Top 10 Foods Highest in Lycopene
Lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant measured in food (1) and is thought to play a role in preventing cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. (2,3,4,5,6,7) Further, lycopene is good for healthy skin. (8)
Lycopene is a carotenoid that gives many fruits and vegetables their red color. Eating lycopene in excess amounts can cause the skin and liver to have a yellow color. (9)
There are no known symptoms of a lycopene deficiency and no daily value (DV) for lycopene.
High lycopene foods include guavas, cooked tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, papaya, sweet red peppers, persimmon, asparagus, red cabbage, and mangos.
-
1. Guavas
Lycopene
per CupLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories8587mcg 5204mcg 15306mcg -
2. Tomato
Lycopene
per Cup CookedLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories7298mcg 3041mcg 33789mcg More Tomato Products High in Lycopene
- 18984mcg in a 1/4 cup of tomato paste
- 16784mcg in 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
- 1433mcg in 1 cup of minestrone soup
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3. Watermelon
Lycopene
per CupLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories6979mcg 4532mcg 30213mcg -
4. Grapefruit
Lycopene
1 Cup SectionsLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories3264mcg 1419mcg 6757mcg -
5. Papaya
Lycopene
per CupLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories2651mcg 1828mcg 8502mcg Mamey Sapote provides 384mcg per cup. -
6. Red Bell Peppers
Lycopene
per Cup CookedLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories513mcg 484mcg 728mcg -
7. Persimmon
Lycopene
per FruitLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories267mcg 159mcg 454mcg -
8. Asparagus
Lycopene
per Cup CookedLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories54mcg 30mcg 273mcg -
9. Red Cabbage
Lycopene
per Cup ChoppedLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories18mcg 20mcg 129mcg -
10. Mangos
Lycopene
per CupLycopene
per 100gLycopene
per 200 Calories5mcg 3mcg 10mcg
Printable One Page Sheet
High Lycopene Foods by Nutrient Density
Food | Serving | Lycopene |
---|---|---|
1. Sun-Dried Tomatoes | 100 grams | 45902mcg |
2. Pasta Sauce | 100 grams | 12717mcg |
3. Ketchup | 100 grams | 12062mcg |
4. Rose Hips | 100 grams | 6800mcg |
5. Canned Minestrone | 100 grams | 5963mcg |
6. Guavas | 100 grams | 5204mcg |
7. Manhattan Clam Chowder | 100 grams | 5112mcg |
8. Watermelon | 100 grams | 4532mcg |
9. Tomato | 100 grams | 3041mcg |
10. Papaya | 100 grams | 1828mcg |
From the Nutrient Ranking Tool
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- Foods High in Lycopene
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- Vegetarian Foods High in Lycopene
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View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
Related
Data Sources and References
- Di Mascio P, Devasagayam TP, Kaiser S, Sies H. Lycopene as the most efficient biological carotenoid singlet oxygen quencher Biochem Soc Trans. 1990 Dec;18(6):1054-6. doi: 10.1042/bst0181054. 2088803
- Schuurman AG, Goldbohm RA, Brants HA, van den Brandt PA. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer Cancer Causes Control. 2002 Aug;13(6):573-82. doi: 10.1023/a:1016332208339. 12195647
- Stahl W, Sies H. Lycopene: antioxidant and biological effects and its bioavailability in the human Arch Biochem Biophys. 1996 Dec 1;336(1):1-9. doi: 10.1006/abbi.1996.0525. 8951028
- Kiokias S, Gordon MH. Bioavailability and in vivo antioxidant properties of lycopene from tomato products and their possible role in the prevention of cancer Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;57(9):1135-40. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601655. 12947433
- La Vecchia C. Tomatoes and risk of digestive-tract cancers Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1998 Jun;218(2):125-8. doi: 10.3181/00379727-218-44276. 9605210
- Kirsh VA, Mayne ST, Peters U, Chatterjee N, Leitzmann MF, Dixon LB, Urban DA, Crawford ED, Hayes RB. Dietary lycopene, tomato-based food products and cardiovascular disease in women Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006 Jan;15(1):92-8. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-05-0563. 16434593
- Cardinault N, Abalain JH, Sairafi B, Coudray C, Grolier P, Rambeau M, Carré JL, Mazur A, Rock E. Serum antioxidants and age-related macular degeneration in a population-based case-control study Clin Chim Acta. 2005 Jul 1;357(1):34-42. doi: 10.1016/j.cccn.2005.01.030. 15963792
- Tarshish E, Hermoni K, Sharoni Y, Muizzuddin N. Beauty from within: Improvement of skin health and appearance with Lycomato a tomato-derived oral supplement J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022 Sep;21(9):4042-4052. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14724. Epub 2022 Jan 12. 35020247
- Palleschi GM, Knoepfel BR, Lotti T. Carotenoderma due to lycopenemia: A case report and evaluation of lycopene deposition in the skin Int J Dermatol. 1992 Jan;31(1):50-1. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-4362.1992.tb03521.x. 1737690
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