Lycopene is a carotenoid component found in high concentrations in tomato cells. Other foods that contain lycopene include pink grapefruit. Lycopene is a photosynthetic accessory pigment and its chemical structure gives foods that contain it a reddish colour. A number of isomers of lycopene exist ranging from orange cis forms to red trans forms. Lycopene is unusual in that unlike many other phytochemicals it is highly stable during heating. This means that cooked and processed food retains much of their lycopene content. The tomato paste contained in processed foods such as pizza are rich in lycopene and this suggests that diets that contain foods with high amounts of tomatoes in them, even if this food is processed, may also be high in lycopene. The health effects of lycopene relate to its ability to act as an antioxidant, and regular consumption may reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. In terms of the former, in particular lycopene appears to be protective of the development of prostate cancer.
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