LYCOPENE HAS HEART HEALTH ATTRIBUTES
Lycopene - the antioxidant found in red and pink fruits and vegetables - has been shown to have heart, blood pressure, prostate, osteoporosis and skin benefits. A new study has now confirmed that higher levels of lycopene in the blood are associated with decreased levels of artherosclerosis. The researchers, led by Jong Ho Lee from the Department of Food and Nutrition at Yonsei University in South Korea, state that their findings suggest that serum concentrations of lycopene may play a important role in the early stage of atherosclerosis. The Korean researchers recruited 264 women aged between 31 and 75 and took blood samples in order to measure their blood levels of lycopene, as well as other carotenoids. Women with the highest levels of lycopene had the lowest levels of oxidized LDL-cholesterol according to the study which was published in the journal Atherosclerosis. Levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were also lower in the women with the highest lycopene levels. According to the researchers their results "are in line with previous reports that lycopene showed superior antioxidant capability or trend of a decreased atherosclerotic risk compared with other antioxidant such as beta-carotene both in vitro and in humans."