1992; 3:503-512
Zhang S, Tang G, Russell RM, Mayzel KA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hunter DJ. Measurement of retinoids and carotenoids in breast adipose tissue and a comparison of concentrations in breast cancer cases and control subjects. Am J Clin Nutru 1997; 66:626-632
Dorgan JF, Sowell A, Swanson CA, Potischman N, Miller R, Schussler N, Stephenson HEJr. Relationships of serum carotenoids, retinol, a-tocorpherol and selenium with breast cancer risk: results from a prospective study in Columbia, Missouri (United States). Cancer Causes Control 1998; 9:89-97
Place your order on line or call us toll free at 1-877-291-8263.
|
|
