Natural Products

Lycopene

Efficacy

• Indications with proven efficacy:
  None
• Indications with possible, but poorly documented efficacy - the use of this product cannot be recommended:
  Exercise-induced asthma
  Lung cancer prevention
  Prostate cancer prevention and treatment
  Ovarian cancer prevention
• Also used for these other indications, but with no proof of efficacy:
  Atherosclerosis

Security

• Risk of Drug Interactions: Low
• Adverse Effects: Rare

What is it?

Lycopene is a carotenoid found in nature. The western diet is very rich in lycopene. Lycopene is the pigment that makes tomatoes red. Cooked tomatoes (tomato soup, paste, juice, or canned tomatoes) are by far the most lycopene-rich food. In fact, lycopene bioavailability is increased by cooking and oil. Lycopene is also found, but in more modest amounts, in watermelon, guava, fresh apricots and raw tomatoes.

Lycopene supplements are available as tablets or capsules.

Warning

In 2004, Canada adopted new regulations that control the manufacturing, packaging, labeling and importing of natural health products. The new regulations also include an adverse reaction reporting system. Products that conform to the regulation's criteria are identified with a natural product number (NPN) or homeopathic medicine number (DIN-HM) and can be legally sold in Canada. This number indicates that the product meets specific criteria for safety and purity, not that it is effective for any indication.

Medicinal plants content varies naturally from plant to plant – just as fruits from the same package may vary in taste and texture. There is no standard to measure the active content of each plant. Thus, efficacy of natural products should be expected to vary from brand to brand as well as from bottle to bottle of the same brand.

For more information about the Natural Health Products Regulations, or to check if a product has been assessed, visit the Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodnatur/index-eng.php.

Does it work?

There is no evidence that lycopene is effective in any indication. However, it is used to treat certain medical conditions where it may be of some benefits:

• Exercise-induced asthma:
  In some persons, a daily 30 mg supplement may prevent the reduction of the expiratory flow during physical exercise.
• Lung cancer prevention:
  Dietary lycopene appears to reduce the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers. Apparently, men should take 12 mg of lycopene daily and women 6.5 mg daily.
• Prostate cancer prevention and treatment:
  A lycopene-rich diet (6 mg daily) may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In addition, taking 15 mg of lycopene twice a day may contribute to slowing cancer progression.

There is insufficient reliable information to conclude that lycopene is effective in any other indication.

Is it safe?

• Lycopene is associated with no adverse reactions. However, when lycopene supplements are used, they can lower the levels of other carotenoids in the body. When lycopene comes from the diet, it does not alter the levels of other carotenoids, because lycopene-rich foods usually provide several types of carotenoids (lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthine, etc.).
• There is no safety data concerning the use of lycopene during pregnancy and breast-feeding. For this reason, it is best that pregnant and breast-feeding women avoid these supplements.

Clinical notes

• Certain manufacturers market synthetic lycopene at a lower price. At this time, it is not known if these synthetic supplements have the same effects as dietary lycopene or natural supplements.

References

1. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Therapeutic Research Faculty, 2007
2. Passeportsanté.net. Lycopène. http://www.passeportsante.net