Eat Right with Color: Red for Lycopene

Green vegetables are good for our health, but so do the other colors of the fruits and vegetables. Different colors supply different phyto-nutrients for human body. The color RED makes your meals more attractive, and it also provides you with Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which helps to enhance our immunity system, and eliminate the free radicals that cause aging.

Lycopene also helps to prevent cancer. Harvard University’s research shows that when men eat at least 10 servings of tomatoes a week, the risk of getting prostate cancer will be lower by 34%; men who eat 2 servings of tomatoes each week, the risk will lower by 23% than men who just have 1 serving of tomato per month. Thus, it is concluded that lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The recommendation is to have tomatoes twice a week to prevent prostate cancer.

Since lycopene is stored in the cell of the plants, it can be released by shredding, masticating, or cooking the plant. That means you need to cook the tomatoes to get the lycopene. You can also find lycopene in red-orange fruits and vegetables, such as papaya, watermelon, strawberries and grapefruit.

Commercial tomato products such as tomato paste or sauce contain high sodium, people who has high blood pressure are suggested to choose the low-sodium products, or prepare the foods by yourself.

Interested in learning about weight goal and nutrition needs? Schedule a free body weight and fat% analysis with Hazel at 626-283-5128 or email to hazel@smarteater.net.