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Lycopene

Other ·Moderate evidence ·Reviewed May 2026

Red carotenoid pigment with potent antioxidant properties, especially for prostate health.

Evidence tier
Moderate
Indexed sources
17 1989–2025
Interactions
8
Cost / month
$2.40 budget
Read the sources → Compare profiles
What it's good for
  • Prostate health6,10
  • Antioxidant14
  • Cardiovascular health4,7
  • Skin UV protection3,13
What to watch for
  • Very well tolerated
  • Orange skin tint at high doses
  • Generally very safe

The bottom line

Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: prostate health, antioxidant, cardiovascular health. 17 sources indexed (1989–2025), with 8 interaction records on file.

The science

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

Class
Carotenoid
Found in food
Tomatoes (cooked), Watermelon, Pink grapefruit
Low-status signs
Not essential
Absorption
Fat-soluble; take with food
Dosing

Dosing & protocol.

Common range
10-30 mg daily
Recommended form
Tomato oleoresin extract (LycoRed)

Take with fat; cooking increases bioavailability3,6

Dosing protocol

Maintain · 10-30 mg/day with fat

Cooked tomato (sauce, paste) bioavailability exceeds raw tomato. Fat-soluble.3

No cycling requiredNo tolerance buildup
Forms

Forms & what to buy.

Ranked by evidence and value.

Tomato Oleoresin Lycopene Recommended
Rank 1: food-matrix oil form with cis-isomer content. Head-to-head bioavailability or pharmacokinetic evidence supports this ranking (PMID: 12424334). Take with fat-containing meals.
Premium10-30 mg/day
Synthetic All-Trans Lycopene
Rank 2: purified single-isomer form. Cis-isomer conversion and matrix affect exposure.
Mid10-30 mg/day
Beadlet or Powder Lycopene
Rank 3: dry delivery form. Absorption depends on emulsifiers and meal fat.
Mid10-30 mg/day
Cost

What it actually costs.

Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Tomato Oleoresin Lycopene.

BudgetBest value
$2.40 /mo
$0.08 per dose
Mid
$5.40 /mo
$0.18 per dose
Premium
$12.00 /mo
$0.40 per dose

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.

From food

The same dose, as food.

How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.

10-30 mg lycopene
About 1/2 cup tomato paste, 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 cups watermelon, 1 pink grapefruit, or 1 cup guava can supply the lower-to-middle range.

Cooked tomato products with fat improve lycopene availability.

Goals

Goal-based dosing.

Heart & Cardiovascular

Dose: 10-30 mg daily4,7

Timing: With a fat-containing meal

Clinical dose evidence: PMID 32652029.

Lab work

Markers to track.

What to test, the optimal window inside the conventional range, and how long a response takes.

Plasma Lycopene Lycopene

Lycopene (10 to 30 mg per day, especially from cooked tomato products with fat) raises plasma lycopene and may modestly lower SBP and LDL.3,4

Optimal
0.5–1 micromol/L
Conventional
0.1–1 micromol/L
Responds in
Plasma rises within 4 to 8 weeks.

Cooked tomato (sauce, paste) bioavailability exceeds raw tomato. Pair with hsCRP if cardiovascular focus.

LDL Cholesterol
Why people use it

Symptoms it's matched to.

Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.

Prostate enlargement / BPH

62% relevance

Lycopene is an antioxidant carotenoid concentrated in prostate tissue and has been associated with slower symptom progression in some observational and small-trial data.6,10

HormoneEmerging evidenceTomato-derived lycopene softgels taken with a fatty meal

Take with dietary fat for absorption; any benefit is gradual, not immediate.

Photoaging / sun damage

62% relevance

Dietary lycopene accumulates in skin and modestly raises resistance to UV erythema, supporting photoprotection.3,7

AppearanceEmerging evidenceTomato-derived lycopene softgel or cooked tomato intake

A diet-plus-supplement strategy; not a standalone sunscreen.

Protocols

Featured in protocols.

Evidence-based stacks that include it, with the exact dose and timing each one uses.

Prostate Health Support Protocol

Hormonal BalanceOptionalEmerging evidenceBeginner$30-55/mo
Dose here
10 to 15 mg
Timing
With a fat-containing meal to improve absorption

Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant that concentrates in prostate tissue and may help neutralize oxidative stress linked to prostate aging. Observational data are encouraging but interventional evidence is limited, so benefits remain emerging rather than established.6,10

Safety

Full safety detail.

Side effects

  • Very well tolerated
  • Orange skin tint at high doses

Contraindications

  • Generally very safe
Interactions

Interaction records.

InfoSynergy

MCT Oil

MCT Oil provides a fat-containing carrier that can improve absorption of fat-soluble compounds like Lycopene.

Recommendation: Take Lycopene with MCT Oil or another fat-containing meal to improve absorption.

InfoSynergy

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed Oil provides a fat-containing carrier that can improve absorption of fat-soluble compounds like Lycopene.

Recommendation: Take Lycopene with Flaxseed Oil or another fat-containing meal to improve absorption.

InfoSynergy

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening Primrose Oil provides a fat-containing carrier that can improve absorption of fat-soluble compounds like Lycopene.

Recommendation: Take Lycopene with Evening Primrose Oil or another fat-containing meal to improve absorption.

InfoSynergy

Selenium

Lycopene and selenium have complementary antioxidant actions and have been studied together for prostate health and as antioxidant combinations.

Recommendation: Reasonable to combine for antioxidant and prostate support. Keep selenium within safe limits (do not exceed about 200 mcg daily) to avoid selenium toxicity.

InfoSynergy

Saw Palmetto

Lycopene and saw palmetto are frequently combined for prostate health, and combination trials suggest complementary benefit for benign prostatic symptoms.

Recommendation: Reasonable to combine for prostate and lower urinary tract support. Take with a meal to aid absorption of fat-soluble lycopene.

InfoSynergy

Vitamin E

Lycopene and vitamin E are lipid-soluble antioxidants that work together in cell membranes and lipoproteins, with vitamin E helping spare and protect lycopene.

Recommendation: Reasonable to combine for antioxidant support. Take both with a fat-containing meal to aid absorption.

InfoTiming Sensitive

Beta-Carotene

Taking beta-carotene and lycopene together in the same dose reduces the short-term absorption of each, because they compete for the same fat-based carrier micelles and the same transport proteins in the gut wall. Human studies that added a second carotenoid to a meal containing the first showed a measurable drop in the first carotenoid's appearance in blood-borne chylomicrons. Reassuringly, this is mainly an acute, single-meal effect: controlled trials lasting about 3 weeks found that combined intake did not meaningfully lower medium-term plasma levels of either carotenoid, so the practical impact is modest for most people.

Recommendation: No need to avoid combining these. If you specifically want to maximize absorption of each, you can separate higher-dose beta-carotene and lycopene supplements by taking them at different meals (for example one with breakfast and one with dinner), and always take each with a meal containing some dietary fat to support absorption. For general use, taking them together is fine because long-term blood levels are largely preserved.

ModerateCaution

Aspirin Low-Dose

Lycopene has antiplatelet activity in platelet studies, and an in vitro human platelet study directly evaluated lycopene with aspirin and found additive inhibition of platelet aggregation under test conditions. Direct clinical bleeding outcome data are lacking, but the combination is plausible enough to matter in people already at bleeding risk.

Recommendation: Use lycopene supplements cautiously with low-dose aspirin, especially if you also take anticoagulants, clopidogrel, NSAIDs, SSRIs/SNRIs, or have a history of ulcers or bleeding. Keep doses stable and report easy bruising, nosebleeds, black stools, or prolonged bleeding. Do not stop prescribed aspirin without clinician guidance.

Search all 8 interaction records for Lycopene →

Sources

Sources, by evidence tier.

Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.

Meta-analyses & systematic reviews

12

Randomized controlled trials

1

Reviews & position papers

1

Mechanistic & preclinical

1

Reference material

2
Keep exploring

Deep dives & adjacent profiles.

Goal hubHeart & Cardiovascular
Grape Seed ExtractHerbBeta-CaroteneOtherVitamin EVitaminVitamin CVitaminPine Bark ExtractHerbL-GlutathioneAmino Acid

This page is educational. Do not start, stop, or change a supplement or medication based on it without checking with a qualified healthcare professional.

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