(NaturalHealth365)  According to the National Cancer Institute, over 2 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year – with the disease expected to claim the lives of over  611,000 people.  As the search for non-toxic natural treatments continues, lycopene – a nutrient found in tomatoes – is impressing researchers with its ability to inhibit various types of cancer cell growth.

Read on to learn more about lycopene’s amazing ability to impart cancer protection.

Current studies build upon earlier lycopene research

Lycopene is a type of carotenoid or disease-fighting natural pigment found in plants.  It is lycopene that is responsible for the fire-engine red color of tomatoes and the reddish pinks of guavas and grapefruit.

Researchers had known of lycopene’s cancer-fighting effects since the mid-1980s when researchers at Harvard University Medical School discovered that a diet rich in lycopene-packed tomatoes helped protect men from prostate cancer.

Now, a new study in Medical Oncology shows just how potent a weapon lycopene can be in the battle against cancer.  The study found that lycopene can inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells and promote cell death, showing promising results even at lower doses.  This supports earlier findings from the Journal of Biological Regulators and Homeostatic Agents, which also highlighted lycopene’s potential to slow cancer progression and prevent tumor spread.

Lycopene can also significantly decrease levels of cancer-promoting substances, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 and matrix metalloproteinases.  In an additional study published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology, tomato extracts were found to inhibit the cloning behavior of cancer cells.

So, let’s narrow the focus and examine the ways in which lycopene fights specific cancers.

Natural way to combat deadly ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer, which is estimated to claim the lives of 12,740 American women in 2024 alone, is considered the gynecological malignancy with the poorest survival rate.

Lycopene’s apparent potential to reduce the growth and spread of ovarian tumors is extremely encouraging – although more study is needed to confirm the effects.

In a study published in the prestigious American Journal of Cancer Research, researchers found that lycopene reduced the volume and quantity of tumors in mice that had been implanted with human ovarian cancer cells.

It seems that lycopene can “chip away” at tumors, reducing the number of rapidly growing cancer cells and helping to foil growth attempts.

The team reported that lycopene also limited the cancer’s ability to metastasize by reducing the expression of MMPs, or matrix metalloproteinases.  These proteins help cancer invade surrounding tissues by breaking down the protective matrix between cells.

When the tumor-bearing mice were given the chemotherapy drugs paclitaxel and carboplatin, the lycopene potentiated them, substantially increasing their effectiveness.

This finding raises the hope that lycopene supplementation may enable patients to take smaller amounts of cancer medications, thereby lessening the occurrence of toxic side effects.

The team also credited lycopene with “excellent” antioxidant capabilities.  Because oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of ovarian cancer, anything that reduces it is believed to be beneficial.

Other research shows that lycopene can help prevent colorectal cancer.

A study involving over 1,000 participants found that people with higher lycopene levels could lower their risk of colorectal cancer by up to 64 percent, cutting their odds by as much as two-thirds.

Still, other studies have linked lycopene consumption with reduced rates of breast and prostate cancer.

Discover a positive effect on skin cancer

In a study in Journal of Cellular Biology, researchers discovered more about lycopene’s potential mechanisms against skin cancer.

To trigger cancerous mutations, the team exposed laboratory-generated skin cells to high levels of UV radiation.  On cue, the cells began to hyperproliferate – or grow wildly out of control – and lose their ability to self-destruct.

But, treating the cells with lycopene before the UV exposure reduced the cancerous changes – and helped cells regain their potential for pre-programmed death.

In other words, lycopene encouraged apoptosis – the ability of cancer cells to “commit suicide.”

In addition, researchers noted that the carotenoid seemed to help the cells’ nuclei readjust to a more normal replication rate.

Preventing cancer can be delicious

Eating healthy amounts of reddish fruits and vegetables can help you increase your intake of cancer-fighting lycopene.  With 8,587 mcg of lycopene per cup, guavas are the official high-ringer – followed closely by tomatoes and watermelon.  Papaya, red grapefruit, and sweet red peppers are also good sources.

For maximum benefit, of course, choose organic produce.

Note: if you prefer your tomatoes cooked, no worries: heating them does not detract from their antioxidant value and may even promote it – especially if you cook them (on low heat) with a healthy fat like olive oil.

Interestingly, one analysis found that green, orange, and yellow tomatoes were just as high in lycopene as their bright red counterparts.  For the best absorption of the carotenoids, choose organic tomatoes and consume them with fat-rich food.

Plus, here’s a pro tip: Try partnering fresh, ripe tomatoes with avocado to maximize the nutritional benefits of both foods.

Lycopene is available as a supplement, with natural healers advising amounts of 2 to 30 mg daily.  As always, check with your holistic healthcare provider to see if lycopene supplementation is appropriate for you.

Research into lycopene’s therapeutic effects is currently ongoing.  But one thing seems clear: lycopene, a constituent of ordinary foods like tomatoes and red peppers, seems to have extraordinary powers when it comes to fighting cancer.

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Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
Wiley.com
Cancer.gov
LifeExtension.com
MyFoodData.com
NIH.gov