Cardiovascular benefits of lycopene: fantasy or reality?

Abstract

Epidemiological evidence indicates that high consumption of tomatoes and tomato-based products reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as CVD and cancer. Such potential benefits are often ascribed to high concentrations of lycopene present in tomato products. Mainly from the results of in vitro studies, potential biological mechanisms by which carotenoids could protect against heart disease and cancer have been suggested. These include cholesterol reduction, inhibition of oxidation processes, modulation of inflammatory markers, enhanced intercellular communication, inhibition of tumourigenesis and induction of apoptosis, metabolism to retinoids and antiangiogenic effects. However, with regard to CVD, results from intervention studies gave mixed results. Over fifty human intervention trials with lycopene supplements or tomato-based products have been conducted to date, the majority being underpowered. Many showed some beneficial effects but mostly on non-established cardiovascular risk markers such as lipid peroxidation, DNA oxidative damage, platelet activation and inflammatory markers. Only a few studies showed improvement in lipid profiles, C reactive protein and blood pressure. However, recent findings indicate that lycopene could exert cardiovascular protection by lowering HDL-associated inflammation, as well as by modulating HDL functionality towards an antiatherogenic phenotype. Furthermore, in vitro studies indicate that lycopene could modulate T lymphocyte activity, which would also inhibit atherogenic processes and confer cardiovascular protection. These findings also suggest that HDL functionality deserves further consideration as a potential early marker for CVD risk, modifiable by dietary factors such as lycopene.

Tomato and lycopene consumption is inversely associated with total and cause-specific mortality: a population-based cohort study, on behalf of the International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP)

“…However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the link between tomato or lycopene consumption and death. Furthermore, the majority of the previous original studies has important limitations, including a small sample size and short follow-up (31). Participants selection, lycopene metabolism, characteristics of lycopene consumption (time, type, quantity etc.…”

The Biochemistry and Antioxidant Properties of Carotenoids

“…Recent studies indicate that lycopene intake has protective functions against cardiovascular diseases by lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated inflammation [69]. It was proposed that there is an inverse association between the occurrence of pancreatic cancer and dietary lycopene intake together with vitamin A and β-carotene [70].…”

Systemic and skin-targeting beneficial effects of lycopene-enriched ice cream: A pilot study

“…Functional foods containing nutraceuticals have become an essential part of the growing range of diseasepreventing strategies, but the difficulty in incorporating nutraceutical agents into commercial food products should not be underestimated (McClements, 2015). Although lycopene is a well-known antioxidant with proven health-promoting properties and widely used as a dietary supplement (Cheng et al, 2017;Thies et al, 2017;Costa-Rodrigues et al, 2018), its lack of solubility in water, high melting point, limited chemical stability, and poor bioavailability (Reboul et al, 2006;Salvia-Trujillo and McClements, 2016) present a challenge for successfully preparing new functional foods containing this carotenoid. As lycopene is fat-soluble, its bioavailability may be considerably increased if the functional food matrix is rich in fat.…”

“…Lycopene is a red, lipid-soluble carotenoid phytonutrient that is naturally produced in tomato and abundantly present in tomato-based products. It has been proven to possess high antioxidant and antitumor potentials that mitigate the damaging effects of oxidative stress (Thies et al, 2017). Consumption of lycopene-rich foods (especially tomatoes) or dietary supplements containing this carotenoid has been repeatedly demonstrated to produce health-promoting and antiaging effects (Moran et al, 2013;Petyaev, 2016;Costa-Rodrigues et al, 2018).…”