What types of fruits and vegetables contain lycopene?
Tomatoes are the best source of lycopene, but it is also found in watermelons, pink grapefruit and pink guava. It’s what gives these fruits and vegetables their red or pink color. Tomato products such as tomato juice, ketchup and pizza sauce account for more than 80 percent of the typical lycopene intake.1 Strawberries are also a good source of lycopene. 4. What are the healthful benefits of lycopene? A landmark 1996 study by Harvard University found that the risk of prostate cancer in men who ate at least 10 servings of foods per week containing tomato sauce were reduced by a third compared with those who ate these foods less than twice a week, according to Milly Ryan-Harshman, Ph.D., a nutrition consultant and registered dietitian.2 The study tracked the health of nearly 48,000 men over six years. Other studies have shown that lycopene may also help in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease, cancers of the digestive tract and heart disease. Researchers have long known that diets high
