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Better Red than Dead

Written By Summerside Chiropractic Clinic on December 19, 2016

Ahh Lycopene! I remember you from my Biochemistry days! Turns out Lycopene can save lives. It seems like every time I go to a nutrition seminar or read about something new they start with a word like lycopene. Going through all the biochemical flow charts of how it decreases free radical production blah blah blah then at the end of the day your left with... now wait for the earth shattering news... eat your vegetables.
Lycopene is in tomatoes,watermelon, marinara sauce, grapefruit, guava. It's in stuff that's red, primarily tomatoes. Turns out the best way to eat them is chopped and cooked lightly in a little olive oil. I look for the type that are in glass jars or I chop up vine ripened tomatoes because I'm not keen on the liner of cans combined with acidic tomatoes.
Now the data! This was a study done in Finland in Jounal Neurology. They looked at the levels of various carotenoids in men between 42 and 61 and followed them for 12 years. Men with the highest levels of lycopene were 55%-59% less likely to suffer from a stroke! Other antioxidants may be great for preventing other diseases but for stroke prevention it appears that lycopene is the one to target.
Dr. D


Posted In: Wellness Nutrition