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THE FOOD-PROSTATE CONNECTION: LYCOPENE AND THE PIZZA PIE

The carotenoids are plant chemicals responsible for some of the nice colors of produce, such as pink grapefruits, orange apricots, and yellow squash. Hundreds of these carotenoids have been identified. It seems that as soon as a study is published concerning the benefits of one of these plant chemicals, the media turn it into a star. Vitamin companies jump on the bandwagon and make pills containing this particular carotenoid. All the others are temporarily forgotten until a new study is published touting the benefits of the latest carotenoid.

In 1996 and 1997, there was a lot of press about lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes. This was based on the results of a study indicating that intake of this carotenoid reduced the risk of prostate cancer. Some newspaper or magazine articles have even touted eating more pizza as a way to get additional lycopene and reduce prostate cancer risk. What about the white bread crust, the oil, and all that high-fat cheese? Sometimes reporters and writers simplify things and don't see the overall picture. It's very likely that a number of compounds within vegetables and fruits influence the prostate gland, and focusing on lycopene, at the expense of a complete approach, would be counterproductive.

Should you take lycopene pills? I don't recommend at this time that anyone go out of his way to take this supplement unless he happens to shun tomato products. Americans and Italians normally consume tomatoes, or foods and products containing tomatoes, in greater proportion to other vegetables. I'm concerned that adding high-dose lycopene pills may disturb the balance of other carotenoids and flavonoids in the body. However, if an already available herbal prostate product already includes small amounts of lycopene, I think it's fine to take these pills.

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