Lycopene is a substance, is proved influencing tumor cells of a human body. The main dietary source of lycopene are tomatoes. From tomatoes of people receives up to 80% of the general consumption of lycopene.
Lycopene, being natural organic pigment, contains in tomatoes. Exactly thanks to lycopene tomatoes have the red color.
In spite of the fact that lycopene isn't synthesized in a human body, and comes to it only with food, it is vital to the person.
Lycopene - the strongest antioxidant. Slowing down oxidation processes organic connections, lycopene prevents development of atherosclerosis and also provides protection of DNA.
Moreover, lycopene is capable to influence development of tumor cells. It is established that the consumption of lycopene is closer to the recommended standard daily rate (5 – 10 mg/days), the risk of development of some types of cancer and first of all – a prostate cancer is less.
Amazing effect of tomatoes is that circumstance that at heat treatment the concentration of lycopene in them increases.
And if the usual state in kilogram of tomatoes contains from 5 to 50 mg of lycopene (concentration is correlated depending on intensity of red coloring of fruits), then even simple scalding of tomatoes boiled water leads let to insignificant, but nevertheless to increase in its contents, and deeper heat treatment in the form of evaporation, frying losses and drying increases concentration of lycopene many times:
- in tomato ketchup up to 140 mg/kg,
- in tomato paste up to 1500 mg/kg,
but the highest concentration of lycopene in the dried tomatoes.
Here such amazing effect – at heat treatment anticarcinogenic effect of tomatoes amplifies!