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Limited evidenceHeart & metabolic

Lycopene

The carotenoid behind the tomato-and-prostate story, where the intervention trials have been consistently negative. There is a small, dose-dependent blood-pressure signal, but eating tomatoes beats buying an extract.

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What the science says

  • Prostate cancer Limited evidence

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials found lycopene supplementation did not significantly affect PSA in men with non-metastatic prostate cancer. Observational dose-response meta-analyses do show lower prostate cancer risk with higher tomato and lycopene intake, but every attempt to reproduce that with a supplement has failed — this is the classic pattern of a food effect being misattributed to a single molecule.

  • Blood pressure Limited evidence

    A network meta-analysis of tomato, lycopene and related products found blood-pressure reductions concentrated in trials using higher doses (roughly above 12-25 mg/day) and in participants with elevated baseline BP, with systolic reductions of a few mmHg. An earlier meta-analysis of intervention trials reached a similar conclusion: an effect only in hypertensive subgroups at higher doses, and nothing in normotensive people.

  • Lipids and cardiovascular risk Limited evidence

    Effects on LDL, HDL and triglycerides are small and inconsistent across trials; a 2026 meta-analysis of tomato and tomato-derived products on cardiometabolic health found modest and heterogeneous benefits that were hard to attribute to lycopene specifically rather than to the whole food matrix.

  • Skin photoprotection Limited evidence

    Small trials of tomato paste or lycopene supplementation report a modest increase in minimal erythema dose (roughly equivalent to SPF 1-2 after 10-12 weeks). This is real but trivially small and is not a substitute for sunscreen.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseTrials have used 5-30 mg/day, most commonly 15-25 mg/day for 8-12 weeks; blood pressure effects appear only at the higher end. Lycopene is fat-soluble and far more bioavailable from cooked, processed tomato products than from raw tomatoes — heat and oil convert it to the better-absorbed cis isomers, so tomato paste, sauce or juice with olive oil is a more effective delivery vehicle than a raw tomato and arguably than a capsule. Two tablespoons of tomato paste supply roughly 15-20 mg.
SafetyVery safe at dietary and supplemental doses; the main effect of chronic high intake is lycopenodermia, a harmless orange discoloration of the skin that resolves on stopping. Mild GI upset can occur. Lycopene has mild antiplatelet and blood-pressure-lowering activity, so combine cautiously with antihypertensives and anticoagulants and stop before surgery. High-dose supplements in pregnancy are not recommended — one trial of lycopene supplementation in pregnancy reported higher rates of preterm birth and low birth weight — though dietary tomato intake is fine. As with beta-carotene, isolated high-dose carotenoid supplementation has a poor historical track record in cancer prevention trials, so there is no reason to exceed dietary-equivalent doses.

How to take it

TimingTiming does not matter.
With food?With a meal containing fat — lycopene is fat-soluble and barely absorbed without it.
Worth knowingTwo tablespoons of tomato paste with olive oil supply 15-20 mg in the better-absorbed cis form, which beats a raw tomato and arguably a capsule.

Interactions

With medications

  • blood-pressure medication

    Lycopene lowers blood pressure slightly at higher doses, which can be additive. monitor blood pressure when starting

  • warfarin and antiplatelet drugs

    Mild antiplatelet activity adds to bleeding risk. mention it to your doctor and stop before surgery

With other supplements

  • beta-carotene and other carotenoids

    Carotenoids compete for the same absorption pathway, so high doses of one lower the others. do not take high-dose isolated carotenoids together

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does lycopene help prevent prostate cancer?

Not as a supplement: randomised trials found lycopene did not significantly affect PSA in men with prostate cancer, so the evidence is limited. Lower prostate cancer risk with tomato intake is observational and has not been reproduced with lycopene supplements.

Does lycopene lower blood pressure?

Only a little, and the evidence is limited: lycopene's blood-pressure reductions of a few mmHg appeared at higher doses and in people with elevated blood pressure, with nothing in normotensive people.

Is tomato paste better than a lycopene supplement?

Arguably yes: cooked tomato products with oil deliver lycopene in the better-absorbed form, and two tablespoons of tomato paste supply roughly 15-20 mg. Lycopene is fat-soluble, so take it with a meal containing fat.

Is lycopene safe in pregnancy?

High-dose lycopene supplements are not recommended in pregnancy — one trial reported higher rates of preterm birth and low birth weight — though dietary tomatoes are fine. Chronic high lycopene intake can also cause harmless orange skin discoloration.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Swanson Vitamins, Lyc-O-Mato® Lycopene, 20 mg, 60 Softgels

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