Lee Swanson Research Update

Lycopene Inhibits Progression of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia

January 2008

Lycopene, a bright red carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and other red fruits, may be beneficial against benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), according to researchers at the University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition in Stuttgart, Germany. Forty people took part in the study. Researchers, led by Silke Schwarz, recruited the men with BPH but no signs of prostate cancer, and randomly assigned them to receive either daily lycopene supplements (15 mg) or placebo for six months. At the end of the six-month intervention period, Schwarz and co-workers reported that levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate health, were reduced in the lycopene group, showing improvements in health of the tissue. No changes were recorded in the placebo group. Moreover, no enlargement of the prostate occurred in the lycopene group, whereas growth was observed in the placebo group, as assessed by digital rectal examination and trans-rectal ultrasonography. "Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater affect in men taking lycopene supplements," wrote the researchers. "In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH."

Journal of Nutrition 138:49-53, 2008

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