Lycopene
Also known as: tomato extract, Lyc-O-Mato, tomato oleoresin, Lycored, redivivo
Lycopene is the red carotenoid that gives tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit their color. Unlike beta-carotene it has no vitamin A activity, so it is used purely as an antioxidant. Pooled trials of lycopene supplementation report a modest reduction in systolic blood pressure, and it is common in heart, prostate, and skin formulas. Commercial lycopene comes from tomato oleoresin or fermentation and is fat-soluble.
Research summary
Lipophilic carotenoid that quenches singlet oxygen and accumulates in plasma lipoproteins, prostate, and skin.
Dosage
Daily amounts, of compound.
| Lowest studied | Typical range | Highest studied | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 10–30 mg | — | — |
Intervention trials pooled in cardiovascular meta-analyses generally used tens of milligrams per day; 10–30 mg daily is the range in most products. Fat-soluble; absorption is higher from oil-based forms taken with food. Serum lycopene rises over weeks.
Standardization: assayed as lycopene (tomato oleoresin 6–15%; beadlets 5–10%)
Source material: tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) oleoresin or Blakeslea trispora fermentation
As supplied: Supplied as 5–15% oleoresin or beadlets; raw material mass is 7–20x the lycopene dose depending on grade.
Format suitability
- Capsule
- Powder
- Tablet
- Softgel
- Gummy
- Liquid
Oil-based; softgel is most common. Beadlet grades allow capsules, tablets, and gummies. Red color and oxidation sensitivity require light and oxygen protection.
Formulation notes
Absorption competes with other carotenoids at high doses; otherwise formulation-friendly.
Sources
Related ingredients
Vitamin E (d-Alpha-Tocopheryl Succinate)
VitaminThe succinate ester of natural (RRR or d-) alpha-tocopherol, the one vitamin E form the body maintains in plasma and the form on which the RDA is based.
Typical: 67–268 mg
Grape Seed Extract
BotanicalGrape seed extract is a concentrated polyphenol fraction prepared from the seeds left over after winemaking or juice pressing.
Typical: 150–300 mg
Pine Bark Extract (95% OPC)
BotanicalPine bark extract is a polyphenol-rich extract of French maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) bark, standardized to oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs).
Typical: 50–200 mg
Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols)
VitaminA natural oil concentrate containing all four tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) in roughly the proportions found in vegetable oils, usually with gamma-tocopherol dominant.
Typical: 100–400 mg
Pomegranate Extract
BotanicalAn extract of pomegranate fruit or peel standardized to punicalagins or ellagic acid, the polyphenols responsible for its antioxidant reputation, used in heart, antioxidant, and exercise-recovery formulas.
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