May 13, 2008 – Lycopene, an antioxidant in tomato, may help treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, German researchers believe.
The preliminary trial, which lasted six months, was conducted on 40 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Subjects took either a 15 mg lycopene supplement per day or a placebo.
The prostate volume of patients in the placebo group would have continued to increase, unlike that of subjects in the lycopene group, the researchers report. The lycopene dosage used during this test corresponds to the consumption of approximately 50 ml per day of tomato paste.
Half of men in their 60s suffer from benign prostatic hyperplasia. This proportion rises to about 90% among those aged 85.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Schwarz S, Obermûller-Jevic UC, et al. Lycopen inhibits disease progression in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia. J Nutr. 2008 Jan; 138 (1): 49-53.
