Lycopene

Dozens of studies have examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancers, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. ¹ The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that half of one's plates should be fruits and vegetables, and to consume a variety of different types. There are numerous compounds in fruits and vegetables that could individually or synergistically contribute to improvements in human health, of which carotenoids are one. Carotenoids are a class of plant pigments that contribute to the coloring of many fruits and vegetables. For example, lycopene (Figure 3.1) imparts the red color found in tomatoes. ² Lycopene is one of nearly 700 carotenoids reported in nature, though only 40–50 carotenoids are commonly found in the human diet, ³ with fewer detectable in human blood plasma. ⁴ Carotenoids are derived from isoprene assembled head to tail, and often contain a series of conjugated double bonds, imparting yellow, orange, and red colors (though there are also some colorless carotenoids). ⁵ Figure 3.1 Structures of all-<italic>trans</italic>-lycopene and various <italic>cis</italic>-isomers. https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-u.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780429195594/08eb594f-785f-432d-9eda-d80a71bad36b/content/fig3_1.jpg"/>