Lycopene

Lycopene is an acyclic, fat-loving carotenoid (a plant pigment) that gives tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit their red color. You absorb it better from heat-processed tomato products, like sauce and paste, than from raw tomatoes, and dietary fat helps too. In the 2017 Rowles meta-analysis (42 observational studies, 692,012 people), higher lycopene, both in the diet and in the blood, was tied to a modestly lower prostate-cancer risk (about 1% per extra 2 mg). But randomized supplement trials have been smaller and inconclusive. So the protective link rests mainly on observational data. It is most likely down to a tomato-rich diet overall, not to isolated lycopene capsules. There is no EU-authorized health claim for lycopene.

Last reviewed: June 22, 2026

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