Molecules: Lycopene: Think I can only fight prostate cancer?

Lycopene is a cyclic linear carotenoid.
Unlike beta carotene, it will not be converted into vitamin A in the body
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Lycopene is a heat-stable carotenoid, cooking will not damage it; on the contrary, heating can make them more easily absorbed by the body
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Many studies have shown that a large intake of tomatoes can reduce the incidence of cancer
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Given that tomato is one of the most consumed vegetables in the world, these results are very important
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Several studies have shown that lycopene seems to have a preventive effect on prostate cancer
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In addition to antioxidant effects, lycopene can also inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis, and reduce the metastatic potential of prostate cancer cells
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This article focuses on analyzing the possible effects of lycopene on different aspects and steps of tumorigenesis and progression
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1.
Antioxidant properties of lycopene

The antioxidant properties of lycopene may be the reason for its anti-cancer and prevention of various chronic diseases
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Lycopene can regulate the effects of lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, antioxidant response element (ARE) and Nrf2 (nuclear factor E2-related factor 2), cytochrome P450 expression, inhibit iNOS and COX-2 expression, and down-regulate NF -kB regulation and so on
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2.
Anti-cancer properties of lycopene

Oxidative stress is one of the key factors associated with increased cancer risk, and the antioxidant properties of lycopene can effectively "purify" a series of free radicals
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We can also observe the ability of lycopene to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in different types of cancer cells
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Lycopene can cause a decrease in the level of cyclin D1 in cancer cells, and a corresponding increase in p53 and p21 proteins
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Lycopene and other carotenoids regulate the expression and/or phosphorylation of proteins such as Bcl-2, Bad, Bid and Bax, thereby inducing cell apoptosis
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There is increasing evidence that lycopene can regulate IGF-1, leading to a decrease in the growth of cancer cell lines and reducing IGF-1-stimulated cell growth in endometrial cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer
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Cancer cells exhibit abnormalities in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway
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In different tumor cell lines, dose-dependent lycopene treatment can reduce the intracellular levels of total cholesterol and reduce HMG-CoA (hydroxymethyl gluconyl-isoenzyme A)
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Prostate cancer ranks second in cancer-related mortality in the United States
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There is a large amount of epidemiological evidence showing the inverse relationship between consumption of fan and derivative edible products and susceptibility to prostate cancer
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Lycopene can act as an anticancer agent by preventing cell proliferation and/or apoptosis induction, and this beneficial effect on other organs is still being studied
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Current studies have found that several gene mutations are associated with the development of prostate cancer, and these mutations control cell differentiation and growth
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In chronic inflammatory processes, such as bacterial infection of the prostate or prostatitis, it may be related to the production of ROS
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This can cause oxidative DNA damage through genetic mutations
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Studies have also shown that the increase in ROS in prostate cancer cells is related to androgens
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Another study using proteomics (iTRAQ) analyzed the protein expression in prostate epithelial cells after lycopene treatment
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Lycopene enhances the production of protective enzymes in the second stage, and the proteins involved in the formation of ROS are reduced
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This indicates that lycopene can minimize the formation of ROS and reduce oxidative stress
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Random clinical trials have also shown that lycopene can reduce PSA levels and affect prostate cell proliferation in patients with prostate hyperplasia or cancer
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4.
Clinical case studies

There are still few reports on lycopene and/or tomato and related randomized clinical trials; the Kumar team conducted a second phase of randomized clinical trials to evaluate the safety and treatment effects of clinically diagnosed prostate cancer patients
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The results indicate that in addition to the antioxidant properties of lycopene, some steroid hormone-based mechanisms may also be involved
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The Van Breemen team reported the results of a randomized controlled clinical trial that did not reveal the effect of lycopene on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or the incidence of prostate cancer
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Compared with the control group, patients taking lycopene had very high lycopene concentrations in plasma and prostate tissue
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However, no significant differences were found in molecular markers of oxidative stress
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The Magbanua soft team conducted a randomized clinical trial on men with a lower risk of prostate cancer to evaluate gene expression and biological pathways after supplementation with lycopene, fish oil or placebo
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The results indicate that these micronutrients regulate candidate pathways in vivo
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For example, androgen and estrogen metabolism, Nrf2 and its mediated stress are all regulated by these micronutrients
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Benon’s team conducted a ProDiet randomized controlled trial on men at risk of prostate cancer to evaluate the effects of lycopene and green tea
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They suggested that the possibility of lycopene lowering acetone levels may be related to a lower risk of prostate cancer
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In 3 randomized controlled clinical trials, 154 patients with prostate intraepithelial neoplasia or benign prostatic hyperplasia were evaluated for the role of lycopene in the prevention of prostate cancer
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The results showed a decrease in the incidence of prostate cancer, although there was no statistical difference from the control group
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A meta-analysis studied the effect of tomato-based product intake on reducing the risk of prostate cancer
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This study evaluated 21 studies that involved the daily intake of one or more tomatoes, tomato derivatives, or lycopene supplements
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The results of the study showed that their cancer risk was reduced to a certain extent (11%), and their tomato intake was limited to a high level
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A review reported that tomato intake or lycopene plasma levels were negatively correlated with cancer risk at specific anatomical sites
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There is no research report that shows that high tomato intake or high plasma lycopene levels increase the risk of cancer
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According to reports, lycopene has a stronger positive effect on prostate cancer, lung cancer and gastric cancer
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In addition, data shows that lycopene has a protective effect on pancreatic cancer , colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer
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5 Conclusion

At present, a large number of epidemiological studies have reported the beneficial effects of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids in reducing cancer-related risks
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Although there is a large amount of evidence that lycopene has antioxidant effects and related anti-tumor effects, the biological activities, potential molecular mechanisms and metabolism of carotenoids and lycopene are not yet clear
.

The saint said, "Going to cure the disease
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" We encourage increased consumption of healthy tomatoes and other products, which are delicious, beneficial and harmless
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And tomato has long become the “emperor” of the world’s garden.
It is on the “best vegetables” list.
It is also one of the main foods of the Mediterranean diet , which is known for its health .