Lycopene is an antioxidant discovered initially in tomatoes that may enhance cardiovascular well being, forestall oxidative injury and oxidative stress, deal with systemic irritation, and has even been studied as a preventative agent towards prostate most cancers.
Lycopene will be taken in supplemental kind to get a concentrated dose, with all the antioxidant and anti inflammatory advantages, and has been studied in a lot of medical trials for its potential for enhancing long-term well being.
We’ve reviewed and ranked the ten handiest lycopene dietary supplements in the marketplace, so if you’re seeking to benefit from the long run well being advantages related to this complement, learn on.
Rankings
1. NOW Lycopene
NOW Lycopene retains it fundamental, however this formulation has a stable dosage of 20 mg of lycopene per capsule, which is delivered in rice bran oil and a gelatin capsule.
These apart, there are zero extra components, making this a superb alternative for lycopene.
2. Puritan’s Delight Lycopene
Puritan’s Delight Lycopene is well-liked and the dosage is excessive, at 40 mg per capsule.
The capsule design isn’t the cleanest, however so far as lycopene dietary supplements which are each excessive dosage and delivered dissolved in a lipid answer, it’s your finest wager by an extended methods.
3. Life Extension Mega Lycopene
Life Extension Mega Lycopene affords a center of the street dosage of 15 mg of lycopene in a soy-free formulation that makes use of rice bran oil and sunflower lecithin as the first solvents for lycopene.
It’s a fairly good and pretty pure alternative in case you don’t want a super-high dosage of lycopene.
4. Wholesome Origins Pure Lyc-O-Mato
Wholesome Origins Pure Lyc-O-Mato doesn’t ship the very best lycopene dosage, at solely 15 mg per capsule, however it does present lycopene alongside loads of the opposite biologically lively compounds you’ll discover in tomatoes, like vitamin A, vitamin E, and a lot of phytonutrients that help the perform of lycopene.
5. We Like Nutritional vitamins Lycopene
We Like Nutritional vitamins Lycopene is the way in which to go if you need a powerful dose of lycopene. At 50 mg per capsule, it supplies a number of occasions the dosage you’d get in lots of different lycopene dietary supplements.
As well as, the one different components on this complement are gelatin and rice flour, making it a really merely designed complement.
Nonetheless, this lycopene complement does have one drawback: the lycopene will not be dissolved in an oil, so will probably be harder in your physique to soak up in case you don’t take it alongside meals with some fats or oil in it.
6. KRK Dietary supplements Lycopene-50
KRK Dietary supplements Lycopene-50 additionally makes use of a excessive dose type of lycopene, and delivers 50 mg per capsule, however its components listing is a contact extra bloated.
Moreover, it’s not fairly as well-liked or well-known of a model, which sadly leaves it decrease within the rankings.
7. Swanson Lycopene
Swanson Lycopene delivers a stable 20 mg of lycopene per capsule, however sadly you’ll need to put up with a number of components, like soybean oil and beeswax. For most individuals, there are higher options for lycopene.
8. Dr. Mercola Noticed Palmetto with Lycopene
For folks taking lycopene for sexual wellness, Dr. Mercola Noticed Palmetto with Lycopene is a superb possibility due to the synergistic interplay between lycopene and noticed palmetto, one other complement that could be very helpful for males’s sexual wellness. Whereas it’s a distinct segment choose, it’s nonetheless an possibility to contemplate in case you’re particularly seeking to take lycopene in your sexual well being.
9. NutriONN 100% Pure Tomato Lycopene
NutriONN 100% Pure Tomato Lycopene is low in dosage and never the perfect on the subject of complement design both; although its customers do fee it fairly extremely, its low dosage (10 mg per capsule) and barely bloated components listing is bested by a lot of different lycopene dietary supplements in the marketplace
10. twenty first Century Most Energy Lycopene
Whereas twenty first Century Most Energy Lycopene is a well-liked supply of lycopene, its tablet-based formulation signifies that it carries much more components than a capsule.
When you don’t thoughts pill fillers, binders, and coloring brokers, like silicon dioxide and synthetic coloring brokers, its dosage is stable, at 25 mg, however for purity, there are so much higher choices on the market.
Class winners
Greatest lycopene total: NOW Lycopene
NOW Lycopene takes our high cease due to its stable dosage and super-pure formulation. It’s a dependable go-to for each day lycopene supplementation for any function.
Greatest lycopene for irritation: Puritan’s Delight Lycopene
Need to harness the highly effective anti-inflammatory properties of lycopene? Puritan’s Delight Lycopene is the way in which to go. Its market-leading dosage of 40 mg per capsule places the complete energy of lycopene to work in reducing down on irritation in your physique.
Greatest lycopene for coronary heart well being: NOW Lycopene
NOW Lycopene is our alternative in case you’re available in the market for a each day lycopene complement to take for coronary heart well being. The dosage is stable, however not extreme, and the capsules are simplistic and freed from extraneous components, which is especially fascinating for one thing you is perhaps taking for the long run.
Greatest lycopene for prostate well being: Puritan’s Delight Lycopene
Puritan’s Delight Lycopene is excessive in dosage and is dissolved in a lipid answer, which additional aids its bioavailability and helps give it the perfect shot at enhancing prostate well being.
Greatest lycopene for pores and skin: Puritan’s Delight Lycopene
Puritan’s Delight delivers a strong 40 mg dose of lycopene, which helps be certain that this highly effective antioxidant makes its approach to your pores and skin to combat oxidative injury and encourage collagen therapeutic. For a fast and simple complement for wholesome pores and skin, it’s a straightforward choose.
Greatest lycopene for eye well being: Life Extension Mega Lycopene
In search of a lycopene complement to go together with a watch vitamin? Life Extension Mega Lycopene is our favourite, due to its middle-of-the-road dosage and really pure formulation. For eye well being, it appears to be extra necessary to keep up constant consumption of key vitamins over lengthy durations of time, versus taking excessive doses, which tilts the scales in direction of Life Extension.
Who can buy lycopene?
Lycopene is usually thought of protected for most people and is useful in defending towards CVD, and sure cancers. Whereas there are lots of different touted advantages, there’s inadequate proof to help a lot of the claims.
Pregnant ladies and kids ought to keep away from lycopene dietary supplements as there’s inadequate analysis relating to the security in these populations. Individuals who have not too long ago undergone surgical procedure or who’re going too within the close to future must also keep away from lycopene as it might decelerate bloodletting, inflicting extreme bleeding. It’s really useful to remain from lycopene for 2 weeks pre and post-operation.
Lycopene doesn’t at present work together with any drugs, however you need to nonetheless communicate to your physician earlier than taking it if you’re taking prescription drugs – simply to be protected.
How We Ranked
The very first thing we analyzed, when rating the perfect lycopene dietary supplements, was the ingredient listing. For our rankings, we most popular dietary supplements that included lycopene by itself. Merchandise like KRK and Nature’s Bounty with bloated ingredient lists have been penalized and ranked decrease, regardless of the upper dosage of lycopene per serving. Quite the opposite, merchandise like Now made the highest of the listing for offering a complement with virtually nothing apart from lycopene.Â
Subsequent, we seemed on the dosage. In accordance with analysis, 15mg per day appears to be the bottom efficient dosage. As such, we most popular merchandise with greater than that, like GNC. Merchandise that had very excessive dosages (50mg) have been penalized, as this made it troublesome to tailor to the person.Â
Since virtually all lycopene dietary supplements are available capsules, the capsule design was impotent to contemplate. Whereas we did have a slight desire for cellulose-based capsules, if the design was clear, we didn’t penalize gelatin ones.
Lastly, we thought of purity. Corporations like Now that supplied third-party testing info ranked the perfect because it confirmed the corporate’s dedication to purity. This is the reason they took our high spot.Â
Advantages
Lycopene consumption has been linked to decreased threat of heart problems. Preliminary proof for the well being advantages of lycopene got here from epidemiological research which concerned 1000’s of people that stuffed out meals frequency questionnaires, who have been then tracked over time.
Researchers observed a sample between excessive consumption of tomato-containing meals and a decreased threat of heart problems.
One such research, revealed within the Journal of Diet by researchers at at Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital in Boston, quantified this relationship amongst a gaggle of almost 40,000 ladies (1).
The researchers uncovered a pattern in direction of decrease charges of heart problems among the many ladies who had the very best consumption of tomato-based meals, significantly after they contained oil as properly.
Lycopene is absorbed higher when it’s dissolved in fats or oil. Like a number of of its chemically-related compounds, like beta carotene (present in eye nutritional vitamins, common antioxidant dietary supplements, amongst different sources), lycopene is fat-soluble.
That signifies that your physique shops it and absorbs it higher whenever you provide it alongside some fats. In accordance with Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a dietary epidemiology researcher at Harvard College’s College of Public Well being, lycopene ought to be consumed alongside fat or oils if eaten in meals (2).
By extension, a high-quality lycopene complement will present lycopene dissolved in some kind of oil, like soybean oil or corn oil. This can guarantee larger absorption.
The fats solubility of lycopene isn’t merely theoretical: a research revealed in 2005 by researchers in Australia demonstrated convincingly that lycopene in tomatoes consumed by itself is absorbed a lot much less successfully than when it’s accompanied by oil (3).
The antioxidative energy of lycopene might forestall prostate most cancers. Like many different antioxidants, like inexperienced tea and resveratrol, one of many areas of best curiosity in lycopene supplementation is within the chance that it may cut back your threat of most cancers.
Epidemiological proof helps this hyperlink, no less than on the subject of prostate most cancers. A research revealed within the Journal of the Nationwide Most cancers Institute in 2002 examined the hyperlink between lycopene consumption and prostate most cancers incidence amongst a gaggle of well being care professionals who have been tracked longitudinally for a number of years, and those that received prostate most cancers have been recorded (4).
The researchers discovered that individuals who had the best estimated consumption of lycopene had a 23% decrease threat of prostate most cancers in comparison with these with the bottom consumption.
Lycopene has been studied as a remedy for prostate most cancers as properly. Due to the rising proof on lycopene’s skill to forestall prostate most cancers, some small pilot research have even examined utilizing it as an adjunctive remedy for prostate most cancers.
One research revealed in 2001 used a 30 mg dose of lycopene or a placebo in a small group of males who had been not too long ago recognized with prostate most cancers (5).
For the reason that males have been going to have their prostates eliminated surgically anyhow, the researchers examined the results of a 3 week lycopene supplementation routine on the expansion of their prostate tumors.
Although the pattern measurement was small, the researchers did discover that the tumors within the males who had taken lycopene had grown lower than the tumors within the males who took the placebo, offering tantalizing proof that lycopene may even be used along with commonplace remedies for prostate most cancers.
It ought to be emphasised, although, that this was a pilot research with a really small pattern measurement and it’s not doable to attract any agency conclusions from these information.
Lycopene can cut back irritation and enhance levels of cholesterol, particularly in people who find themselves chubby. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, lycopene has additionally been subjected to research on decreasing irritation.
One goal situation for a lot of those experiments is weight problems, as extra physique fats is immediately linked to power, systemic irritation, which in flip is believed to trigger lots of the unfavorable well being results associated to weight problems.
One research revealed within the Journal of Dietary Biochemistry studied chubby people over the course of twelve weeks (6). Half the themes have been placed on a low lycopene eating regimen, whereas the opposite half have been placed on a excessive lycopene eating regimen and in addition given a ten mg lycopene complement to take every single day.
The researchers discovered that the excessive lycopene group decreased biomarkers of irritation whereas additionally rising their ranges of HDL (“good”) ldl cholesterol. This provides to the tally of power illnesses that lycopene might assist enhance or forestall.
Uncomfortable side effects
Just about all lycopene dietary supplements comprise no extra lycopene than you’d get with a number of hearty servings of any tomato-containing meals, so the percentages of any hostile results are extraordinarily low.
A research revealed in 2006 within the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology reviewed the scientific literature and established 75 mg per day as a well-established noticed protected stage―even at intakes this excessive, no unfavorable results are noticed (7).
Even past this consumption stage, the one purpose the edge isn’t larger is due to a scarcity of proof.
Beneficial dosage
Primarily based on extrapolations from the epidemiological literature, to match the lycopene consumption among the many folks with the bottom threat for heart problems and prostate most cancers, you need to attempt for no less than 10 mg of lycopene per day, and a better consumption of 15-30 mg per day might be higher.
Thus far, medical analysis has targeted on doses of 30 mg per day, break up into two capsules (one taken within the morning and one taken within the night).
This doubtless helps hold blood ranges of lycopene excessive all through the day and evening. As talked about earlier, lycopene will most likely be absorbed most successfully if it’s taken in a complement that delivers the lycopene dissolved in an oil.
For treating systemic irritation associated to being chubby, you might want a better dosage in case your dietary consumption of lycopene additionally doesn’t go up.
The medical analysis on utilizing lycopene for systemic irritation in people who find themselves chubby or overweight makes use of a excessive lycopene eating regimen at the side of supplementation, so you might have to up the usual dosage.
FAQ
What’s the finest pure supply of lycopene? Lycopene has been widely known as a strong antioxidant and anti inflammatory, making it broadly used and broadly studied to cut back threat elements for coronary heart illness, most cancers, and different power illnesses linked to irritation and oxidative injury.
It’s best-known as a constituent of tomatoes, and certainly, tomatoes are by far the best supply of lycopene, however it’s additionally present in watermelon, cabbage, grapefruit, and papaya.
Can lycopene assist with weight reduction? There isn’t any stable proof that lycopene dietary supplements are efficient for weight reduction. Nonetheless, many weight reduction merchandise comprise small quantities of the nutrient. Naturally occurring lycopene in meals like tomatoes and cooked pink peppers could also be more practical for weight reduction as a result of they’re a part of a balanced and nutritious diet.Â
Does lycopene trigger pimples? It’s steered that lycopene can assist deal with pimples due to its position in nature. The potent antioxidant is current in fruit and veggies to forestall hurt from the solar. Whereas it’s not steered that it causes pimples, the proof behind it serving to to deal with pimples can be not enough.Â
How does lycopene assist sunburns? There have been some research which have proven lycopene can cut back the severity of sunburns as a preventative measure, however there is no such thing as a conclusive proof. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that assaults free radicals within the physique, serving to to advertise pores and skin and cell well being, which is the place the hyperlink comes from.Â
Can lycopene assist my eyesight? Sure. It’s doable that lycopene can assist cut back the formation of cataracts and cut back macular degeneration, that are the main causes of blindness in adults (8).
Extra research are required to quantify these claims. Equally to stopping sunburns, lycopene’s antioxidant properties, and the way they assault free radicals are the first proof linking it to doubtlessly enhancing one’s eyesight.
Does lycopene decrease blood strain? There have been research that recommend lycopene has helped decrease blood strain in people who are suffering from the ailment. Nonetheless, if the person had pre-hypertension, it has not been efficient.
Lycopene is understood to have hostile interactions with blood strain remedy, so please seek the advice of your physician if you’re seeking to take lycopene to deal with your hypertension, and you might be already on remedy.Â
How a lot lycopene ought to I take? The dosage of lycopene dietary supplements will range by producer and by every individual. Sometimes, lycopene dietary supplements are available a tender gel or capsule kind, and the dosage can vary from 10mg per day to 30mg per day. Many research have used 7mg per day to 75mg per day doses of their analysis.Â
When ought to I take lycopene? At all times learn and observe the label of any complement you take. Sometimes, lycopene is taken twice each day with meals. Dosage occasions can range amongst producers, so guarantee you might be following the instructions of the product you might be utilizing.Â
Can I take lycopene if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding? Lycopene dietary supplements could also be unsafe for pregnant or breastfeeding ladies. A small research has proven there to be hostile results in utilizing lycopene throughout being pregnant, inflicting preterm labor or low start weight, however one other small research confirmed no proof of this (2).
Sadly, there’s not sufficient identified concerning the interactions between these dietary supplements and being pregnant, so please contact your doctor if you wish to begin a complement like this throughout your being pregnant.Â
Which is the perfect lycopene complement? Whereas everybody has totally different preferences for his or her favourite dietary supplements, a few of the hottest manufacturers of lycopene embrace Puritans Delight Lycopene, NOW Dietary supplements Lycopene, twenty first Century Lycopene, Ahana Diet Lycopene, and KRK Dietary supplements Lycopene.Â
Who ought to keep away from lycopene? Lycopene dietary supplements will not be excellent for anybody with a tomato allergy. Lycopene can decelerate blood clotting and might trigger bleeding in individuals who have not too long ago had surgical procedure, so they need to keep away from taking a complement. Pregnant ladies or ladies who’re breastfeeding ought to seek the advice of their physician earlier than taking a lycopene complement.Â
Can I take lycopene with a multivitamin? Many multivitamins comprise lycopene already, so double-check to ensure you are doubling your dose of lycopene. If you wish to take each a multivitamin and Lycopene, seek the advice of your physician or pharmacist earlier than combining dietary supplements.Â
Can I take lycopene with an antioxidant? Lycopene is a strong antioxidant with many well being advantages. If you wish to mix lycopene with one other antioxidant or complement, please contact your physician and focus on it with them earlier than beginning on any complement mixture.
It’s doable that lycopene can negatively work together with different dietary supplements. Another dietary supplements might lower the physique’s absorption of lycopene as properly.Â
Is it doable to take an excessive amount of lycopene? The suitable dosage of lycopene will range from individual to individual. There are numerous elements that contribute to figuring out which is the suitable dose, together with age and total well being. Nonetheless, you possibly can take an excessive amount of lycopene, however it’s exhausting to resolve on what an excessive amount of could also be for you. When you begin having hostile results, please contact poison management or a medical skilled to find out an answer.Â
Does lycopene forestall prostate most cancers? There have been conflicting ends in the research linking lycopene to most cancers prevention. Some research have proven that lycopene has decreased the expansion of most cancers and lowered the chance of most cancers. In distinction, others have demonstrated that lycopene has no bearing on most cancers prevention.Â
Is there an influence on male fertility by taking lycopene? Research have proven that constantly taking lycopene can have a constructive impact on sperm high quality. There was one research accomplished in India in 2000 that concerned a pattern of 30 males who participated by taking 2000 micrograms of lycopene twice each day. 66% of them confirmed a major enchancment in sperm focus over the three month interval.
Extra research with bigger pattern sizes could be required to recommend this proof as being substantial.Â
How do I do know if I’m allergic to lycopene? Whereas lycopene is non-toxic and naturally occurring, there are some people who’re allergic. Reported illnesses associated to lycopene allergy embrace rashes, abdomen ache or cramps, gasoline, diarrhea, nausea, and lack of urge for food.
When you’ve got a sensitivity to tomatoes, grapefruit, pink peppers, plums, or different fruit and veggies with a pink pigment, seek the advice of along with your physician earlier than taking lycopene dietary supplements.Â
Are lycopene’s advantages all true? From decreasing blood strain to stopping many forms of most cancers, it’s steered that lycopene is a implausible antioxidant. Many research have been accomplished on the results of lycopene within the physique, and the outcomes are considerably inconclusive. Some research present very constructive outcomes, and a few present no influence from the complement.
Extra analysis is required to substantiate the claims surrounding lycopene and its precise influence on our well being. Whatever the backwards and forwards nature of lycopene research, researchers are optimistic that lycopene has many actual advantages.Â
Does lycopene assist with joint ache? Like lots of the different claims that lycopene is related to, there’s proof to recommend that lycopene each helps and has no vital influence on joint ache. Lycopene has additionally been linked to serving to forestall rheumatoid arthritis and different critical joint points. Nonetheless, there’s not sufficient proof to have a concrete conclusion.Â
Does lycopene assist with bronchial asthma? Analysis means that lycopene might assist shield the lungs from irritation earlier than the onset of allergic airways in mice, however the research has not been replicated with people. Medical research recommend {that a} eating regimen wealthy in antioxidants can assist cut back the chance of growing bronchial asthma, however it’s unclear what position lycopene performs as a person nutrient.Â
How do I do know if lycopene is true for me? Figuring out if a complement is best for you by yourself is usually a problem. Make an appointment along with your physician to debate lycopene, the scientific advantages, and a correct dosage based mostly in your age, well being, and pre-existing situations. This can assist decide whether it is best for you.
All in all, lycopene will be a superb complement for somebody who doesn’t eat plenty of the fruit and veggies containing it naturally, however nonetheless desires to achieve the advantages from it.Â
Is lycopene protected to take with different drugs? Lycopene dietary supplements have been identified to work together with blood thinners and blood strain drugs. In case you are on a drugs that will increase the chance of bleeding, like ibuprofen, naproxen, warfarin, antiplatelet medication, or heparin, including lycopene can additional enhance the chance of bleeding. Please seek the advice of your physician earlier than beginning a brand new lycopene complement in case you take any drugs.Â
Is lycopene efficient at strengthening my immune system? Lycopene is a strong antioxidant, however it isn’t solely answerable for immune well being. Your immune system advantages extra from a wide range of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from a wholesome and balanced eating regimen. Further dietary supplements are glorious in case you particularly lack a nutrient, however your physician ought to decide that and focus on your choices with you.
Can lycopene cut back the chance of stroke? In accordance with Harvard Medical College, lycopene discovered naturally occurring in tomatoes was linked to decreasing the chance of stroke due to the anti-inflammatory properties. The identical can’t be mentioned for a lycopene complement since additional analysis and research are mandatory to find out this.
How lengthy ought to I take lycopene for? Some physicians recommend taking lycopene for as much as six months, however research point out that it may be taken as much as a yr with no hostile results. Seek the advice of your physician to observe and assist handle how lengthy you have to be taking a lycopene complement.Â
Are lycopene dietary supplements higher than lycopene from tomatoes? Whereas lycopene dietary supplements might comprise extra lycopene per serving, many researchers speculate that lycopene from tomatoes is definitely extra helpful and efficient. Whereas there are lots of potentialities, it’s believed that there’s extra of a synergistic impact with the tomato’s different helpful vitamins, fiber, and nutritional vitamins.
There are tens of 1000’s of phytochemicals present in tomatoes, all of which play a task defending towards illness, alongside lycopene. Typically, it’s virtually at all times higher to eat the meals model of a complement, quite than the artificial model in a capsule or pill.
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Recap
Lycopene has robust antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties, and these properties seem like linked to decreases in threat for heart problems and prostate most cancers. Lycopene, being a fat-soluble vitamin, is finest absorbed when dissolved in oil.
In case your complement doesn’t ship it in oil, think about taking it alongside some olive oil or fish oil to spice up absorption. Shoot for no less than 10 mg per day, and 30 mg per day could be higher. Most medical research break up this dose up into two equal parts taken within the morning and the night.
Lycopene is a very good complement alternative for males, as a result of they’re clearly in danger for prostate most cancers, and as well as, males have a better fee of heart problems than ladies.
Taking a lycopene complement is a method you may be capable of mitigate these dangers and enhance your long-term well being.
For BodyNutrition’s #1 really useful lycopene complement, click on right here.
