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Lycopene Concentrate Supplementation Decreases Plasma Values for C‐Reactive Protein and Oxidized LDL
Author(s) -
DiSilvestro Robert A,
Joseph Elizabeth,
DiSilvestro Daniel
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.638.13
Subject(s) - lycopene , placebo , selenium , inflammation , antioxidant , medicine , chemistry , endocrinology , biochemistry , pathology , alternative medicine , organic chemistry
Various lines of indirect evidence suggest that lycopene can exert anti‐inflammatory effects relevant to problems such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a beneficial influence for lycopene supplementation on measures relevant to inflammation remain largely lacking. In the present study, a lycopene rich extract from tomato (20 mg lycopene/day in Lyc‐O‐Mato® tomato lycopene complex), or placebo, was given to healthy middle aged men for 6 weeks (N = 10 per group). Subjects did not have to follow a low lycopene diet, but a preliminary screening eliminated people with a history of frequent tomato product intake. In the lycopene group, plasma c‐reactive protein concentrations, which rise with CVD‐relevant inflammation, showed a mean decrease of almost 30% (p < 0.05, 2‐tailed paired t‐test). Placebo gave no statistically significant effect. Lycopene also produced a mean decrease of 5.1% in plasma oxidized LDL values, an atherosclerosis‐related measure that can be increased by inflammation (p < 0.05, 2‐tailed paired t‐test). Although this percent decrease was not tremendously large, longer intervention periods and/or combination with other natural products may heighten the effect. Again, placebo was ineffective. Neither of the lycopene effects was boosted by adding supplementation with zinc arginate (15 mg zinc/day) + selenium (200 μg selenium/day) in another group of subjects. These mineral supplements did improve zinc and selenium functional status based on two measures for each mineral. In summary, in a small study, supplementation with a tomato extract‐lycopene by itself produced changes in two cardiovascular disease‐relevant measures related to inflammation.