I thought Serena Williams "unleashing" her skills and strength on the court might help me set the theme of this health discussion about this readily available cancer fighting nutrient…..
Lycopene, the 30 second, scientific bla-bla-bla
Lycopene is what is called a "carotenoid", that is, a pigment that gives many foods such as tomato their bright colors. It is sometimes called an antioxidant, but in essence, that only means the nutrient has "antioxidant properties", as far as attacking so called "free radicals" in the body.
Carotenoids are broken down by the body, often during the process of absorption into the bloodstream from the small intestine. They make their way to specific tissues and organs where they have been shown to protect against the type of oxygen damage that can harm your DNA.
Of the many health benefits of this process, much attention is now being focused on Lycopene as a Breast and Ovarian Cancer fighting nutrient (and to a certain degree, a fighter of other cancers specific to females, such as cervical cancer)
Trust your instincts, not Scientific Studies…..
…because this is one of the few times where my research on scientific studies left me in limbo (which rarely happens for me)
Why? Studies seemed to focus only on tomato, or on women already with cancer, many studies being led and controlled by organizations such as The American Cancer Society, who are in no way gonna prove unequivocally that natural cures will prevent cancer, and thus put themselves out of business.
…also, no studies exist integrating Lycopene intake with other wellness foods and lifestyle choices as an integrated strategy for holistic, natural cancer prevention.
Trust your logic, not the logic of Money Driven Medicine
…because their logic has the average American thinking Cancer is a "mystery plague", impossible to decipher, the only solution being to funnel money through them, and think they are the only hope of a cure (as opposed to the divinely inspired instincts and knowlege we have within ourselves already)
Here is some simple logic for you. Japanese women living in Japan are well documented in having VERY low rates of these cancers, relative to American women, that is, until they come to live in the USA and adopt our diet and lifestyle, and their cancer risks parallel American women within one generation. Read more here.
Would not this simple logic tell us this has to be a diet/lifestyle issue of USA living, not a genetic, or racial, or other mystery issue?…….
The "Big Girls" of Lycopene
Gac Fruit (a.k.a., Fak Khaao)
Tomato
Rosehip herb,
Pitanga
(although I have not found Pitanga available in the USA)
For the other lesser players, i.e. watermelon, papaya (an overall VERY healthy fruit), grapefruit, guava (guava might be hard to find in USA), and so on, it wouldn't hurt for daily smoothie drinkers to consistently consume these fruits by dicing them up, throwing in the freezer, and adding them to daily smoothies (health and great taste all in one!!!)
More on Gac in a second, what's up with Tomato?
The tomato has been known for a while as the "Lycopene Champion" in the West. Most scientific study and testing pertaining to Lycopene is based upon the nutrient in the tomato.
Much evidence is starting to "trickle" out of science that eating large amounts tomatoes helps reduce the risk of breast, ovarian, and others forms of cancer specific to females (although it obviously must be combined with other nutrients, and healthy lifestyle choices).
How much Tomato would one need?
…is the question I'm sure someone is going to write to me and ask. My research shows that recommended amounts vary. It seems you need tomato every day. Also it is shown that cooked tomato (as in pasta sauce) activates more of the Lycopene nutrient than raw tomato.
However, I can't see myself eating enough pasta sauce in a given week to take advantage of Lycopene. That's why Gac powder in my smoothies, which has 70 times more Lycopene than tomato , is a more practical approach for me, since I drink smoothies daily. I eat lot of tomato in my salads, but just cause I enjoy it.
Rosehip, the Ultimate Lycopene Herb
I personally have not got into Rosehip, but for people wrapped up into their herbs and/or trying to actively influence breast cancer risk, one might want look into rosehip for daily intake. Consistency is key!!!
The good thing is that it can be consumed in a variety of ways, in tea, via extracts, or my favorite way to consume any great nutrient, in powdered form in my daily smoothies, the rosehip powder can easily be found on Amazon
Gac, the Queen of the Lycopene Hill
Gac is "second to none" in Lycopene!!! The weird looking plant is native to Southeast Asia, but most importantly is available in the USA now, in powdered form for smoothie lovers, and can be had on Amazon , I have recently been ordering Gac straight from the Royal Tropics Website).
The Gac (a.k.a., Fak Khaao) plant has many amazing properties. I have been using the dried powder in my smoothies for two years now. It resolved the problem of how to get enough Lycopene into my daily regiment, I just add it to my smoothies.
I wrote a full article on Gac [as relates to prostate health], that article can be found here.
More Lycopene Power
(based upon testing on humans or animals)
Antioxidant properties
fights Atherosclerosis (clogged arteries)
fights high cholesterol
fights breast and ovarian cancer (the focus of this article)
fights cancer in general
cervical cancer prevention
Coronary Artery disease Prevention
Eye disorders (such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts)
Gastrointestinal tract and colorectal cancer prevention
fights gingivitis
fights high blood pressure
helps address male infertility
kidney health
lung cancer prevention
prostate cancer prevention
immune system stimulation
helps with lung function after exercise
Lycopene and Green Tea, Nature's Dynamic Duo
….because several studies exist that show that when lycopene is consumed consistently (as in daily) with green tea, the anti-cancer effects are increased dramatically
I wrote a full article on that subject that article can be found here
I'm not a fan of supplements
…which is different from, as and example, a whole food dried, in capsule form. A supplement is nutrient extracted from food or man made version of a nutrient.
But studies show, especially with the tomato, Lycopene benefits of the tomato work in conjunction with the entire vegetable, as opposed to a separate isolated nutrient extracted from a plant. Makes sense, I always say, go with whole food sources of nutrients before supplements, whenever possible.
The Gac powder I use is a good example of although it is a dried powder and can be taken in capsule form, IT IS NOT A SUPPLEMENT, but the full fruit dried into a powder. I doubt if I will ever take a Lycopene Supplement Pill, especially since I can purchase Gac powder in the USA
Lycopene helped me "Heal Thyself"
…after I got what I self diagnosed as an "inflamed prostate" caused [I think] by and abnormal reaction the male testosterone booster Tongkat.
To heal myself, I took in a ton of "Prostate Friendly" Superfoods, one of which was the Heavyweight Champion Gac, and I was totally healed in a few weeks, and even got propelled to a new level of vitality, with morning erections and so forth.
It wasn't just the Lycopene I'm sure, but I'm convinced Lycopene was one of the nutrients that saved me from a prostate health catastrophe.
Read more on how I healed my [assumed] prostate ailment here
No silver bullet, but part of a "Dream Team"……
I'm not trying to say that a few cherry tomatoes in your salad will prevent cancer.
I'm saying Lycopene is one of several major nutrients that is slowly being recognized as a cancer fighter (others being Vitamin D, and Gamma Tocopherol [vitamin E], Omega 3 [vs. Omega 6] fatty acids, and other nutrients found in Breast Cancer Fighting Superfoods)
The more of these nutrients you get into your diet, the more you can take control of your cancer risk, as I am sure for many, your instincts have been telling you.
references and reading to start your own research
Lycopene rich papaya was only food to stop breast cancer in Mexican scientific study
Association between Lycopene and Ovarian Cancer in premenopausal women
Lycopene inhibition of cell cycle progression in breast and endometrial cancer cells
~stay healthy~
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