Lycopene May Improve Arterial Health Better Than Statin Drug

Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant found in many red fruits and vegetables. It is the compound that makes both tomatoes and watermelon red. Lycopene is most widely known for its link to reduced risk of prostate cancer and its potential heart benefits. However, recent research has found benefits to the skin from consuming lycopene and other carotenoids (see the June 2008 article on lycopene and May 2007 article on lutein and zeaxanthin). New research in June 26 issue of the journal Nutrition has found that lycopene may protect the arteries from the build-up of arterial plaques as effectively as a statin drug.

The new study, conducted on rabbits, compared the effects of lycopene and the statin drug fluvastatin, also known as Lescol or Canef.¹ In the study researchers separated 40 adult male rabbits into 5 equal treatment groups. The groups were fed either a standard diet (control group), a high-fat diet, a high-fat diet plus 4 mg of lycopene per kg of body weight, a high-fat diet plus 12 mg of lycopene per kg of body weight, and a high-fat diet plus 10 mg of fluvastatin per kg of body weight for eight weeks.

The researchers found that the rabbits receiving the high-fat diet had higher levels of total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, total triglycerides, oxidized LDL cholesterol, malonaldehyde (a marker of lipid oxidation), and interleukin-1 (a marker of inflammation) than animals fed the standard diet. The rabbits on the high-fat diet also had lower total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide levels than the animals fed the standard diet. However the rabbits that received either the lycopene or the fluvastatin faired better than those that received the high-fat diet only. The rabbits that were given the lycopene, at either level, faired better than the fluvastatin group.

Both the lycopene and fluvastatin lowered the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, but only the lycopene reduced the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol is oxidized it forms arterial plaques, which can ultimately lead to atheroscerosis and heart disease. The researchers stated that "the data showed that lycopene in the used dose was better than the fluvastatin intervention. Morphologic analysis revealed that lycopene and fluvastatin markedly reduced the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta compared with the situation in rabbits on a high-fat diet alone."

The researchers used relatively large doses of lycopene in the study because rabbits reportedly do not absorb lycopene very effective. These doses correspond to levels that humans may achieve with intake of only 0.3 mg per kg of body weight, or about 22 mg per day in a 165-pound (75 kg) person.

Lycopene is tightly bound to the fiber in fruit and vegetables, making it difficult for the body to extract from raw fruits and vegetables. Unlike other nutrients the level of available lycopene increases with cooking. For instance tomatoes are rich in lycopene, but is largely unavailable in raw tomatoes, while cooked tomatoes and tomato products are rich in lycopene. Lycopene is, however, available in raw watermelon. Lycopene is also fat-soluble, which means that fat (such as olive oil) must be present with the cooked tomatoes for the body to be able to absorb the lycopene from the tomatoes. That is why our lycopene supplement is a softgel in a base of soy and corn oil.

1. Hu, M. Y., Y. L. Li, et al. (2008). "Comparison of lycopene and fluvastatin effects on atherosclerosis induced by a high-fat diet in rabbits." Nutrition.