Lycopene leader in fresh produce

Don’t Wait!
There’s no need to wait for more research to know that eating fruits and vegetables with lycopene, including watermelon, is a good thing to do. It’s already known that fruits and vegetables provide a whole host of nutrients recommended under established dietary guidelines. It’s important to get nutrients from a balance of foods, including fruits and vegetables, as often as possible.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation, American Cancer Institute, ACIR Report indicates people who eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day have half the risk of developing cancer as those who only eat one or two servings per day. That’s a very good reason to eat your fruit and vegetables!

For more information on the lycopene content of other produce items link to the USDA Carotenoid database.

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Watermelon is the Lycopene Leader in fresh produce, having higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes – a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains and average of 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg.

Preliminary research with processed tomatoes and tomato products shows that lycopene may provide a preventative effect against certain types of cancer, including esophageal and prostate, as well as against heart disease and stroke.

Quite often, when people do think of lycopene, they think of tomatoes, when in fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes – a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg.

While lycopene continues to be at the center of much research, there is not yet enough evidence to warrant a recommended daily intake.