Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxidant and is related to beta-carotene. It is a red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelon and grapefruit that gives the red color to these fruits. Eating food rich in lycopene helps you reduce the risk of many health problems. It is recommended to eat lot of fruits and vegetables as they high nutritional value and contain less of calories.
Lycopene in your food protects you from many health problems. It reduces the risk of macular degeneration and some forms of cancers. Studies show that intake of food rich in lycopene reduces the risk of prostate and breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. There are evidence that show that intake of lycopene reduced the risk of cancers of pancreas, colon and rectum, oral cavity, breast and cervix.
It also prevents osteoporosis. The good news is that it reduces the severity of allergy symptoms. Therefore it is a must to include food rich in lycopene in your diet.
There are different sources of taking lycopene to prevent you from different diseases. Tomato is a rich source of lycopene. The red color in the tomato is due to the presence of lycopene in it
Cooked tomatoes are richer in lycopene than raw tomatoes. Eating tomatoes in the cooked form such as tomato soup, salsa, pasta sauce or pizza is beneficial. It is easier to absorb lycopene from cooked or processed tomatoes. Moreover a small amount of fat is needed to absorb lycopene. As such olive oil in spaghetti sauce or cheese on pizza enhances the nutritional benefits of lycopene. You can also drink tomato juice. It is low in calories and also has plenty of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Pink grapefruit like tomato gives lycopene and is low in calorie. Again as tomato it is a source of vitamin A and C. But when you take grapefruit juice you should be careful of the added sugar in the juice.
The fruit and vegetables are good source of antioxidants as they prevent you from diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. They contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. It is healthy to drink juices, but it is always healthier to take raw fruits rather than their juices as juices add extra calories. It is also true that all juices are not healthy to drink. There are juices available that contain added color to it with more of sugar than the real juice. Too much intake of sugar is harmful for the body. It can cause diabetes that again invites a number of diseases. So whenever you choose to have juices read carefully and go for the real fruit juice. Another point to keep in mind is that juices do not contain fiber like the raw fruit. So make sure that when you take juices you should also take fruits and vegetables.
Find more information visit:
Foods you should buy 
