Lycopene is a substance that has been shown to affect tumor cells in the human body. The main dietary source of lycopene is tomatoes. It is from tomatoes that a person gets up to 80% of the total consumption of lycopene.
Lycopene, a natural organic pigment, is found in tomatoes. It is thanks to lycopene that tomatoes have their red color.
Despite the fact that lycopene is not synthesized in the human body, but enters it only with food, it is vital for humans.
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant. By slowing down the oxidation of organic compounds, lycopene prevents the development of atherosclerosis, and also protects DNA.
Moreover, lycopene is able to influence the development of tumor cells. It has been found that the closer the consumption of lycopene to the recommended daily allowance (5-10 mg / day), the lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer and, first of all, prostate cancer.
The amazing effect of tomatoes is the fact that during heat treatment, the concentration of lycopene in them increases.
And if in the normal state a kilogram of tomatoes contains from 5 to 50 mg of lycopene (the concentration correlates depending on the intensity of the red color of the fruit), then even simple scalding of tomatoes with boiling water leads to a slight, but still an increase in its content, and deeper heat treatment in in the form of evaporation, frying and drying, it increases the concentration of lycopene at times:
- in tomato ketchup up to 140 mg / kg, - in tomato paste up to 1500 mg / kg, but the highest concentration of lycopene is in sun-dried tomatoes.
Here is such a tremendous effect - when cooked, the anticancer effect of tomatoes is enhanced!
