Lycopene
Other ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Red carotenoid pigment with potent antioxidant properties, especially for prostate health.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Lycopene is an other most often used for prostate health, antioxidant, cardiovascular health. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate. A typical adult dose is 10-30 mg daily, commonly taken as tomato oleoresin extract (lycored). This profile indexes 17 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: prostate health, antioxidant, cardiovascular health. 17 sources indexed (1989–2025), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Most efficient singlet oxygen quencher among carotenoids (2x stronger than beta-carotene). Accumulates in prostate, skin, and adrenal tissue. Inhibits androgen receptor signaling in prostate.15,14
Dosing & protocol.
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Tomato Oleoresin Lycopene.
Assumes 10-30 mg/day. Vendor basis: NOW/iHerb, Vitacost, Life Extension, and Amazon marketplace; LycoRed-style branded material increases premium pricing. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Cooked tomato products with fat improve lycopene availability.
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Very well tolerated
- Orange skin tint at high doses
Contraindications
- Generally very safe
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
12- 1Influence of Lycopene Intake on Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)PMIDGłąbska D, Guzek D, Jílková A et al. · Nutrients · 2025
Głąbska D, Guzek D, Jílková A et al.. Influence of Lycopene Intake on Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Nutrients. 2025
- 2Association of Lycopene and Male Reproductive Health: Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPMIDViña I, Viña JR · International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
Viña I, Viña JR. Association of Lycopene and Male Reproductive Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International journal of molecular sciences. 2025
- 3The effect of tomato and lycopene on clinical characteristics and molecular markers of UV-induced skin deterioration: A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention trialsPMIDLiang Z et al. · Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition · 2023
Tomato/lycopene interventions significantly reduced skin damage markers and increased minimal erythema dose, skin thickness and density.
- 4The Effects of Lycopene and Tomato Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adults: A Grade Assessment Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.PMIDZamani M, Behmanesh Nia F, Ghaedi K, Mohammadpour S, Amirani N, Goudarzi K et al. · Current Pharmaceutical Design · 2023
Lycopene and tomato consumption significantly improved multiple cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress markers.
- 5Efficacy of lycopene for management of oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDAl-Maweri SA, Halboub E, Al-Qadhi G et al. · Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology · 2023
Al-Maweri SA, Halboub E, Al-Qadhi G et al.. Efficacy of lycopene for management of oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology. 2023
- 6The effect of lycopene supplement from different sources on prostate specific antigen (PSA): A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPMIDMirahmadi M et al. · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · 2022
Meta-analysis of RCTs examined lycopene supplementation effects on PSA levels as a prostate health biomarker.
- 7Effect of Dietary and Supplemental Lycopene on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.PMIDTierney AC, Rumble CE, Billings LM, George ES · Advances in Nutrition · 2020
Lycopene supplementation significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, with potential cardiovascular protective effects.
- 8The Role of Circulating Lycopene in Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation: A Systematic Review of the LiteraturePMIDvan Steenwijk HP, Bast A, de Boer A · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020
van Steenwijk HP, Bast A, de Boer A. The Role of Circulating Lycopene in Low-Grade Chronic Inflammation: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2020
- 9Efficacy of lycopene in management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis- A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDGupta N, Kalaskar A, Kalaskar R · Journal of oral biology and craniofacial research · 2020
Gupta N, Kalaskar A, Kalaskar R. Efficacy of lycopene in management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis- A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of oral biology and craniofacial research. 2020
- 10Increased dietary and circulating lycopene are associated with reduced prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDRowles JL et al. · Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases · 2017
In 42 studies (692,012 participants), both dietary intake and circulating lycopene were significantly inversely associated with prostate cancer risk (1% decrease per additional 2 mg consumed).
- 11Lycopene and risk of prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysisSource linkedPMIDChen P, Zhang W, Wang X et al. · Medicine · 2015
- 12Lycopene for the prevention and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer: a systematic reviewSource linkedPMIDIlic D, Misso M · Maturitas · 2012
Randomized controlled trials
1- 13Molecular evidence that oral supplementation with lycopene or lutein protects human skin against ultraviolet radiation: results from a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover studyPMIDGroten K et al. · British Journal of Dermatology · 2017
Lycopene-rich tomato nutrient complex completely inhibited UV-induced upregulation of genes associated with oxidative stress and photoageing.
Reviews & position papers
1- 14Lycopene as a Natural Antioxidant Used to Prevent Human Health DisordersPMIDImran M et al. · Antioxidants · 2020
Lycopene is efficient in ameliorating cancer, diabetes, cardiac complications, oxidative stress-mediated malfunctions, inflammatory events, and skin disorders.
Mechanistic & preclinical
1- 15Lycopene as the most efficient biological carotenoid singlet oxygen quencherPMIDDi Mascio P et al. · Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics · 1989
Lycopene has the highest singlet oxygen quenching rate constant (kq = 31 x 10^9 M-1 s-1), more than twice that of beta-carotene (kq = 14 x 10^9).
Reference material
2- 16Wylenzek F, Bühling KJ, Laakmann E. A systematic review on the impact of nutrition and possible supplementation on the deficiency of vitamin complexes, iron, omega-3-fatty acids, and lycopene in relation to increased morbidity in women after menopause. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics. 2024Source linkedPMID
- 17Li N, Wu X, Zhuang W et al.. Tomato and lycopene and multiple health outcomes: Umbrella review. Food chemistry. 2021Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Lycopene, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Lycopene?
Red carotenoid pigment with potent antioxidant properties, especially for prostate health.
What is Lycopene used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Lycopene include: Prostate health; Antioxidant; Cardiovascular health; Skin UV protection. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as moderate.
What is a typical dose of Lycopene?
A typical adult dose of Lycopene is 10-30 mg daily. The commonly recommended form is Tomato oleoresin extract (LycoRed). These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Lycopene?
Reported side effects include very well tolerated, orange skin tint at high doses. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Lycopene?
NutriStack rates this as Moderate, meaning several aligned RCTs or one large RCT plus supporting reviews. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Lycopene in NutriStack.
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