One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some time, according to PubMed Health. The disorder usually arises either in the ducts of the breast or in the glandular tissue, called the lobules. Abnormal cells form that begin to grow out of control, eventually spreading within the breast and sometimes traveling to other parts of the body via the blood or lymph systems. Lycopene is a natural compound that may help prevent breast cancer. Consult your doctor to determine if taking lycopene is appropriate for you.
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase your risk for breast cancer. These include having a family history of the disorder or carrying one of two defective genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2. Other recognized risk factors include being over age 50, having experienced your first period before age 12 or entering menopause after age 55, drinking alcohol to excess, being obese or never having had a child. Certain medical treatments may also increase your risk; these include having used estrogen for hormone replacement or having taken diethylstilbestrol, or DES, to prevent miscarriage.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a natural pigment that belongs to a class of compounds called carotenoids, which are part of many red or orange fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is an especially powerful antioxidant that protects plants from oxygen and light. When you ingest lycopene-containing food or a lycopene supplement, the compound protects your body from free radicals, by-products of metabolism that may injure your cells. Lycopene may help prevent cancer by protecting your cells from DNA damage caused by oxidation and other chemical changes.
Evidence
Some scientific evidence suggests that lycopene may help prevent breast cancer. In an epidemiological study published in 2008 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," more than 84,000 postmenopausal women were followed for about seven years, while documenting their incidence of breast cancer and their intake of lycopene-rich food and lycopene supplements. The authors concluded that consuming lycopene was associated with a noticeably reduced incidence of breast cancer. Direct clinical trials with lycopene are still needed, but these indirect conclusions are promising.
Sources and Recommendations
A number of foods are natural sources of lycopene. The richest source is tomatoes and tomato products, although watermelon, pink grapefruit and apricots also contain lycopene. Lycopene is available as a supplement from most health food stores, as capsules or tablets. The usual dose is 30 mg daily. Lycopene is generally considered safe and has no known interactions with medications, although consuming alcohol regularly may lessen its effectiveness. Discuss lycopene with your doctor before adding it to your regimen.
References
- PubMed Health; Breast Cancer; Dec. 28, 2010
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Lycopene
- MedlinePlus: Lycopene
- "Alternative Medicine Review"; Lycopene; 2003
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Selected Antioxidants and Risk of Hormone Receptor-Defined Invasive Breast Cancers...; Y. Cui et al.; April 2008
