Is Lycopene Good for Heart Health?

Lycopene has strong antioxidant properties and is currently widely used in the fields of food, medicine and cosmetics. It can improve the body's condition and enhance immunity from multiple aspects. This article takes an overview of lycopene as an entry point for analysis and analyzes the health benefits of this substance from multiple aspects.

1 Overview of lycopene

Lycopene was first discovered in tomatoes and tomato products, as well as in fruits such as grapefruit. It is one of the pigments in ripe tomatoes and an important component of carotenoids. In 1989, scholars discovered that among all carotenoids, lycopene had the highest singlet oxygen quenching activity, and thus lycopene has been widely valued. Ginlin [1] studied the metabolism and absorption of lycopene and found that it can prevent prostate cancer and many kinds of tumors as well as the corresponding cardiovascular diseases. This view confirms that lycopene has high preventive value.

Lycopene has a special structure and does not contain the β-ionone ring structure of β-carotene, so it cannot be converted to vitamin A after entering the body. In addition, lycopene is highly fat-soluble and insoluble in water, ethanol, methanol and many other substances. Lycopene is not very stable and is easily oxidized and degraded by external environmental influences. The main factors affecting its stability are oxygen, temperature, metal ions, light, acids and antioxidants.

Generally speaking, lycopene has a higher absorption rate than α-carotene and β-carotene. Natural lycopene is mainly in the all-trans configuration, while the lycopene in the body is mainly in the cis configuration, and it will not be affected by the configuration of natural lycopene in the food consumed. If the patient has intestinal disease or a lack of iron, zinc or protein, it will cause a disorder of lycopene absorption. For natural lycopene, heat processing can be used to convert the trans structure to the cis structure, thereby meeting the body's nutritional needs and increasing the body's absorption rate of lycopene.

Lycopene is commonly found in the liver, adipose tissue and kidney tissue of the body, and is also distributed in the ovaries and prostate of the human body. There is currently little medical research on the metabolites of lycopene, but small amounts of lycopene metabolites can be found in serum tests and skin and milk tests on the human body.

2 Introduction to health functions

2.1 Enhances the body's oxidative stress capacity and anti-inflammatory effect

Chen Yueqin et al. [2] studied the effect of lycopene on reducing lens damage in rats during oxidative stress after ionizing radiation and found that high doses of lycopene can effectively reduce apoptosis of lens epithelial cells in rats. Superoxide dismutase can reflect the body's antioxidant damage, and X-ray irradiation causes a gradual decrease in superoxide dismutase levels in rats. After lycopene was administered orally, the above indicators could be effectively improved. Moreover, the higher the concentration of lycopene applied, the better the body's ability to resist oxidative stress, which confirmed that lycopene can improve the body's antioxidant capacity. Oxidative damage is one of the main causes of increased incidence of cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and lycopene has been shown in experimental studies to have strong antioxidant capacity.

Bronchial asthma, or asthma for short, is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. It is also the most common respiratory disease in clinical practice. After the onset of the disease, the expression of inflammatory factors increases. However, by taking advantage of the biological properties of lycopene, the risk of vascular disease can be reduced. Jin Bingrong et al. [3] studied the role of lycopene in the treatment of asthma and found that after treatment, the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in patients improved significantly. This result further confirms that lycopene has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, can effectively inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors, and improve the physical indicators of patients.

2.2 Protecting the heart, brain and blood vessels

Cardiovascular diseases are currently common and highly prevalent among the middle-aged and elderly, and have a significant impact on the physical health and quality of life of patients. Currently, drug therapy and surgery are important measures to ensure the healthy functioning of the heart. In addition to clinical disease treatment, more attention needs to be paid to the protection of the cardiovascular system. Lycopene has strong antioxidant properties and is of great significance for the protection of the cardiovascular system. Lycopene can remove blood vessel waste, regulate plasma cholesterol levels, protect low-density lipoprotein from oxidation, and repair cells that have undergone oxidation in a timely manner. It is also beneficial for the formation of intercellular matrix, thereby improving the overall toughness of the patient's blood vessels.

Tian Y, Miao et al. [4] used high-fat feed to feed fat mice, and then intervened with lycopene, and observed the mice's blood glucose, blood lipids, body mass and body fat percentage. The pathological changes in the glands were verified using staining methods. The results showed that lycopene can effectively inhibit the weight gain of obese mice under a high-fat diet, while also effectively improving the fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance and blood lipid levels in mice, and reducing the vacuolation of pancreatic tissue in mice, confirming the positive effect of lycopene on lipid metabolism. In addition, lycopene's antioxidant properties can also play an important role in improving local cerebral ischemia. It mainly uses its antioxidant properties to scavenge free radicals and reduce the activity inhibition of glial cells, thereby reducing the area of perfusion injury after cerebral hemorrhage in patients. This view has played an important role in promoting the development of medical and health care in clinical medicine.

2.3 Protecting the skin

Lycopene, a carotenoid, has a higher antioxidant effect than vitamins C and E, and is therefore widely used in the anti-aging field. By using lycopene, you can effectively avoid UV damage caused by prolonged sun exposure and reduce damage to the deep tissue of the skin. According to the free radical theory, normal body cells form excessive free radicals during metabolism, which accelerates aging. Therefore, the targeted removal of free radicals can delay aging. Lycopene's antioxidant properties can effectively quench free radicals. Its antioxidant capacity is more than twice that of beta-carotene, and it is a natural anti-aging substance. Wu Yuanyuan et al. [5] studied the role of lycopene in the development of skin cancer in mice and found that lycopene can activate the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the development of induced skin cancer in mice, confirming that lycopene can prevent the development of skin tumors and has a good protective effect on the skin.

Lycopene powder is currently used in the production of anti-aging facial masks. The incorporation of lycopene in the production process can significantly increase the DPPH radical inhibition rate. Li Tong et al. [6] conducted a study on lycopene anti-aging facial masks and found that the DPPH free radical scavenging rate of the lycopene facial mask was as high as 76.76%, and the facial mask had good moisturizing and antioxidant properties. This research result confirms that lycopene can be used in the production of plant facial masks and has a good anti-aging effect.

2.4 Boosting immunity

Immunity is the key to maintaining good health and the main protection against disease. In the elderly, immunity generally decreases, which in turn exacerbates the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and digestive diseases. In response to this situation, biological research on boosting immunity needs to be actively strengthened. Lycopene has strong antioxidant properties, can repair oxidized cells in the body, activate immune cells, and protect phagocytes, reducing oxidative damage to phagocytes. Chen Yao et al. [7] studied the immune function of lycopene, and fed mice different doses of lycopene, and observed the cellular immunity, humoral immunity and macrophage phagocytic function of the mice after 30 days. It was found that the NK cell activity and phagocytic index of the macrophages in mice taking high doses of lycopene were significantly higher, and in addition, it could effectively improve the mice's delayed-type hypersensitivity ability.

The immune system is the body's main line of defense. Once the immune system is damaged, bacteria and viruses can easily invade the body, causing the patient to experience an inflammatory response. T-lymphocyte-mediated specific immune responses are important for maintaining good health. In studies on delayed-type hypersensitivity, it was found that lycopene can effectively increase the swelling of the mouse's toes, indicating that the mouse's immune response is gradually improving. It has been confirmed that lycopene can increase the number of T cell subsets in mice, thereby playing an immunomodulatory role. It has also been found in clinical studies that if the body's lycopene intake is low, cell proliferation in the peripheral blood will be affected. This is currently an important indication that lycopene can enhance the body's immune system.

3 Expanding application areas

In vitro studies have found that lycopene intake does not cause serious adverse reactions, and lycopene has been widely used in food supplements and cosmetics. In recent years, the gradual growth of the sub-healthy population has led to a new understanding of health issues, so health products and sports supplements are now accepted by most people. Lycopene, as a substance with strong antioxidant properties, is widely used in health products and sports supplements. The use of substances containing lycopene can effectively prevent oxidation, delay aging, enhance immunity, and regulate blood lipid and blood sugar indicators in the body. This substance can be made into tablets, oils, or capsules. In addition to health products and sports supplements, lycopene is also used in the production of cosmetics. Due to its strong antioxidant properties, it plays an important role in delaying skin aging and ensuring fair skin.

Lycopene can also be used in the food and beverage industry. Using lycopene in sauces and seasonings and in the production of dairy products can ensure the nutrition of dairy products while also having a certain health effect. Lycopene is also found in meat products and cooking oil. It can improve the preservation effect of meat, reduce meat spoilage and the growth of internal microorganisms. Adding lycopene to cooking oil can effectively alleviate oil fission and ensure food safety.

4 Conclusion

In summary, lycopene has significant antioxidant properties and plays an important role in improving the body's immune system, preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and protecting the skin. An analysis of its application fields confirms that lycopene has important value in both daily life and clinical medicine and is worthy of further research and promotion.

References

[1] Jiang L. Research on the inhibitory effect and mechanism of lycopene on human prostate cancer [D]. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Medical University, 2019.

[2] Chen YQ, Liu C, Liu JY, et al. The effect of lycopene on reducing lens damage in rats with oxidative stress after ionizing radiation [J]. New Advances in Ophthalmology, 2021, 41(6): 514-517.

[3] Jin Bingrong, Che Nan, Li Liangchang, et al. Research on the anti-asthmatic effect and mechanism of lycopene [J]. Chinese Journal of Immunology, 2020, 36(3): 365-368.

[4] Tian Yimiao, Li Rui, Zhu Ruyuan, et al. Effect of lycopene on glucose and lipid metabolism in obese mice and its regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in pancreatic tissue [J]. Chinese Herbal Medicine, 2020, 51(16): 4236-4243.

[5] Wu Yuanyuan, Yu Suyun, Wei Zhonghong, et al. Lycopene inhibits the development of induced skin cancer in mice by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway [J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 2021, 35(10): 751.

[6] Li Tong, Dong Yanhui, Ye Zhicheng. Preparation of lycopene anti-aging facial mask [J]. Guangzhou Chemical Industry, 2020, 48(21): 63-65.

[7] Chen Yao, Lu Lianhua, Lv Zhimin, et al. Research on the immune enhancing and antioxidant effects of lycopene [J]. Preventive Medicine Forum, 2018, 24(5): 393-396.