If you’re looking to find some info on the supplement lycopene than I hope this article can help. Lycopene is a carotenoid which is the part of a plant that is responsible for converting the rays of the sun into usable energy, sort of like solar panels on the roof of a house. Carotenoids are also responsible for making fruits and vegetables turn bright colors.
The plant with the most lycopene is tomatoes and depending on many facts such as growing, shipping and how long the plant was exposed to air has around 100,000 mcg’s per serving.
Other plants that have this nutrient are watermelons, grapefruit, asparagus and guavas, which are native to the Americas.
Lycopene can benefit a person in a variety of ways, however possibly the biggest way is with preventing prostate cancer. A study done by the prestigious University of Harvard studied a little under 50 thousand men and they discovered that by consuming over 10 servings a week of some type of tomato product they had a reduced chance of this cancer by as high as 34 percent.
Another benefit of this substance is that it can prevent osteoporosis and weak bones. Lycopene seems to prevent bone loss due to its antioxidants.
In one study they gave cells oxidized damage which is a contributor to bone less then added this nutrient and the result was that lycopene reversed the damage and also can protect the cells as well.
Also in a study involving real people particularly woman around the age of 55 they gave 1/3 of the group no lycopene, 1/3 of the group 15 mg of this nutrient and the last group received 35 mgs of lycopene. The result was that the group that didn’t take any lycopene had an increased risk of osteoporosis.
When it comes to supplements there are a few very important things to look for. The most important thing is high quality since your health is probably a high priority and low quality may even harm people.
Finding a company that has been around over 3 years is important because 8 out 10 businesses fail within this time frame. Even if the product is really good it doesn’t matter if the company stops manufacturing it because you would have to go back to shopping, which in my opinion is not very fun.
Another thing to look for is pharmaceutical GMP compliance. The reason this is good to have is because it’s one of the highest manufacturing standards available and it improves the products quality.
One thing that is actually more important than GMP is a certificate of analyst. The reason is because a certificate of analyst or COA validates that the nutrients that you think you are getting actually come in the package.
Due to the supplement industry being unregulated it’s easier for companies to participate in fraud. There are many other things to look for in a supplement including what nutrients come in it as well as the dosage amount. To learn more click on “How to Choose a Good Supplement” which is a FREE eBook that I wrote.