English Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2023-06-02 Origin: Site
Lycopene is a kind of carotenoid in plants, and it is also the main pigment of ripe tomato. Since it was first isolated from tomato, it is called lycopene. Lycopene widely exists in red fruits, such as tomato, watermelon, grapefruit, etc. (except cherries and strawberries), and is considered to be one of the "strong antioxidants".
Some scholars conducted a community health survey on 1,466 men aged 30 to 79 years in the Boston area of the United States from 2002 to 2005 and found that male patients who consumed more lycopene, β-carotene, total carotenoids or vitamin A, The incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is reduced by 40% to 50%, and the effect of lycopene intake is the most obvious. Another clinical trial has better clarified the causal relationship between lycopene and reducing the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and inhibiting benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therefore, lycopene can improve lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and can also reduce the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer, delaying disease progression. However, its preventive effect on benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer is still controversial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes that "there is no research to prove that lycopene can prevent and reduce the risk of prostate cancer."
Since sperm are vulnerable to free radical damage, the protective effects of antioxidants on sperm has been the focus of research. In October 2019, a team from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom conducted a small-scale study: one group took a placebo, and the other group took a daily milk lycopene supplement (a milk-based lycopene that strengthens the intestinal tract). 14 mg of lacto-lycopene per serving), which is equivalent to eating 2 kg of ripe tomatoes or taking two spoons of concentrated tomato paste per day. The results showed that although the concentration of sperm in the semen of the lycopene group did not change, the proportion of forward fast moving sperm (grade A) and normal morphology sperm had a significant improvement. The proportion of A-grade sperm increased by nearly 40% from 10.6% to 14.76%, while the percentage of normal-morphological sperm also increased by nearly 80% from 7.5% to 13.5%. It can be seen that milk lycopene can increase sperm motility and improve sperm quality. It is currently speculated that lycopene may protect sperm through its antioxidant properties, provide a comfortable environment for sperm activity, enhance sperm activity, and thus improve male fertility. But the mechanism underlying the effect of lycopene on sperm production is still unclear.
Current research shows that there is no direct relationship between lycopene and improving sexual performance. The more value of lycopene lies in its antioxidant effect by inhibiting and scavenging free radicals. Nowadays, many merchants exaggerate the "miraculous effects" of lycopene - "anti-cancer", "treatment of prostate diseases", "improvement of male sexual function and fertility", "care of women's breasts and uterus", etc. So far, the "anti-cancer" and "treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer" functions of lycopene products have not been certified by the US Food and Drug Administration; it is still too early to determine whether lycopene has health effects morning.
