Product No. 879 Fill Size: 60 softgels

Each softgel contains:
Lycomax® 5% 200 mg.Standardized Lycopene 10 mg.
Bioperine® (95% piperidine) 5 mg.
Other ingredients: gelatin, glycerine, purified water, annato, vegetable oil.
®Lycomax is a registered trademark of Carotech, Inc.
®Bioperine is a registered trademark of of Sabinsa Corp.

Suggested Use: Two softgels daily.

As an antioxidant, lycopene may detoxify some harmful compounds that can damage DNA and may lead to cancer. In an analysis of 72 studies on the relationship of lycopene levels to the incidence of cancer, 57 reported an inverse association between blood lycopene level and the risk of cancer at a defined anatomic site. Evidence of reduced risk was strongest in the prostate, lung and stomach. Data also suggest a lower risk in the pancreas, colon, rectum, esophagus, oral cavity, breast and cervix.⁽³⁾

Prostate: Lycopene is the most abundant carotenoid in the prostate.⁽⁴⁾ In a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Cancer Association in April, 1999, thirty-three men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and scheduled to undergo surgical removal of the prostate were randomly assigned to take either two 15 mg. lycopene capsules or a placebo for 30 consecutive days prior to surgery. After the surgery, doctors found that cancerous tissue had spread less in the lycopene users and some tumors actually showed signs of regression and decreased malignancy.⁽³⁾

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, a general measure of tumor activity, had also fallen 20% in the lycopene group, while levels in the placebo group were unchanged. In a study conducted by Harvard researchers on the relationship of carotenoids to the risk of prostate cancer, only lycopene was clearly linked to reduced risk.⁽³⁾ In a cell culture study, lycopene combined with vitamin E inhibited the growth of prostate carcinoma cells.⁽⁵⁾

Digestive Tract: Several studies indicate protective effects of lycopene in the digestive tract. A Japanese study showed low lycopene levels in patients with gastric cancer. In an Italian study, high lycopene intake was consistently associated with reduced risk of all types of cancer, but particularly in the stomach, colon and rectum.^(2,3) A study of Iranian men at risk for developing esophageal cancer found a significant 40% risk reduction in subjects who ate lycopene rich foods at least once a week.⁽²⁾

Pancreas: In 1999 a British study showed patients with chronic pancreatitis to have multiple antioxidant deficiencies, including lycopene. Studies as far back as 1989 link low serum lycopene to increased risk for pancreatic and bladder cancers. A Johns Hopkins study published in 1991 showed a strong association between low lycopene levels and pancreatic cancer and a lesser association with cancers of the bladder and rectum.⁽³⁾

Breast: In cell culture studies, lycopene was far more effective than alpha or beta carotene for inhibiting proliferation of breast cancer cells.⁽⁶⁾ In animal studies, lycopene suppressed and delayed tumors in mice genetically susceptible to developing breast tumors.⁽⁷⁾ Rats injected with lycopene developed fewer and smaller carcinogen-induced tumors than those not given the injections.⁽⁸⁾

Cervix: In an early study assessing the relationship of carotenoids to cervical cancer, only lycopene was associated with reduced risk.⁽⁹⁾ Another study examined levels of different antioxidants in plasma and cervical tissues obtained from 87 women (27 cancerous, 33 pre-cancerous and 27 non-cancerous). Women with cancer had low levels of lycopene, other carotenoids and vitamins A and E.⁽¹⁰⁾ In yet another study involving 147 cervical cancer patients and 191 non-cancerous subjects, only lycopene was found to be significantly lower in cancer patients.⁽¹¹⁾

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that lycopene is an important factor in maintaining a healthy heart. As an antioxidant it helps to prevent or reverse oxidative damage. Increased low density lipoprotein (LDL), is associated with greater risk of atherosclerosis and oxidative damage to LDL plays an important role in the origin of coronary heart disease. Antioxidants in general slow down the progression of atherosclerosis because they can inhibit LDL oxidation. A Canadian study showed that, although lycopene does not lower cholesterol levels, it significantly lowers levels of oxidized LDL. In another study, lymphocyte DNA damage decreased significantly after only 21 days of lycopene consumption.⁽³⁾

Research has shown that lycopene reduces serum lipid peroxidation and LDL oxidation with no adverse effects. Cholesterol-lowering drugs, on the other hand, have been found to deplete lycopene and other valuable antioxidants. Both cholestyramine (Questran) and probucol (Lorelco) decreased serum lycopene by 30%. Both drugs also reduced beta-carotene and vitamin E levels.⁽³⁾

Like other carotenoids, lycopene has to be released from the food matrix, solubilized in the gut in the presence of fat and conjugated with bile acids, before it can be absorbed by humans.⁽²⁾

Unlike many other nutrients that are destroyed during food processing, lycopene is more readily available from processed tomato products such as tomato paste than from fresh tomatoes. Since lycopene is a fat soluble nutrient, fat must also be present.^(2,3) To increase bioavailability, Lycopene X-Tra™ uses standardized extract of tomato in a softgel capsule with vegetable oil as the carrier. Bioperine®, an extract of piperacea, is also added. Bioperine® has been shown to increase absorption of certain nutrients, including carotenoids.

WARNING: This publication and the product contained herein have not been approved or evaluated by the Federal Drug Administration. This publication, and the product contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The product relates to nutritional support only.