What Is Lycopene & What Foods Can I Find It In?

Lycopene is a very potent antioxidant produced by plants that have several health benefits.

The unique thing about lycopene is that it becomes more bioavailable and therefore better for you to eat when it has been processed, but also if it's ingested together with beta-carotene.

It’s a non-provitamin A carotenoid. Non-provitamin A carotenoids mean that it does not exhibit Vitamin A activity, like many other carotenoids.

Lycopene is bright red and therefore found in fruits and vegetables that are red, except strawberries and cherries.

Lycopene A Potent Antioxidant

Lycopene is a non-provitamin A carotenoid. It is one of the most potent antioxidants among dietary carotenoids. (source ◳) A non-provitamin A carotenoid means that lycopene can't be transformed in the body into vitamin A. As many other carotenoids can.

Heat Your Tomatoes

Lycopene is found in high amounts in tomatoes. Even processed tomato products, such as juice, ketchup, paste, sauce, and soup, all are even better dietary sources of lycopene. (source ◳)

Processing raw tomatoes using heat transforms natural lycopene into a form that is easier to utilize by the human body. (source ◳)

Lycopene In Foods

Lycopene is giving red to pink colors in some vegetables and foods. (source ◳)

The bioavailability of lycopene is significantly higher when it is ingested together with beta-carotene than when ingested alone. (source ◳)

Foods You Can Find Lycopene In

You find Lycopene mostly in vegetables, sauces and gravys, and spices and herbs.

Examples of food sources include

• Tomato Powder
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Red Tomatoes
• Tomato Paste
• Tomato Puree
• Tomato Sauce
• Tomato Soup With Rice

Foods That Contain Lycopene In Our Nutrition Tool

You can find regularly updated top ranked lists of foods for over 200+ nutrients in our nutrition tool.

If you are interested in what foods contain the most Lycopene we recommend you visit our tool.

Here's our top ranked list of foods that contain Lycopene.