Introduction
Lycopene is a secondary herbal remedies that belongs to the class of carotenoids and is also known under the names lycopene or leucopin. Health-conscious people in particular have certainly heard of these terms several times. Secondary herbal remedies are ingredients of plants, which on the one hand do not yield calories, and on the other hand do not belong to vitamins, minerals or dietary fiber.
Meanwhile, around 100,000 secondary herbal remedies are suspected, although only a small part of it is scientifically researched. In the human food thereby 5000 - 10,000 such substances occur. Lycopene is one of them.
The discovery and importance of lycopene
.The discoverer of the secondary herbal remedies is the French physician and botanist Pierre-Marie Alexis Millardet, who discovered lycopene in 1876 as a red pigment in tomatoes. The name for the secondary herbal remedies was given by the Latin name of the tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. The herbal remedies is synthesized exclusively by plants, microorganisms and fungi. It plays an important role in photosynthesis by absorbing light with other carotenoids. Furthermore, chlorophyll molecules are protected by lycopene from oxidation damage by oxygen or light.
During the ripening of fruits and vegetables, these molecules are degraded and the remaining carotenoids including lycopene become visible through their bright colors in fruits, such as watermelons, strawberries or tomatoes, but also in flowers.
Carotenoids as a precursor to vitamin A
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Carotenoids are among the secondary herbal remedies that are converted into vitamin A by the human body. The carotenoids are thus the precursor of vitamin A. They play an important role in immune defense and protect against infectious diseases. After the visual pigment in the eye has vitamin A as a component, carotenoids, especially also lycopene, serve to maintain vision.
Among the carotenoids, lycopene is also called food additive E160d.
Further carotenoids are besides lycopene also the following:
- Astaxanthin
- β-carotene
- Canthaxanthin
- capsanthin
- capsorubin
- cryptoxanthin
- lutein
- luteoxanthin
- zeaxanthin
Both animals and humans must meet the need for provitamin A through food. Carnivores take vitamin A mainly in the form of retinol or retinyl esters. Herbivores, on the other hand, must use certain carotenoids as precursors, from which vitamin A is produced by the body. The herbal remedies β-carotene has the greatest activity of about 50 carotenoids whose provitamin A activity has been studied.
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occurrence of lycopene
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In natural form, the secondary herbal remedies lycopene occurs in various fruits and vegetables. In particular, the tomato contains a lot of lycopene, which also provides the beautiful red color and has given the herbal remedies the nickname tomato dye. The herbal remedies is because of this also like to use as food coloring, especially in sauces and soups.
The highest content of lycopene, however, has the predominantly in Vietnam processed Gac fruit, also called baby jackfruit. Fruits and vegetables containing this herbal remedies are usually considered to be particularly resistant to heat. Thus, it can also be cooked at higher temperatures.
Other fruits and vegetables that contain much of the secondary herbal remedies are:
- Grapefruits and other citrus fruits .
- Watermelons
- rose hips
- Peaches
- Pumpkins
- Mangoes
- berries
Tomato paste also contains a very high concentration of lycopene, with 62 milligrams per 100 grams. The riper the fruit is at harvest, the more lycopene it contains.
The effect of lycopene
.The versatile effect of the secondary herbal remedies lycopene is developed only in conjunction with fat. The positive effect of the herbal remedies on health mainly includes the strengthening of the immune system through the stimulating effect of growth as well as activities of certain immune cells. In addition to a cell-protective effect, the herbal remedies also has antioxidant properties, which is said to be particularly useful in protecting the heart, eyes and prostate. Lycopene also protects the skin from harmful UV rays and thus prevents the aging process.
Together with the substances alpha-carotene and beta-carotene lycopene act as highly potent antioxidants, which strengthen the body's defenses, capture as well as destroy free radicals and thus can protect against various diseases. In particular, a positive effect of the herbal remedies is suspected in Rheumatic condition.
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Tips for diet and intake
.Fat and oil improves the absorption of lycopene in the intestine. So it is good if you eat foods containing lycopene together with oil. Various salads with healthy cold-pressed oils are well suited for this purpose. Especially rapeseed or wheat germ oil proves beneficial, because it has a high vitamin E content compared to other oils.
But the absorption of lycopene can also be inhibited by certain ingredients of food. These include dietary fiber, pectins in fruits or high doses of beta-carotene. Also a high phystosterol content, such as found in margarine, has a negative effect on the absorption capacity of lycopene.
In addition to the obligatory oil, the absorption of the herbal remedies is also dependent on bile salts and the ph value in the stomach. A disturbed balance can result here in a huge impairment in the absorption.
If you have a tendency to kidney stones, you should not eat too many tomatoes because of the oxalic acid contained. Nevertheless, to ensure an adequate supply of the secondary herbal remedies, it is available in the form of supplements.
Lycopene as a dietary supplement
.As a dietary supplement for lycopene, the product from Euro Nutrador is recommended. This is available with 90 or in the large package with 180 pieces, with which one gets along a long time. As consumption recommendation is one tablet per day with sufficient liquid after a meal. The product must be stored in a cool, dry place and out of reach of small children. It should also be noted that dietary supplements do not replace a balanced and varied diet.
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Summary
Lycopene is a secondary herbal remedies belonging to the group of carotenoids. Tomatoes in particular are rich in lycopene. It is also that vegetable in which the herbal remedies was first discovered. In the human organism, lycopene serves as a radical scavenger and as a protection of the cells against oxidative stress. In medicine, the herbal remedies are used for various diseases and also for preventive purposes. It inhibits inflammation and protects blood vessels. Lycopene also has a positive effect on the skin and delays aging processes. A combination with antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E with lycopene increases the effect of the herbal remedies. After fat also improves absorption, it should be taken with meals. As a dietary supplement for lycopene is the supplement from Euro Nutrador excellent.
Lycopene is a secondary herbal remedy, which belongs to the class of carotenoids and is also known under the names lycopene or leucopin. Especially health-conscious have certainly heard of these terms several times.
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Conclusion
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