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September 2003
Lycopene Is Best Absorbed From Juice
Lycopene has received much attention over the past year since new studies indicate that it may have such health benefits as reducing the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease.
This powerful antioxidant can be found in red fruits and vegetables, but did you know that lycopene is better absorbed in the body when it is consumed in processed products, such as juice, rather than fresh tomatoes?
There are several vegetable juices to choose from, but some brands may contain more lycopene than others.
"The amount of lycopene in a tomato is determined by its color," says Yukio Ishiguro, PhD, Director of "5 A Day" Association-Japan and a leading agriculture technologist of tomato processing. "The brighter red the tomato, the more lycopene it will contain."
Most tomato juices contain approximately 20 milligrams of lycopene per serving, but a new line of juices by Kagome of Japan contains 23 to 25 milligrams of lycopene. Kagome's True Garden Vegetable and Sweet Summer Tomato Juice are part of the "5 A Day" for Better Health program, America's largest nutrition education initiative.
Kagome's juices can be found in health food stores, or visit / for more information.