Origin: Supplements and food like autumn olive, gac, tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, pink guava, papaya, seabuckthorn, wolfberry (goji, a berry relative of tomato), and rosehip.
Also Known As: ψ,ψ-Carotene
Overview: Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant, meaning that among nutrients, it has a greater-than-average ability to quench free radicals that cause damage to cells. Excessive free radical damage has been implicated in the development of heart disease as well as many cancers. Lycopene is a carotenoid, responsible for giving many fruits and vegetables – especially tomatoes – their red color.
It is also abundant in red carrots, watermelons, papayas and pink grapefruit. Lycopene is predominantly used for preventing heart disease, cancer of the prostate, breast, lung, bladder, ovaries, colon infection as well as asthma.
Common Dosage: Up to 120 mg daily