Lycopene Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common disease in aging males. The carotenoid lycopene has recently been a focus of studies due to its antioxidant action, playing an important role in the mechanism that protects the body from the harmful effects of free radicals, with potential anti-cancer properties.

Studies investigating the relationship between lycopene and PCa risk have produced inconsistent results. This study aims to determine dietary lycopene intake / circulating concentration and any possible dose-response associations with PCa risk.

Twenty-six studies were included, with 17,517 PCa cases reported among 563,299 participants. Although an inverse association between lycopene intake and PCa risk was not found in all studies, there was a trend indicating that with HIGHER LYCOPENE INTAKE, there was a REDUCED INCIDENCE OF PCa (P = 0.078).

Furthermore, our dose-response meta-analysis demonstrated that higher lycopene intake was linearly associated with a reduced PCa risk, with a threshold between 9 and 21 mg/day. Consistently, higher circulating lycopene levels significantly reduced PCa risk.

Watermelon has a considerable lycopene content, surpassing that of tomatoes, which are considered one of the most important sources of this carotenoid.

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