Lycopene

Lycopene is a naturally occurring red plant pigment and belongs to the group of carotenoids. Lycopene is found mainly in ripe tomatoes. Watermelons, rose hips and red grapefruits also have a high lycopene content, which gives these fruits their characteristic red color. Lycopene not only supports plants in photosynthesis but also the human body in maintaining health.

The secret lies in the red dye that gives tomatoes their rich color: the pigment Lycopene supports the human metabolism in neutralizing free radicals. Of all dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the greatest antioxidant potential. Its effect against free radicals is said to be ten times stronger than that of vitamin D. The frequent consumption of (cooked) tomatoes in southern countries is therefore considered to be one reason for the positive effect of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular diseases. The enrichment with oil (3 to 5 g of fat per meal) plays an important role in the Mediterranean diet. This makes absorption in the intestine easier because lycopene is fat-soluble.

If you want to benefit from this particularly effective antioxidant, Lycopene with 6 mg of pure lycopene per capsule. Since it is the pure active ingredient, which is also already dissolved in oil, our product offers you a particularly high bioavailability. Your body can absorb and utilize the antioxidant lycopene particularly well. This way you can provide your immune system with the extra portion in an uncomplicated and well-tolerated way Lycopene.

Good to know : Unlike other secondary plant substances or micronutrients such as vitamin C, the body Lycopene from processed and heated products than from raw fruit and vegetables. The lycopene in raw tomatoes, for example, is in a bound form and can only be used to a limited extent by the body. By chopping tomatoes, cooking them and serving them in oil, the lycopene, which is insoluble in water and closely bound to the plant fibers, is released and can pass from the digestive tract into the blood much more easily. Lycopene from tomato concentrate is therefore absorbed by the body about four times better than lycopene from fresh tomatoes.

Lycopene (in English Lycopenes ) owes its name to the scientific name for tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ). Lycopene belongs to the class of carotenoids, i.e. fat-soluble pigments that occur naturally as secondary plant substances. Secondary plant substances are bioactive substances that have no life-sustaining function, but are characterized by their health-promoting effects. The red pigment lycopene is synthesized exclusively by plants and microorganisms. Together with other carotenoids, it absorbs light in plants for photosynthesis. The pigment also protects chlorophyll molecules from oxidative damage caused by light and oxygen.

Six carotenoids play a special role in the human organism: α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Almost all of them act as antioxidants and are said to prevent arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, rheumatism, cataracts and skin aging. Its special molecular structure makes Lycopene so unique and a particularly effective antioxidant. One of the most aggressive radicals in particular - the so-called singlet oxygen - is very effectively neutralized by lycopene.