Determination of Lycopene in Tomato: Nutritional Value and Health Benefits

Is the only function of lycopene to give color? What are its effects on human health?

What is Lycopene?

Today, as the importance of healthy nutrition has increased, the consumption of antioxidants has increased to the same extent. Fruits and vegetables are the main source of antioxidant compounds. Another substance that has recently attracted attention and has been proven to be a powerful antioxidant with studies is lycopene.

Lycopene is a pigment found in many fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, grapefruit and watermelon. However, lycopene is not only a substance that gives color. Lycopene has antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effects and has a detoxifying effect.

Where is Lycopene Found?

Lycopene is mostly found in tomatoes, which are not missing from our tables, which can be consumed fresh as well as in ketchup, tomato paste, peeled or sliced canned tomatoes. Lycopene constitutes 83% of the pigments found in tomatoes.

By consuming products with high lycopene content, health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, skin problems can be prevented as it prevents diseases such as breast, uterine, liver, prostate cancer, LDL cholesterol.

In a study in which watermelon, vegetable juices and tomato products with lycopene content were tested, it was found that the product with the highest lycopene content was canned tomatoes, while the product with the highest antioxidant effect was tomato soup.

In other studies, it was found that the loss of lycopene in tomatoes dried at high temperatures was as insignificant as 2-3% and the antioxidant effect was higher in dried tomatoes than in other tomato products. Although it is common to think that there will be a loss of nutrients in the heat-treated product, this is not the case for lycopene. The bioavailability and nutritional quality of lycopene increases due to enzymatic reactions during processing.

The benefits of lycopene are becoming more and more known day by day and the consumption of products containing lycopene is increasing in the name of healthy nutrition. These products, which we should include in our daily diet, are especially important for individuals in the developmental age.

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