Lycopene For men
Tomatoes contain a very high concentration of the carotenoid lycopene, and some have claimed that this element provides more health advantages than other typical antioxidants present in dietary products. Although processed tomatoes yield far higher quantities of lycopene, this is present in almost all tomato-based products. In certain nations, tomato sauce (ketchup), juice, and pizza base provide more than three quarters of the dietary lycopene.
It lowers the risk factors for several diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Although its effects at the sub-cellular level are yet unknown, the decreased incidence of cardiovascular disease associated with increasing lycopene intake has been attributed to its capacity to prevent the production of cholesterol and enhance LDL breakdown. Lycopene has additional qualities, such as the capacity to prevent cancer cells from being stimulated to proliferate in vitro. Numerous molecular processes, including changes in gene expression and adjustments to intracellular signaling, are responsible for this. The distribution of such an element among tissues upon consumption is also highly complicated.
For instance, the liver and intestine have the highest concentrations of lycopene, whereas the prostate and testes have the lowest concentrations. The all-trans version of this element is mostly present in most mammalian tissues, but the cis isoform is primarily found in the prostate and plasma. These two forms of lycopene appear to be differentially controlled. One of the first steps in developing novel therapeutic approaches is gaining understanding of the metabolism, absorption, and excretion of lycopene, as well as its effects at the molecular and cellular levels.
PROSTATE CANCER
In Western society, prostate cancer is one of the biggest health issues facing males. There has been a sharp rise in the frequency of prostate cancers discovered at an early developing stage since the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. Local therapy aimed at curing these people is possible.
Nevertheless, screening studies show that about 30% of these men have had their cancer overdiagnosed, which means that they would never have experienced any symptoms. One further strategy is active surveillance, which aims to reduce needless medical care for these people.
Lycopene supplementation has been shown in recent preclinical research on mice to inhibit the growth of human prostate cancer xenografts. Studies on short-term interventions in patients who were supplementing with lycopene before surgery have already shown a change in the levels of PSA in circulation. The biggest accessory sex gland, the prostate is made up of a secretory epithelium encircled by a thick stroma that is vital to the appropriate growth, differentiation, and operation of the prostate epithelium.
In the Western world, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and is now the second greatest cause of cancer-related mortality for men in the majority of these nations ((Greenlee et al. 2000, Jemal et al.2004).
Chemoprevention
Chemoprevention refers to the use of natural or synthetic medicines to stop, delay, or reverse the onset of a disease. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables include a set of nutrients called carotenoids. Of the several structural variations found in carotenoids, lycopene is a red pigment with a distinctive lipophilic nature that is primarily found in ripe tomatoes. he most effective singlet oxygen quencher among carotenoids is lycopene, a 40-carbon acyclic carotenoid with 11 linearly organized conjugated double bonds. It is also a powerful antioxidant (Di Mascio et al. 1989). This red element is one of several compounds being investigated for its potential as a nutritional source of chemopreventive agent in prostate cancer. These substances include other carotenoids, soy isoflavones, vitamin E, and selenium.
The main food source of lycopene in the diet is tomatoes and tomato-based foods. The epidemiologic research on the consumption of tomatoes, tomato-based products, blood lycopene levels, and the risk of different malignancies was reviewed by Giovannucci and colleagues (Giovannucci 1999). Out of the 72 studies that were found, 57 of them showed negative correlations between blood lycopene levels and/or tomato consumption with the risk of cancer at a specific anatomical location. In 35 investigations, this unfavorable connection was statistically significant. The strongest evidence for lycopene’s protective effects was found in relation to stomach, lung, and prostate malignancies.
Antioxidants (lycopene, vitamin E, and selenium) added to the diet of male Lady transgenic mice were demonstrated to significantly reduce the development of prostate cancer and improve disease-free survival (Venkateswaran et al. 2004).
This carotenoid, which gives tomatoes their red color, has recently attracted a lot of attention due to its potential as a prostate cancer chemopreventive. An rising number of prospective and epidemiological studies (Minorsky 2002, Barber and Barber 2002) have linked lycopene consumption to a lower risk of prostate cancer, which is the basis for this excitement. Furthermore, taking lycopene orally before having a prostateectomy has been linked to a lower risk of high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia, a higher apoptotic index, smaller tumors, and lower levels of prostate-specific antigen (Kucuk et al. 2002). These findings raise the possibility of using this red element to treat patients who already have prostate cancer in the early stages of the disease.
Lycopene and prostate cancer
Numerous investigations have examined the possible health advantages of lycopene in lowering the risk of prostate cancer. The outcomes are not entirely consistent. According to certain studies conducted on cell cultures rather than on humans, lycopene can stop prostate cancer cells from growing by obstructing vital cell communication channels (Assar, 2016).
Lycopene use was associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer, according to a study that examined a cohort of thousands of men. Compared to males who consumed tomato sauce less frequently, this conclusion was particularly true if the men had it twice a week or more, as tomato sauce is a significant source of dietary lycopene (Giovannucci, 2002). A different study examined the impact of lycopene on enlarged prostates, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It discovered no conclusive proof that lycopene can cure or prevent BPH (Ilic, 2012).
The overall line is that while lycopene may reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, this is not conclusive. Further investigation is required in this field (Chen, 2015).
One naturally occurring plant chemical is lycopene. It imparts the pink or red color to fruits including papaya, guava, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and tomatoes (and tomato-based products). It belongs to the group of plant pigments known as carotenoids. But lycopene does not convert to vitamin A in the body like other carotenoids (beta-carotene and lutein) do (Imran, 2020).
Strong antioxidant lycopene can help shield your cells from harm by scavenging free radicals. It is believed that free radicals cause cell damage, which may result in illnesses like cancer. Your body can prevent damage and promote healthy cells by removing free radicals with the aid of antioxidants like lycopene (Imran, 2020).
