Lycopene is used in the Men’s Formula of the CardioTrim health supplement line.

Lycopene is similar to beta-carotene and is responsible for giving tomatoes their red color. Lycopene concentrations actually increase during cooking, so stewed tomatoes and sauces have higher bioavailable levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

More than 80% of the lycopene consumed in the U.S. comes from tomato sauce, ketchup and pizza. Fruits and vegetables that are high in lycopene include watermelon, pink grapefruit and papaya.

Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxidant and seems to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and may also help prevent heart disease by reducing the damage of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Higher consumption rates of foods high in lycopene is associated with lower rates of prostate cancer.

In a study involving patients suffering from prostate cancer, lycopene supplements were shown to slow tumor growth and in some cases actually reverse the growth and shrink the tumor.