Lycopene is Linked to Healthier Blood Vessels
Lee Swanson Research Update
Higher levels of lycopene in the blood are associated with less stiffness in the arteries, according to a new study supporting the heart-health benefits of the carotenoid.
Women with the highest levels of lycopene also had the lowest levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol. The study included 264 women and was published in the journal Atherosclerosis.
Oxidation of LDL is thought to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Increasing LDL's resistance to oxidation is thought to possibly delay the progression of the disease.
"Our finding suggests that serum concentrations of lycopene may play an important role in the early stage of atherosclerosis," wrote the researchers, led by Jong Ho Lee from the Department of Food and Nutrition at Yonsei University in South Korea.
"In addition, a reduced oxidative modification of LDL such as low oxidized LDL concentration and large LDL particle size may be one of the mechanisms by which lycopene could reduce arterial stiffness and the risk of CVD," they added.
The Korean researchers recruited women between the ages of 31 and 75 and took blood samples in order to measure their blood levels of lycopene, as well as other carotenoids. Arterial stiffness was measured using brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).
According to their results, women with the highest average lycopene blood levels (more than 0.0431 millimoles per liter) had the lowest baPWV values, compared to people with the lowest average lycopene blood levels (less than 0.0342 mmol/L). Furthermore, these women also had lower oxidized LDL levels, as well as larger LDL particles.
Levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were also lower in the women with the highest lycopene levels.
"This result is in line with previous reports that lycopene showed superior antioxidant capability or trend of a decreased atherosclerotic risk compared with other antioxidants such as beta-carotene both in vitro and in humans," said the researchers.
Atherosclerosis Published online ahead of print.