Heart/Beauty/Longevity

Lycopene

Tomato carotenoid that may modestly support blood pressure and skin UV resilience in adults with low tomato intake.

Lycopene

Tomato carotenoid that may modestly support blood pressure and skin UV resilience in adults with low tomato intake.

score

evidence

Safe

risk

Proven Benefits

01Reduces UV-induced skin redness

02Lowers systolic blood pressure

03May improve endothelial function

04May reduce oxidized LDL

05May modestly lower PSA

06May lower C-reactive protein

07May improve fasting glucose

Chemical Forms

Recommended

Lycopene (tomato oleoresin)
Oil-based lycopene softgels
Standardized tomato extract with lycopene

Avoid

Dry lycopene powders without oil (lower absorption)
Unstandardized tomato antioxidant blends (unclear lycopene dose)

Expert Note

Lycopene is fat-soluble, so oil-based softgels and tomato oleoresin generally absorb better than dry powders. Heat-processed tomato extracts also contain more bioavailable cis-isomers than raw tomato material, making them more reliable for raising blood lycopene levels.

Protocol

Amount

10-20 mg

Frequency

Once daily

When

With a meal containing fat; oil-based softgels absorb better than taking dry capsules on an empty stomach.

Condition-Based Dosing

General adult use with low tomato intake

10 mg daily— Often sufficient when the goal is nutritional coverage rather than a targeted effect.

Adults using it for skin or blood pressure support

15-20 mg daily for 8-12 weeks— Most measurable effects in trials required continuous intake and co-ingestion with fat.

Safety & Limits

Upper Safe Limit

No official UL established; 30 mg/day has been commonly used in human studies without major safety signals.

Cycling

Safe for continuous use

Contraindications

Tomato allergy — avoid tomato-derived lycopene products

Pregnancy or breastfeeding — food sources are safe, but high-dose supplements should be clinician-guided

Synergies

Omega-3

Taking lycopene with an oil-containing meal or alongside omega-3 can improve micelle formation and absorption of this fat-soluble carotenoid.

Avoid Combining With

✕Orlistat or other fat blockers (reduce carotenoid absorption)
✕Bile acid sequestrants like cholestyramine (can reduce absorption)
✕Very low-fat meals (lower absorption noticeably)

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