Can Tomatoes Help You Live Longer? The Answer May Surprise You – mindbodygreen.com

When it comes to food, lycopene is potent in a number of red- and pink-hued fruits and vegetables. Dietitian Leslie Bonci, MPH, R.D., LDN, loves incorporating lycopene into her diet through tomatoes and tomato products, as well as pink grapefruits, blood oranges, papaya, pink guava, red carrots, and red peppers. When asked for her recommendations, Cording added persimmons and red cabbage to the list.

In addition to dietary sources, lycopene can be found in certain supplements, by itself or in multi-ingredient formulas (sometimes even in premium multivitamins). As nutrition scientist Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, previously shared with mbg, "Lycopene is an eager scavenger of free radicals, an action that has global significance in the body, across multiple organ systems, every day. And in mbg's multi, our lycopene is extracted naturally and with care from red tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum)."*

If you're ready to tackle the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties it offers, the multifaceted health benefits of lycopene are compelling enough to incorporate it into your daily supplementation routine.*

While Cording says there's no official recommendation (like we have for carb, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals) on the amount of lycopene a person should consume in a day, she notes that "current studies have shown benefits from about eight to 21 milligrams per day."Ferira adds, "Just like with any nutrient or phytonutrient, the dosing for lycopene is specific to the health area studied. But it's definitely playing in the 5-plus milligram range."*

Cording also warns that people who are taking calcium supplements should be aware that a concentrated dose of this macromineral (e.g., 500 milligrams) may decrease the absorption and bioavailability of lycopene when taken around the same time.

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Can Tomatoes Help You Live Longer? The Answer May Surprise You - mindbodygreen.com