RED Lycopene Foods and Lycopene Health Benefits

Lycopene foods are all the red fruits and vegetables we should be eating on a regular basis. Lycopene is found in the natural red pigment which gives these foods their red color and is a powerful antioxidant with many potential health benefits.

Although most red fruit and vegetables are good sources of lycopene, tomatoes, red bell pepper, watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava have the highest content of this particular phytonutrient.

Cooked tomatoes are a better source of lycopene than raw tomatoes and therefore have more health benefits. Researchers estimate that tomatoes, in the form of tomato-based sauces and tomato ketchup, are the source over 85% of lycopene for most people. If you like eating raw tomatoes, you should be aware that the riper they are the better, as they have more lycopene that can be readily assimilated by the body.

Research also shows that lycopene is fat soluble - so it is better absorbed by the body when foods are cooked or served with a small amount of fat or oil. Try making an easy homemade tomato soup or a delicious roasted red pepper soup to increase your intake of lycopene.

Fruit
watermelon - strawberries - raspberries
redcurrants - cherries - cranberries
blueberries - blackberries - plums
red grapes - red apple - red pears
pink guava - pink grapefruit - pomegranates

Vegetables
chilli peppers - radicchio
radish - red bell peppers
tomatoes - red leaf lettuce

Lycopene Health Benefits

Scientists are continually discovering evidence that diets rich in lycopene foods may have many health benefits. If you eat a diet rich in red fruit and vegetables you’ll be able to take advantage of the following potential lycopene health benefits:

• anti-aging properties


• improves short and long term-memory


• inhibits cholesterol formation


• fights heart disease


• protects against some cancers, especially prostate cancer


• helps in detoxification

Learn how to make a healthy Watermelon Smoothie

Return from Lycopene Foods to the Rainbow Diet

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