Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 1/26/11.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Smoking, obesity to blame for lag in U.S. lifespan - MSNBC/Associated Press, 1/25/11 - "The U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation yet has worse life expectancy than many — and a new report blames smoking and obesity ... That may sound surprising, considering that public smoking is being stamped out here while it's common in parts of Europe. And obesity is a growing problem around the world ... But the U.S. led those unhealthy trends, lighting up and fattening up a few decades ahead of other high-income countries. And the long-term consequences are life expectancy a few years shorter than parts of Europe and Japan"

Hot flushes are linked with a significant reduction in breast cancer risk, study finds - Science Daily, 1/25/11 - "Women who have experienced hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause may have a 50 percent lower risk of developing the most common forms of breast cancer than postmenopausal women who have never had such symptoms"

New dishware sanitizers prove more effective at killing harmful bacteria - Science Daily, 1/25/11 - "The two sanitizers -- one carrying the name brand PROSAN® and the other called neutral electrolyzed oxidizing water -- not only proved more effective, but they also contained fewer toxic chemicals ... Traditional sanitizers used by restaurants contain chemicals found in bleach, which can corrode dishware, damage the environment, and irritate or burn the skin ... Such sanitizers also lose their effectiveness with each additional washing cycle. This means that the killing agents within the sanitizers kill fewer amounts of harmful bacteria with each rinse ... E. coli outbreaks have been on the decline since 2002, but food is still the primary means for food borne illness transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 28 percent of food borne outbreaks between 1982 and 2002 originated from restaurants or other public food establishments" - Note:  Click here for their website.  It appears that it's only sold in a pouch that requires you to mix it with 8 gallons of water.

HEPA filters reduce cardiovascular health risks associated with air pollution, study finds - Science Daily, 1/12/11 - "portable HEPA filters reduced the average concentrations of fine particulates inside homes by 60% and woodsmoke by 75%, and their use was associated with improved endothelial function (a 9.4% increase in reactive hyperemia index) and decreased inflammation (a 32.6% decrease in C-reactive protein)"

When I first learned of Giffords’ slim chances and then learned of her miraculous recovery I wondered how they found a trauma surgeon that good in a small city like Tucson. Mystery solved:

• Gabrielle Giffords’ surgeon trained on the battlefield  - BostonHerald.com, 1/10/11 - “I was in the Navy 24 years, and I trained to do nothing but battlefield casualty care. When I did go to Afghanistan and Iraq, I wasn’t in a hospital. I was in very forward surgical units … with very little gear and people and personnel, very little resources, with wounds that are very different than civilian injuries”

Statins Lower Cardiovascular Risk Regardless of Baseline LDL : Abstract and Introduction - Medscape, 1/21/11 - "In the placebo-controlled trials, statin recipients had a 41-mg/dL greater decline in LDL-C and a significant 22% reduction in first major vascular events (2.8% vs. 3.6% annually). In the high-dose versus low-dose trials, high-dose patients had a 20-mg/dL greater decline in LDL-C and a significant 15% reduction in first major vascular events (4.5% vs. 5.3% annually). Relative risk reductions of about 20% per 40-mg/dL decline in LDL-C were seen in both placebo-controlled and high- versus low-dose trials for all prespecified patient subgroups, and at all baseline LDL-C levels (including <80 mg/dL)"

ADHD Now, Dementia Later? - WebMD, 1/20/11 - "Adults with symptoms of ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are more than three times as likely as other adults to develop a form of dementia later in life ... Our hypothesis is that ADHD could be the clinical result of the first step in these pathway disorders, and after a long time, this problem degenerates to a more severe pathology with structural changes in the brain, as Lewy Body Dementia is"

Does long-term cell phone use lead to brain tumors? - Science Daily, 1/19/11 - "Based on an analysis of pooled data from different studies, researchers write, "[L]ong-term cell phone usage can approximately double the risk of developing a glioma or acoustic neuroma in the more exposed brain hemisphere" -- that is, on the side where the user typically holds the phone to the ear. That conclusion is consistent even with data on the long-term cell phone users from the Interphone studies"

Antioxidants may improve chances of conceiving in male subfertility - Science Daily, 1/18/11 - "Compared to controls, a couple was more likely to have a pregnancy or live birth if the man took antioxidants"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Coffee consumption and reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: findings from the Singapore Chinese Health Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2011 Jan 22 - "High levels of coffee or caffeine consumption were associated with reduced risk of HCC (p for trend < 0.05). Compared with non-drinkers of coffee, individuals who consumed three or more cups of coffee per day experienced a statistically significant 44% reduction in risk of HCC (hazard ratio 0.56, 95% confidence interval, 0.31-1.00, p = .049) after adjustment for potential confounders and tea consumption"

Consumption of long-chain n-3 PUFA, α-linolenic acid and fish is associated with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease - Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan 24:1-8 - "The highest compared with the lowest quartile of fish consumption was associated with a reduced likelihood of CKD (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.48, 0.97; P for trend = 0.02). The present study shows that an increased dietary intake of long-chain n-3 PUFA and fish reduces the prevalence of CKD. Hence, a diet rich in n-3 PUFA and fish could have a role in maintaining healthy kidney function, in addition to roles of these nutrients in the prevention and modulation of other diseases" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Pioglitazone improves endothelial and adipose tissue dysfunction in pre-diabetic CAD subjects - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Dec 28 - "Pioglitazone significantly improves endothelial and adipose tissue dysfunction in pre-diabetic patients with CAD"

Effects of pioglitazone vs metformin on circulating endothelial microparticles and progenitor cells in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes - a randomized controlled trial - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2011 Jan 21 - "Participants assigned to pioglitazone gained more weight and experienced greater improvements in some coronary risk measures (HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, adiponectin, and C-reactive protein) than did those assigned to metformin. Conclusion: Compared with metformin, pioglitazone treatment improved the imbalance between endothelial damage and repair capacity, and led to more favorable changes in coronary risk factors in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes"

α-Lipoic acid can improve endothelial dysfunction in subjects with impaired fasting glucose - Metabolism. 2011 Jan 19 - "Our data showed that IFG subjects have impaired endothelial function and that antioxidant α-lipoic acid can improve endothelial function through a decrease of oxygen-derived free radicals" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.

Comparison of Effects of Alpha Receptor Blockers on Endothelial Functions and Coagulation Parameters in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia - Urology. 2011 Jan 20 - "When coagulation tests were evaluated, there were significant increases in bleeding and coagulation times in the groups using doxazosin and terazosin. Doxazosin and terazosin lowered arterial blood pressure significantly compared with other treatments. With regard to effects on endothelial function, there were significant differences in flow-mediated dilation rates of the brachial artery at 60 and 90 seconds before and during treatment in the alfuzosin and terazosin groups ... Alpha receptor blockers can decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications by both reducing platelet aggregation and protecting endothelial functions in patients with prostatic hyperplasia. The only drug with a favorable effect in all 4 areas of interest, including BPH symptoms, blood pressure, platelet aggregation, and endothelial functions, was terazosin"

Insulin resistance: an independent risk factor for lung cancer? - Metabolism. 2011 Jan 18 - "As expected, smoking was associated with an approximately 10-fold increase in lung cancer risk in multiple logistic regression models. A positive association between HOMA-IR, treated as continuous variable, and lung cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.99, P = .002, model 1) was demonstrated, which persisted after adjustment for somatometric and lifestyle variables (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.00-5.55, P = .05, model 2). When serum adiponectin was also taken into account, the association seemed fairly robust (OR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.11-6.01, P = .03, model 3); on the contrary, when serum leptin was added, the association remained positive, but lost its statistical significance (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 0.78-3.98, P = .17, model 4). In the fully adjusted model, HOMA-IR was still positively, but only marginally, associated with lung cancer risk (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 0.88-4.65, P = .10, model 5). Insulin resistance may represent a meaningful risk factor for lung cancer"

Contribution of adiponectin to the cardiometabolic risk of postmenopausal women with loss-of-function lipoprotein lipase gene mutations - Menopause. 2011 Jan 19 - "these results suggest that a low plasma adiponectin level significantly contributes to the cardiometabolic risk profile of postmenopausal women with LPLD, independently of anthropometrics, lipids, and other covariates" - See my adiponectin page for ways to increase it.

Effects of Metformin on Body Weight and Body Composition in Obese Insulin-Resistant Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial - Diabetes. 2011 Jan 12 - "1,000 mg metformin (n = 53) or placebo (n = 47) twice daily for 6 months ...Children prescribed metformin had significantly greater decreases in BMI (difference -1.09 kg/m(2), CI -1.87 to -0.31, P = 0.006), body weight (difference -3.38 kg, CI -5.2 to -1.57, P < 0.001), BMI Z score (difference between metformin and placebo groups -0.07, CI -0.12 to -0.01, P = 0.02), and fat mass (difference -1.40 kg, CI -2.74 to -0.06, P = 0.04). Fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.007) and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) insulin resistance index (P = 0.006) also improved more in metformin-treated children than in placebo-treated children. Gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly more prevalent in metformin-treated children, which limited maximal tolerated dosage in 17%. During the 6-month open-label phase, children treated previously with placebo decreased their BMI Z score; those treated continuously with metformin did not significantly change BMI Z score further. CONCLUSIONS Metformin had modest but favorable effects on body weight, body composition, and glucose homeostasis in obese insulin-resistant children participating in a low-intensity weight-reduction program" - Note: 3.38 kg equals 7.4 pounds.  See metformin at IAS.

The association of serum potassium level with left ventricular mass in patients with primary aldosteronism - Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 Jan 21 - "Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated a worse cardiovascular outcome than essential hypertension. Hypokalemia, which is one major characteristic of PA, can affect both cardiac structure and function ... the control group (group 1). Thirty-two patients with serum potassium < 3.5 mmol L(-1) were defined as hypokalemia (group 2), and 53 patients with serum potassium ≥ 3.5 mmol L(-1) were defined as normokalemia (group 3) ... Group 2 patients had significant higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), log-transformed plasma aldosterone concentration, log-transformed aldosterone-to-renin ratio and lower serum potassium level than groups 1 and 3. In echocardiographic measurement, group 2 patients had higher LV mass index (LVMI) than groups 1 and 3. In multivariate analysis for factors affecting LVMI in PA patients, only serum potassium level (P = 0.001), use of spironolactone (P = 0.004) and DBP (P = 0.005) were independent factors. In the TDI study, both groups 2 and 3 had lower e' and E/e' values than group 1. Conclusions  Serum potassium level is significantly associated with LVMI in PA patients. Compared with essential hypertensive patients, PA patients had a greater impairment of cardiac diastolic function" - See potassium citrate at Amazon.com.

Homocysteine levels are associated with hippocampus volume in type 2 diabetic patients - Eur J Clin Invest. 2011 Jan 20 - "Elevated total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) levels are associated with cognitive dysfunction, in which changes in the hippocampus plausibly play a pivotal role ... Our results indicate that the elevated levels of tHcy in Japanese nondementia patients with type 2 diabetes are characterised by hippocampal atrophy and insulin resistance and that the Z-score and HOMA index may be the primary factors that influence tHcy levels"

Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality from ischaemic heart disease: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Heart study - Eur Heart J. 2011 Jan 18 - "average of 8.4 years ... Participants consuming at least eight portions (80 g each) of fruits and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of fatal IHD [relative risk (RR) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-0.95] compared with those consuming fewer than three portions a day. After calibration of fruit and vegetable intake to account for differences in dietary assessment between the participating centres, a one portion (80 g) increment in fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a 4% lower risk of fatal IHD (RR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-1.00, P for trend = 0.033). Conclusion Results from this large observational study suggest that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of IHD mortality. Whether this association is causal and, if so, the biological mechanism(s) by which fruits and vegetables operate to lower IHD risks remains unclear"

High oolong tea consumption predicts future risk of diabetes among Japanese male workers: a prospective cohort study - Diabet Med. 2011 Jan 18 - "Compared with those not consuming oolong tea, multivariable adjusted hazard ratios for developing diabetes were 1.00 (95% CI 0.67-1.49) for those who drank one cup of oolong tea per day and 1.64 (95% CI 1.11-2.40) for those drinking two or more cups per day ... Long-term consumption of oolong tea may be a predictive marker for new onset diabetes" - Note:  Oolong tea is purported to prevent diabetes.  This is claiming an 64% increased chance of diabetes the way I read it.

• Antihyperglycemic effect of oolong tea in type 2 diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2003 Jun;26(6):1714-8 - "oolong tea markedly lowered concentrations of plasma glucose (from 229 +/- 53.9 to 162.2 +/- 29.7 mg/dl, P < 0.001) and fructosamine (from 409.9 +/- 96.1 to 323.3 +/- 56.4 micromol/l ... Oolong tea may be an effective adjunct to oral hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes"

Comparison of Central Artery Elasticity in Swimmers, Runners, and the Sedentary - Am J Cardiol. 2011 Jan 17 - "Brachial systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were higher (p <0.05) in swimmers than in sedentary controls and runners. Runners and swimmers had lower (p <0.05) carotid systolic blood pressure and carotid pulse pressure than sedentary controls. Carotid arterial compliance was higher (p <0.05) and β-stiffness index was lower (p <0.05) in runners and swimmers than in sedentary controls. There were no significant group differences between runners and swimmers. Cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity was greater (p <0.05) in runners than in sedentary controls and swimmers and baroreflex sensitivity tended to be higher in swimmers than in sedentary controls (p = 0.07). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation was significant greater (p <0.05) in runners compared with sedentary controls and swimmers. In conclusion, our present findings are consistent with the notion that habitual swimming exercise may be an effective endurance exercise for preventing loss in central arterial compliance"

Niacin results in reduced monocyte adhesion in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Dec 25 - "Patients with type 2 diabetes have increased expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). CAMs and monocyte adhesion mediate essential processes in atherogenesis ... Niacin 1500mg daily raised HDL-cholesterol from 0.8mmol/l (95% CI: 0.7-0.9) to 0.9mmol/l (95% CI: 0.8-1.1), p=0.10, and significantly reduced PECAM-1 by 24.9% (95% CI: 10.9-39.0; p<0.05), increased adiponectin by 30.5% (95% CI: 14.1-47.0; p<0.05), with monocyte adhesion reduced by 9.2% (95%CI: 0.7-17.7; p<0.05) in endothelial cells treated in basal conditions, and 7.8% (95% CI: 3.1-12.5; p<0.05) after TNF-α stimulation ... Monocytes isolated from patients on niacin had reduced adhesion to endothelial cells. Our findings suggest niacin has broad range of effects apart from lipid-modification, and these could be important in cardiovascular risk reduction" - Note: Increased adiponectin is another advantage of niacin. See niacin at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

• Wilson Electronics 801247 Desktop (DT) Cell Phone Signal Booster for Home or Office - For Multiple Users - I bought the car version of this.  It doubled my internet speed plus made it possible to listen to TV via Slingbox while driving.  It also increase the bars by two or three.

Health Focus (Carotenoids):

Specific Recommendations:

• lycopene at Amazon.com
• lutein at Amazon.com
• Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com
• Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com
• astaxanthin at Amazon.com
• carotenoids at Amazon.com

News & Research:

• Eating vegetables gives skin a more healthy glow than the sun, study shows - Science Daily, 1/11/11 - "people who eat more portions of fruit and vegetables per day have a more golden skin colour, thanks to substances called carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help soak up damaging compounds produced by the stresses and strains of everyday living, especially when the body is combating disease. Responsible for the red colouring in fruit and vegetables such as carrots and tomatoes, carotenoids are important for our immune and reproductive systems ... given the choice between skin colour caused by suntan and skin colour caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin colour" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Tomatoes found to contain nutrient which prevents vascular diseases - Science Daily, 1/6/11 - "Tomatoes are already known to contain many compounds beneficial to health. In this study the team analyzed 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid, to test its potential anti-dyslipidemia properties ... The compound was found to enhance fatty acid oxidation and contributed to the regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism. These findings suggest that 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid has anti-dyslipidemia affects and can therefore help prevent vascular diseases" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• The effects of tomato consumption on serum glucose, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I, homocysteine and blood pressure in type 2 diabetic patients - Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2010 Dec 8 - "32 type 2 diabetes patients received 200 g raw tomato daily for 8 weeks ... There were significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also a significant increase in apoA-I at the end of study compared with initial values"
• High alpha-carotene levels associated with longer life - Science Daily, 11/22/10 - "Oxygen-related damage to DNA, proteins and fats may play a role in the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer ... Carotenoids -- including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lycopene -- are produced by plants and microorganisms and act as antioxidants, counteracting this damage ... Compared with individuals with blood alpha-carotene levels between 0 and 1 micrograms per deciliter, the risk of death during the study period was 23 percent lower among who had concentrations between 2 and 3 micrograms per deciliter, 27 percent lower with levels between 4 and 5 micrograms per deciliter, 34 percent lower with levels between 6 and 8 micrograms per deciliter and 39 percent lower with levels of 9 micrograms per deciliter or higher" - Note:  There are over 600 carotenoids and some claim that taking large amounts of just one of them can cause a deficiency of the others.  See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene-rich tomato paste helps skin from within: Study - Nutra USA, 9/23/10
• Astaxanthin’s heart benefits get human data support - Nutra USA, 8/9/10 - "Daily supplements of the carotenoid astaxanthin may improve HDL ‘good’ cholesterol levels in people with mildly abnormal blood lipid levels ... participants receiving the two highest doses experienced significant reductions in their triglyceride levels, of 25 and 24 percent, respectively, compared to baseline. Furthermore, people receiving 6 or 12 mg per day experienced significant increases in their HDL-cholesterol levels of 10 and 15 percent, respectively ... Additionally, adiponectin levels increased in the two highest dose groups, with increases over 20 percent in the 12 mg per day group, and between 15 and 20 percent in the 18 percent group" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.comor astaxanthin at Amazon.com.
• Carotenoids may reduce breast cancer risk in women: Study - Nutra USA, 2/8/10 - "The highest average levels of alpha- and beta-carotene were associated with a 68 and 65 per cent reduction in the risk of ER-PR breast cancer among smokers" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Fruits, Leafy Greens Are Good for the Eyes - WebMD, 12/22/09 - "These foods contain the carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which play an important role in vision and have a positive impact on the retina ... Lutein and zeaxanthin may help reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times ... about 600 carotenoids can be identified in nature ... Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in kale and spinach, among other vegetables ... Of about 20 carotenoids found in human blood, only lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the visual system, the researchers write, suggesting these pigments play a "special role" in human vision"
• Dietary carotenoids confirmed to benefit eye health: Study - Nutra USA, 12/22/09
• Eat Fruits and Vegetable for Better Vision - Science Daily, 12/18/09 - "Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, have been found to increase visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases ... macular pigments, such as lutein and zeaxanthin do have an effect on visual performance. Lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times. They can also reduce glare from light absorption and increase the visual range"
• Egg Yolks May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 11/13/09 - "Two eggs per day is probably all that is needed to maximize blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin as well as macular pigment optic density (MPOD) status"
• Lycopene linked to healthier blood vessels - Nutra USA, 8/13/09 - "Higher levels of lycopene in the blood are associated with lower stiffness in the arteries ... women with the highest average lycopene blood levels (more than 0.0431 millimoles per litre) had the lowest baPWV values, compared to people with the lowest average lycopene blood levels (less that 0.0342 mmol/L) ... According to their results, women with the highest average lycopene blood levels (more than 0.0431 millimoles per litre) had the lowest baPWV values, compared to people with the lowest average lycopene blood levels (less that 0.0342 mmol/L) ... these women also had lower oxidised LDL levels, as well as larger LDL particles ... Levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were also lower in the women with the highest lycopene levels" - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Antioxidant vitamins may protect against female cancer - Nutra USA, 6/3/09 - "for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kcal of diet of beta-carotene was associated with a 12 per cent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer ... Similarly, for every 50 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin C the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 15 per cent, and for every 5 milligram increase per 1,000 kcal of vitamin E the risk of endometrial cancer was reduced by 9 per cent" - [Abstract]
• Lutein, Zeaxanthin Supplements May Result in Better Macular Function in Early AMD - Medscape, 5/13/09 - "Although no statistically significant difference was seen in best corrected distance visual acuity (BC DVA) at 12 months, oral supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin with coantioxidants may improve functional and morphologic outcomes at 36 months in patients at high risk for progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... Results at 36 Months Significant" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Carotenoids linked to fewer hip fractures - Nutra USA, 3/26/09 - "higher lycopene intake was associated with a lower risk of hip fracture, and non-vertebral fracture ... a weak but statistically un-significant protective trend was recorded total beta-carotene, but only for hip fractures ... No protective effects were observed for the other carotenoids" - [Abstract] - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Long-Term Use Of Nutrient Supplements May Increase Cancer Risk - Science Daily, 2/27/09 - "We believe beta-carotene is an antioxidant, but it seems that if you take too much, at some point it can have pro-oxidant effects, which can result in elevated cancer risk" - Note:  The problem with that study is that beta-carotene is just one of over 600 carotenoids and previous studies have shown that taking large quantities just one carotenoid can cause a deficiency of the others.  Those carotenoid deficiencies that it causes may be just as important if not more important in preventing cancer.  Plus it seems like an oxymoron to smoke and take vitamins.
• Tomatoes for Endometriosis? - Dr. Weil, 2/13/09 - "A study from Wayne State University in Detroit suggests that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant and the carotenoid pigment that makes tomatoes bright red, can help prevent the scarring that occurs with endometriosis. In a laboratory study, researchers found that it reduced the formation of a protein that causes scar tissue and adhesions to develop by 80 to 90 percent" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Nutrient Supports Bone Health Over Time - Science Daily, 1/20/09 - "The results suggest there is a protective effect of carotenoids, particularly of lycopene, against bone loss in older adults. The researchers concluded that carotenoids may explain, in part, the previously observed protective effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on bone mineral density" - Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• LycoRed files patent for skin health science - Nutra USA, 11/7/08 - "According to LycoRed, subjects were supplemented by either Lyc-O-Mato capsules (10mg lycopene per day), or a placebo, for ten weeks. Following exposure to UV radiation at the end of the study, it was found that subjects in the tomato extract group had a sunburn cell count six times lower than in the placebo group. There was also evidence of reduced depletion of Langerhans cells, said the company" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene as effective as statins for artery health: rabbit study - Nutra USA, 7/3/08 - "The results of our experiment in the high-fat diet rabbit model showed that lycopene and fluvastatin lowered serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, improved lipid metabolism, and reduced the amount of triacylglycerols ... Lycopene intervention reduced the increase in ox-LDL levels in rabbits on the high-fat diet, whereas fluvastatin did not show such an effect. The cause of this difference is at present not known, although the result speaks in favour of lycopene ... These findings provide a theoretical rationale for the use of lycopene as a preventive in atherosclerosis" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Study supports lycopene protecting skin from within - Nutra USA, 4/29/08 - "Consuming lycopene-rich tomato paste may protect against sunburn and sun-induced skin ageing ... Skin samples taken from the subjects indicated that the tomato paste-supplemented individuals had higher skin levels of pro-collagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and loss of which leads to skin ageing and lack of elasticity" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Could foods prevent ovarian cancer? - MSNBC, 3/14/08 - "A 2007 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition linked greater consumption of carotenoid phytochemicals with a 67 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer. This included not only beta-carotene, the oft-cited carotenoid in deep-orange vegetables and fruits, but also alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin — carotenoids found in a wide range of red, orange, yellow and green vegetables" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Lutein, zeaxanthin for AMD protection: more science - Nutra USA, 3/13/08 - "people with the highest average intakes of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin had a 65 per cent reduced risk of neo-vascular AMD than those with the lowest average intakes" - [Abstract]
• Vision: Antioxidants May Cut Cataracts - New York Times, 2/12/08 - "Compared with the one-fifth of women who consumed the least antioxidants, the one-fifth who consumed the most reduced their risk for cataracts by 14 percent with vitamin E and 18 percent with lutein"
• Astaxanthin may boost muscle endurance and fat loss - Nutra USA, 2/5/08 - "astaxanthin supplementation "accelerated the decrease of body fat accumulation with exercise training" - [Abstract] - Note:  Astaxanthin is just one of over 600 carotenoids.  The problem with taking large doses of just one carotenoid is that it may cause a deficiency of the others.  I had a study on that but the link went dead.  I tried to find it via http://www.archive.org/web/web.php but it was a .asp web page and it appears that it doesn't work with those extensions. (Click here and see the OnHealth.com, 5/2/00 article).  I take Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Eat Your Leafy Vegetables To Decreased Your Risk Of Cataracts - Science Daily, 1/14/08 - "When the participants were split into five groups based on the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin they consumed, those in the group who consumed the most (about 6,716 micrograms per day) had an 18 percent lower chance of developing cataracts than those who consumed the least (1,177 micrograms per day). The one-fifth who consumed the most vitamin E from food and supplements--about 262.4 milligrams per day--were 14 percent less likely than the one-fifth who got the least (4.4 milligrams per day)"
• More support for lycopene's prostate benefits - Nutra USA, 1/9/08 - "At the end of the six month intervention period ... levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate health, were reduced in the lycopene group showing improvements in health of the tissue. However, no changes were recorded in the placebo group ... Moreover, no enlargement of the prostate occurred in the lycopene group, whereas growth was observed in the placebo group" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb at Amazon.com.
• Long-term Beta Carotene Supplementation May Help Prevent Cognitive Decline, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 11/12/07 - "placebo or 50 milligrams of beta carotene every other day ... In this generally healthy population, the extent of protection conferred by long-term treatment appeared modest; nonetheless, studies have established that very modest differences in cognition, especially verbal memory, predict substantial differences in eventual risk of dementia; thus, the public health impact of long-term beta carotene use could be large" - Note:  The problem with beta-carotene is that it is just one of over 600 carotenoids and some studies show that taking large doses of just on carotenoid can cause a deficiency of the others.
• Nutrients May Help Save Eyes - WebMD, 9/11/07 - "Those with the highest self-reported intake of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin were 35% less likely than those with the lowest lutein and zeaxanthin intake to have "wet" age-related macular degeneration"
• Certain Nutrients Associated With Reduced Risk For Age-related Eye Disease - Science Daily, 9/10/07 - "If these cross-sectional results can be confirmed in prospective samples and experimental studies, lutein and zeaxanthin may be considered as useful agents in food or supplement-based interventions designed to reduce the risk of AMD"
• Compounds That Color Fruits And Veggies May Protect Against Colon Cancer - Science Daily, 8/19/07 - "In animal studies, rats induced with colon cancer cells were fed a daily diet of anthocyanin extracts either from bilberries and chokeberries, which are most often used as flavorings or to make jams and juices. The dietary addition of the anthocyanin extracts reduced signs of colon tumors by 70 and 60 percent, respectively, when compared to control rats"
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin review - ConsumerLab.com, 7/17/07
• Prostate Cancer Confusion? - Dr. Weil, 6/18/07 - "while these investigators concluded that on the basis of their retrospective analytical methods lycopene and other carotenoids had no effect on prostate cancer, we have very good evidence from other studies that lycopene does in fact lower the risk"
• No Magic Tomato? Study Breaks Link Between Lycopene And Prostate Cancer Prevention - Science Daily, 5/17/07
• Could Carrots Be The Secret To A Long-life And Sex Appeal? - Science Daily, 5/10/07 - "males eating more carotenoids were better able to protect their cells from damage and so lived longer - and that females found these long-lived males particularly attractive"
• Beta-Carotene Pills May Not Help Aging Eyes - WebMD, 3/14/07 -  "The difference between the two groups was so small that it could have been due to chance" - Note:  Beta-carotene is just one of over 600 carotenoids and many believe that taking mega-doses of just one carotenoid can cause a deficiency of the others.  I get my carotenoids from food, dunaliella salina algae (Body Wise), Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com, carotenoids at Amazon.com and Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• Tomato extract could stop platelet build-up, boost heart health - Nutra USA, 9/25/06 - "significant reductions in the build-up of platelets (stimulated by administration of ADP and collagen) were observed three hours after supplementation with tomato extract equivalent to two and six tomatoes (by 21.3 per cent for six tomato equivalents, and 12.7 per cent for the two tomato equivalents for the ADP administered groups, and by 17.5 per cent for six tomato equivalents, and 7.8 per cent for the two tomato equivalents for the collagen administered groups), while no significant effects were measured for control group"
• Lutein skin health study elicits excited response at conference - Nutra USA, 9/13/06 - "the oral lutein supplement was seen to increase skin hydration by 38 per cent, skin elasticity by 8 per cent, and the level of superficial lipids by 33 per cent (after adjustments for placebo)"
• Study boosts lutein safety rep and finds new research possibilities - Nutra USA, 7/20/06
• Carotenoids linked to lower risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma - Nutra USA, 6/12/06 - "High daily intakes of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as vegetables in general, could reduce the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by almost 50 per cent"
• What causes age spots and is there anything that I can do to make them go away? - Dr. Murray
• Study sheds light on lutein's anti-inflammatory effect - Nutra USA, 5/22/06
• More support for lycopene protection against prostate cancer - Nutra USA, 5/3/06 - "half of these men to receive a daily supplement of eight milligrams of lycopene (LycoRed's Lyc-O-Mato) for one year and followed for a futher year ... blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein that is used as a marker for the disease, decreased by 42 per cent after supplementation" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com which contains Lyc-O-Mato.
• Prostate tumours shrunk by lycopene, vitamin E combo - Nutra USA, 4/14/06 - "Compared with the control, the combined mixture of lycopene and vitamin E, at five mg/kg BW each, suppressed the growth of the prostate xenograft by 73 per cent at day 42 ... the mice receiving the combined supplement also lived 40 per cent longer"
• Tomato Juice Keeps Emphysema From Developing In New Model; Lycopene Cited - Science Daily, 1/25/06 - "50% tomato juice drink "completely prevented" smoke-induced emphysema" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Tomato Juice Might Protect Lungs - HealthDay, 1/9/06 - "Tomato juice prevented emphysema in mice exposed to cigarette smoke ... They attributed the protective effect to lycopene"
• Brightly-coloured Fruit And Veg May Protect Against Arthritis - Science Daily, 9/27/05 - "eating more brightly-coloured fruits and vegetables like oranges, carrots and sweetcorn may help reduce the risk of developing inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis ... the average daily beta-cryptoxanthin intake of the 88 patients who had developed inflammatory polyarthritis was 40% lower than those who hadn't, and their intake of another carotenoid, zeaxanthin, was 20% lower"
• Smoking Plus Beta-Carotene May Up Cancer Odds - WebMD, 9/20/05 - "high beta-carotene intake (from foods or supplements) was linked to low levels of cancer in nonsmoking women and high levels of the same cancers in women who smoke"
• Recently I have seen lycopene products being touted for their anticancer and antioxidant properties. Are these claims valid? - Dr. Murray
• Carotenoid combo reduces damage to cells, may fight disease - Nutra USA, 3/15/05 - "The mixed carotenoids supplemented group showed significantly decreased DNA damage as early as day 15 (by around 22 per cent) and this further decreased at days 29 and 43. By day 57, it had been reduced by 36 per cent"
• Antioxidant levels key to prostate cancer risk in some men - Nutra USA, 3/15/05 - "Greater levels of selenium, vitamin E and the tomato carotenoid lycopene have been shown to reduce prostate cancer in one out of every four Caucasian males, or those who inherit a specific genetic variation that is particularly sensitive to oxidative stress"
• Lycopene intake linked to lower pancreatic cancer risk - Nutra USA, 3/10/05 - "lycopene, provided mainly by tomatoes, was associated with a 31 per cent reduction in pancreatic cancer risk among men in the highest quartile of intake compared with those in the lowest quartile"
• Protective Effects of Oral Antioxidants on Skin and Eye Function - Medscape, 12/17/04 - "Carotenoids used as nutritional supplements seem to play an interesting photoprotective role for both skin and eyes"
• Eat Spinach, Prevent Cataracts? - WebMD, 12/3/04 - "Our results are the first to provide physical evidence suggesting that lutein and zeaxanthin decrease damage caused by ultraviolet radiation"
• Lycopene, Nature’s Most Potent Antioxidant Shows Broad Disease-Preventive Effects - Life Extension Magazine, 12/04
• Vitamin E + Lycopene Fights Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 9/30/04 - "a combination treatment with low-dose lycopene and vitamin E had the strongest effect at slowing tumor growth -- a 73% slowing of growth on the 42nd day of the test ... The next best results came from the low dose of lycopene alone, which slowed tumor growth by 53% in the same time frame"
• Long-Term Use of Beta Carotene Beneficial - Clinical Psychiatry News, 9/04 - "there was a highly significant improvement in cognitive scores—particularly in verbal memory—among the 2,029 men with long-term exposure to the supplements, compared with the 2,020 who had been taking placebo for nearly two decades"
• Update on Lycopene - Dr. Murray's Natural Facts, 8/25/04 - "men who consumed the highest levels of lycopene (6.5 mg per day) in their diet showed a 21 percent decreased risk of prostate cancer compared with those eating the lowest levels. When the researchers looked at only advanced prostate cancer, the high lycopene eaters had an 86% decreased risk" - See iHerb or Vitacost lycopene products.
• Lutein, zeaxanthin appear to restore eye cell health - Nutra USA, 8/25/04 - "Lutein and zeaxanthin are the primary components of macular pigment and have been associated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss for people over the age of 50 in the Western world"
• Full-Fat Salad Dressings Enhance Bioabsorption of Carotenoids - Medscape, 8/5/04 - "By choosing reduced-fat or fat-free salad dressings, consumers could potentially compromise their exposure to the putative bioactivity of those carotenoids in preventing heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases"
• A Little Fat Helps the Vegetables Go Down - WebMD, 7/27/04
• ISU Research Says Fat Good With Veggies - Intelihealth, 7/26/04 - "A bit of fat added to fresh vegetables helps bodies absorb cancer-fighting lycopene and alpha- and beta-carotenes"
• Carotenoids play role in cell communication - Nutra USA, 7/20/04
• Major study backs carotenoids' protective effects on heart - Nutra USA, 6/14/04
• Breakthrough research on lycopene - Nutra USA, 4/15/04 - "Men eating four to five tomato based-dishes per week were found to be protected by 25 per cent compared to men eating tomatoes only rarely" - See iHerb or Vitacost lycopene products.
• Carotenoids Reduce HPV Symptoms - Physician's Weekly, 2/16/04 - "Patients who increased their intake of vitamin C and consumed carotenoid-rich papaya at least once per week had a lower risk of persistent HPV in the study"
• The Prostate Cancer-Fighter - WebMD, 11/4/03 - "in rats made to develop prostate cancer in the laboratory, those who were fed a diet containing tomato powder experienced a longer survival prior to developing cancer and were 26% less likely to die from prostate cancer compared with those on a "control" diet containing no tomato or lycopene foods ... In rats fed a diet of lycopene alone, the death rates from prostate cancer were similar to those rats fed a control diet"
• Pizza Prevents Cancer? It's Part of the Mediterranean Diet - WebMD, 7/21/03 - "Gallus and colleagues sifted through diet surveys completed by 5,500 Italians ... regular pizza eaters had 34% less risk of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer, 59% less risk of esophageal cancer, and 25% less risk of colon cancer ... Italian pizza is less than 50% crust, 20% tomato sauce, 20% mozzarella cheese, and 4% olive oil ... There's less refined carbohydrates, plus cooked tomatoes, which are a rich source of lycopene, a natural chemical that has been shown in numerous studies to protect against cancer ... We think that there's a specific compound in cooked tomatoes that is protective"
• What do you think of the new study showing that antioxidants don’t cut the risk of heart disease - Dr. Weil, 7/14/03 - "If you want to supplement your diet, take a product that provides as many members of this family of protective pigments as possible: alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, etc. As for vitamin E, most studies use synthetic alpha-tocopherol. I recommend using natural vitamin E supplements that provide all four tocopherols and all four tocotrienols"
• Beta-Carotene and Other Carotenoids Protect Skin from Ultraviolet Damage - New Hope Natural Media, 3/13/03 - "36 adults between the ages of 22 and 55 were assigned to receive one of the following: (1) 24 mg per day of beta-carotene, (2) a mixed carotenoid supplement containing 8 mg per day each of beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene, or (3) a placebo for 12 weeks. Skin redness before and 24 hours after irradiation with UV light was measured initially and after 6 and 12 weeks of supplementation ... Both groups that took the nutritional supplements containing carotenoids had a significant decrease in UV light-induced redness of the skin after 12 weeks of treatment ... since lutein and lycopene are found in high amounts in other organs, the health benefits of these substances may go beyond just protecting the skin" - [Abstract]
• Lutein for Cataract Sufferers - New Hope Natural Media, 3/13/03 - "15 individuals with age-related cataracts were randomly assigned to receive either 15 mg of lutein, 100 IU of vitamin E, or a placebo three times per week for up to two years. Visual acuity improved significantly in the lutein group, whereas no change was seen in the vitamin E and placebo groups"
• Wow, You Coulda Had Some Lycopene! - Cancer Decisions Newsletter , 1/7/03 - "Men who received the lycopene supplement had lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and less aggressive tumors than the non-supplemented control group. Their tumors were smaller (80 percent of the tumors were under 4 milliliters (ml) in volume, compared to 45 percent in the control group). Their cancer was much more likely to be within the surgical margins and/or confined to the prostate gland (73 percent, compared to 18 percent of the control group). And the invasion of the prostate gland by cancer-like "PIN" cells was completely prevented in this group, compared to a 33 percent incidence of "PIN" cells in the control group" - See Vitacost or iHerb lycopene products.  My favorite is Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com, which has the brand name Lyc-O-Mato.
• A Better Antioxidant [astaxanthin]? - Dr. Weil, 12/12/02 - "to my knowledge none of the specific claims for astaxanthin as a superior antioxidant have been proved in humans ... However, I do think we all need to make an effort to eat more foods containing carotenoids, including astaxanthin"
• Watermelon for Prostate Cancer? - Dr. Weil, 12/10/02 - "Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that a number of large studies have shown is particularly good at protecting against prostate, colon and rectal cancer, as well as heart disease ... contains 40 percent more lycopene than an equivalent weight of tomatoes ... The body converts about 500 different carotenoids into vitamin A ... If you don’t get enough of these foods in your diet, you may want to use an antioxidant supplement. I recommend a mixed carotenoid supplement containing lycopene, lutein, alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin, as well as beta-carotene"
• Cancer Researchers Keen on Tomatoes - WebMD, 11/11/02 - "For example, a five-year Japanese study shows daily use of a supplement that contained a combination of natural tomato extract, beta-carotene, and vitamin E might be an effective way to reduce the risk of liver cancer in those at risk. Researchers found that patients who received the supplement had a 50% suppression of liver cancer" - See iHerb or Vitacost lycopene products.
• Should Smokers Avoid Beta-Carotene? - Dr. Weil, 9/12/02
• Carotenoid-Rich Foods Protect Against Oxidative Stress, but Carotenoids Alone Don't Provide Benefit - Doctor's Guide, 7/3/02
• High Oxidative Stress, Low Antioxidant Status In Alzheimer Disease - Doctor's Guide, 6/3/02 - "Lymphocyte DNA 8-OHdG content in people AD may thus reflect a condition of increased oxidative stress related to a poor antioxidant status ... researchers also noted a significant inverse relationship between lymphocyte DNA 8-OHdG content [a marker of oxidative damage to DNA] and plasma levels of lycopene, lutein, a-carotene and b-carotene, respectively"
• Breast Cancer May Be Thwarted By Carotenoids - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/02 - "These results suggest carotenoids may protect against development of breast cancer"
• Macular Degeneration Epidemic - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "AMD patients who have begun taking high-dose lutein supplements (4 mg or more per day) appear to return to 'normal' levels after a few months. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a long-term deficiency of macular carotenoids may be associated with higher risk of AMD"
• Common Foods Help Prevent Cancer - WebMD, 4/10/02 - "found that regular green tea drinking cut cancer risk in half ... men who ate more than two servings of tomato sauce per week had a 23% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ate less than one serving a week"
• Tomatoes Lower Prostate Cancer Risk - WebMD, 3/4/02 - "This newest investigation "confirmed our previous findings," ... "Frequent tomato or lycopene intake was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Intake of tomato sauce, the primary source of [ready available] lycopene, was associated with an even greater reduction in prostate cancer risk." ... Although all evidence points to lycopene as the beneficial ingredient, that remains to be proved" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene lowers PSA - Life Extension Magazine, 1/02 - "32 mostly African American patients who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and were awaiting radical prostatectomy were put on diets that included enough tomato sauce to provide 30 mg/day of lycopene for three weeks. Prostate cancer is more frequent and serious among African Americans than among Caucasians ... Mean serum PSA concentrations fell by 17.5%, while a measure of oxidative status fell by 21.3%. DNA damage in the cancer cells fell by 40% after three weeks, of which author Phyllis E. Bowen says, “We don’t know whether that’s good or bad.” Most important, high concentration of lycopene in prostate tissues resulted in a nearly three-fold increase in programmed cell damage among cancer cells, which is a good thing"
• Pasta Treatments for Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 12/18/01
• The Wizard is Oz - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Best-selling author and nutritional guru to the rich and famous, Oz Garcia is singing the praises of the Life Extension Foundation and its products in his newest book, The Healthy High Tech Body, published in September 2001 ... Supplements at the top of Garcia's list of recommendations ... DHA ... NADH ... Alpah Lipoic Acid ... Acetyl-L-Carnitine ... An expanded list of his recommendations includes lycopene, gamma tocopherol, vinpocetine, SAMe, folic acid, carnosine, glutathione, DMAE, Huperzine A, probiotics, MSM, secretagogues, arginine pyroglutamate, IP-6, bioflavonoid formulas and grape skin/seed extracts"
• Antioxidants, At Certain Levels, May Reduce Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 11/14/01 - "increasing levels of serum beta- carotene were associated with significant reductions in systolic blood pressure, while increasing levels of serum vitamin C were associated with significant reductions in diastolic pressure ... In contrast, serum levels of vitamin E were associated with significant increases in diastolic blood pressure"
• Carrots, tomatoes keep lung cancer away - Life Extension Magazine, 9/01
• Scientists Think Roadside Berries Could Be Cancer Fighter - Intelihealth, 9/14/01
• Study Provides New Evidence That Chemical In Tomato Sauce May Help Fight Prostate Cancer, Particularly In Black Men - Intelihealth, 8/30/01 - "Researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago fed 32 volunteers with newly diagnosed prostate cancer three-fourths cup of tomato sauce daily for three weeks ... the treatment resulted in reduced blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a protein whose increased levels are strongly linked to a higher prostate cancer risk ...Researchers believe that lycopene, a red pigment with high antioxidant potential, is the most likely agent involved in this effect"
• Tomato Extract May Have Role in Slowing Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 8/10/01 - "So when the results came in, Kucuk and colleagues were startled: the men who used the lycopene supplement actually had smaller tumors than the men who did not. Even more intriguing, the tumors taken from the men who used lycopene supplement were more likely to be confined to the prostate, and less likely to have advanced beyond it."
• Newly Hip Nutrient May Stave Off Heart Disease - WebMD, 6/21/01 - "the team gave lutein supplements to two types of heart-disease prone mice. These treated mice had significantly less atherosclerosis than did similar mice that hadn't received the supplemental lutein"
• Eye-opening Zeaxanthin - Nutrition Science News, 6/01
• Tomatoes May Help Fight High Blood Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 5/20/01 - "patients were treated with a placebo for four weeks and then tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato, LycoRed Natural Products Industries, Ltd.), for eight weeks ... Results showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, from 144 mm Hg to 135 mm Hg, representing a mean 9 mm Hg reduction. Additionally, some favorable effects on diastolic blood pressure, blood lipids, lipoproteins, and oxidative stress markers were noted" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com, which contains the Lyco-O-Mato.
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin Make Macular Pigment - Nutrition Science News, 1/01
• Ulcer Therapy, Vitamins May Team Up to Prevent Stomach Cancer, Drugs Halted, Healed Abnormalities With Cancer Potential - WebMD, 12/8/00 - "people who took the three-drug combination alone or in combination with vitamin C and/or beta carotene were three to five times more likely than people who received no treatment to have a reduction in the size of precancerous stomach abnormalities."
• Lutein: The Eyes Have It - Nutrition Science News, 11/00
• Lutein May Improve Vision - Life Extension Magazine, 9/00
• Phytochemicals: Nutrients Whose Time Has Come - Nutrition Science News, 7/00
• Looking For Supplements That Aid Vision - OnHealth.com, 5/2/00 - "There are over 600 carotenoids in the food we eat," says Dr. Donald S. Fong, a California ophthalmologist who has done research at the National Institutes of Health on the importance of nutrients in retinal diseases. "So if you supplement with high doses of any single one, you block the absorption of other carotenoids you may need. And, in addition, you might increase the risk of disease in other parts of the body." (a good reason to go with a supplement like Body Wise, which has dunaliella salina algae for mixed carotenoids).
• Eating Tomatoes Protects DNA - Nutrition Science News, 8/99
• LYCOPENE The Rediscovered Carotene - Life Extension Magazine, 8/99
• Cancer Prevention Diet - Nutrition Science News, 8/99
• Leafy greens may hold key to healthy eyes - CNN, 7/13/99
• Tomato Nutrient Lycopene Helps Fight Prostate Cancer - Life Enhancement Magazine, 6/99
• Chemopreventive effects of carotenoids and curcumin on mouse colon carcinogenesis - Life Extension Magazine, 6/99
• Foods That Fight Cancer - Time, 4/26/99
• Second Sight - Nutrition Science News, 4/99
• Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs, Soy Milk And Tomato Extract All Reduce Cancer Risk - Doctor's Guide, 4/16/99
• Tomato Sauce Helps Beat Might Protect against Heart Attack - Doctor's Guide, 10/15/97
• Evidence Mounting: Beta-Carotene Supplements Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk - Doctor's Guide, 5/23/97
• Vitamin supplement [beta-carotene] may help prevent prostate cancer - CNN, 5/19/97
• Researchers Credit Processed Tomato Products With Reduced Cancer Risk - Doctor's Guide, 3/3/97

Abstracts:

• Inverse association of serum carotenoids with prevalence of metabolic syndrome among Japanese - Clin Nutr. 2011 Jan 6 - "A significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for metabolic syndrome was observed in the highest tertile of serum β-cryptoxanthin (OR:0.45; 95% CI:0.22-0.93 in men and 0.41; 0.17-0.93 in women) and β-carotene (OR:0.45; 95% CI:0.21-0.95 in men and 0.37; 0.15-0.83 in women) compared to the lowest tertiles, in both sexes, but no significant association was found in male smokers. In women, moreover, OR for metabolic syndrome in the highest tertile of serum zeaxanthin/lutein (OR:0.37; 95% CI:0.16-0.84) was significantly lower than in the lowest tertile. Serum levels of β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene were significantly decreased with an increasing number of metabolic syndrome components in both sexes" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene and Apo-12'-Lycopenal Reduce Cell Proliferation and Alter Cell Cycle Progression in Human Prostate Cancer Cells - Nutr Cancer. 2011 Jan 3:1 - "Apo-lycopenals or other lycopene metabolites, whether produced by cleavage enzymes within the body or consumed with tomato products, can be found in tissues at concentrations equivalent to physiological retinoid concentrations ... The present data indicate that lycopene and apo-12'-lycopenal reduce the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, in part, by inhibiting normal cell cycle progression"
• Effects of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress and markers of endothelial function in healthy men - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Dec 9 - "An increase in serum lycopene after supplementation can reduce oxidative stress which may play a role in endothelial function" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at iHerb.
• Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials - Maturitas. 2010 Dec 14 - "Lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes ... Meta-analysis of the effect of lycopene on systolic blood pressure of all trials suggested a significant blood pressure reducing effect (mean systolic blood pressure change+/-SE: -5.60+/-5.26mm Hg, p=0.04) ... Our meta-analysis suggests that lycopene taken in doses ≥25mg daily is effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by about 10% which is comparable to the effect of low doses of statins in patient with slightly elevated cholesterol levels" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Supplementation of Lutein Reduces Colon Carcinogenesis in DMH-Treated Rats by Modulating K-ras, PKB, and β-catenin Proteins - Nutr Cancer. 2010 Dec 2:1 - "The results showed a significant increase in protein expression for K-ras and β-catenin in tumors of DMH-treated rats. Simultaneously, we detected changes in the phosphorylation state of ERK1/2 and PKB in DMH-treated animals. Lutein given in the diet (0.002%), before (prevention) and after (treatment) DMH administration, diminished the number of tumors by 55% and 32%, respectively. Moreover, lutein significantly decreased in tumors the expression of K-ras (25%) and β-catenin (28%) and the amount of pPKB (32%), during the prevention, and 39%, 26%, and 26% during the treatment stage, respectively. This study demonstrates the chemoprotective effect of lutein against colon cancer by modulating the proliferative activity of K-ras, PKB, and β-catenin proteins" - See lutein at Amazon.com.
• Carotenoid deficiency in chronic pancreatitis: the effect of an increase in tomato consumption - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Dec 1 - "chronic pancreatitis (CP) ... Of these patients, 84.7% had at least one carotenoid deficiency and 27.5% had more than four carotenoid deficiencies ... Lycopene concentration was decreased in patients with vascular disease (171+/-197 vs 99+/-72 μg/l; P=0.02). After an intervention period of 8+/-2 months ... Carotenoid concentrations are dramatically decreased in CP, especially lycopene in CP patients with vascular disease" - Note:  There are over 600 carotenoids and some feel that taking high doses of just one may cause a deficiency of the others.  See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Skin carotenoid levels in adult patients with psoriasis - J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2010 Nov - "Patients with psoriasis appear to have lower skin carotenoid counts than patients without psoriasis"
• Luteolin Inhibits Microglia and Alters Hippocampal-Dependent Spatial Working Memory in Aged Mice - J Nutr. 2010 Aug 4 - "Taken together, the current findings suggest dietary luteolin enhanced spatial working memory by mitigating microglial-associated inflammation in the hippocampus. Therefore, luteolin consumption may be beneficial in preventing or treating conditions involving increased microglial cell activity and inflammation"
• Administration of natural astaxanthin increases serum HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in subjects with mild hyperlipidemia - Atherosclerosis. 2010 Apr;209(2):520-3 - "Multiple comparison tests showed that 12 and 18 mg/day doses significantly reduced triglyceride, and 6 and 12 mg doses significantly increased HDL-cholesterol. Serum adiponectin was increased by astaxanthin (12 and 18 mg/day), and changes of adiponectin correlated positively with HDL-cholesterol changes independent of age and BMI" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.comor astaxanthin products at iHerb.
• Clinical evidence of skin benefits of a dietary supplement containing probiotic and carotenoids on UV- induced damage - Br J Dermatol. 2010 Jun 9 - "Lactobacillus johnsonii (La1) ... dietary supplement (DS) combining La1 and nutritional doses of carotenoids ... A 10 week DS intake prevented the UV-DL induced decrease in Langerhans cell density and the increase in Factor XIIIa+ type I dermal dendrocytes while it reduced dermal inflammatory cells. Clinical and instrumental MED rose by 20% and 19% respectively, and skin colour was intensified, as shown by the increase in DeltaE parameter. The efficacy of DS was confirmed by dermatologists and subjects in real conditions of use. Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation combining a specific probiotic (la1) and nutritional doses of carotenoids reduced early UV-induced skin damage caused by simulated or natural sun exposure in a large panel of subjects (n=139). Altogether, these results support the use of this nutritional supplement for a global approach in photoprotection, in combination with a sunscreen" - See probiotics at Amazon.comand Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene effects contributing to prostate health - Nutr Cancer. 2009 Nov;61(6):775-83 - "Epidemiological evidence links lycopene consumption with decreased prostate cancer risk ... Lycopene modulates several of the aforementioned pathways, providing a promising rationale for prostate cancer risk reduction by lycopene: In many experimental setups, lycopene reduced inflammatory signals, prevented oxidative DNA damage, modulated the expression or activity of IGF axis members, of Wnt/beta-catenin and androgen signalling, and enhanced gap junctional communication. Lycopene's influence on these pathways likely contributes to the observed cell growth inhibition and apoptosis induction by lycopene. A substantial part of the lycopene effects can be explained by its antioxidant action, but other mechanisms might also be involved" - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene in the prevention of gastrointestinal toxicity of radiotherapy - Nutr Cancer. 2009 Nov;61(6):784-8 - "The rats receiving RT only had significantly higher weight loss rate compared to the lycopene plus RT group (P = 0.001). Plasma TBARS levels after RT were also significantly higher in the RT only group compared to lycopene plus RT group (P = 0.001). In conclusion, lycopene supplementation significantly reduced the weight loss and prevented oxidative stress in rats treated with abdominopelvic radiation" - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene concentration and arterial stiffness - Atherosclerosis. 2009 Aug 13 - "brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of arterial stiffness and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation ... Subjects in middle tertile (T2) and upper tertile (T3) had lower baPWV (1263+/-23 and 1265+/-14cm/s vs. 1338+/-21cm/s; p=0.009) and lower oxidized LDL (oxLDL) (53+/-3 and 55+/-3U/L vs. 66+/-3U/L; p<0.001) than those in lower tertile (T1). Subjects in T3 showed higher LDL particle size (24.3+/-0.08nm vs. 24.0+/-0.07nm, p=0.005) and lower C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (0.80+/-0.25mg/dL vs. 1.27+/-0.24mg/dL, p=0.015), compared with those in T1. Logistic regression analysis showed that baPWV decreased with the increment of lycopene concentration; log baPWV decreased by 0.21cm/s (95% CI -0.168;-0.045, p=0.001) per unit change in lycopene ... the estimated effect was attenuated by 35% ... This study supports the presence of an independent inverse relationship between circulating lycopene and baPWV. Additionally, reduced oxidative modification of LDL may be one of mediators on the mechanisms how lycopene reduces arterial stiffness" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Metabolic syndrome and serum carotenoids: findings of a cross-sectional study in Queensland, Australia - Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul 27:1-10 - "Mean serum alpha-, beta-carotenes and the sum of the five carotenoid concentrations were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in persons with the metabolic syndrome ... alpha-, beta- and total carotenoids also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increased number of components of the metabolic syndrome ... Low concentrations of serum alpha-, beta-carotenes and the sum of five carotenoids appear to be associated with metabolic syndrome status" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Antioxidant effect of lutein towards phospholipid hydroperoxidation in human erythrocytes - Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul 22:1-5 - "These results suggest that lutein has the potential to act as an important antioxidant molecule in erythrocytes, and it thereby may contribute to the prevention of dementia" - See lutein at Amazon.com.
• Dietary lycopene and tomato extract supplementations inhibit nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-promoted hepatocarcinogenesis in rats - Int J Cancer. 2009 Jun 23 - "Epidemiological and experimental studies provide supportive evidence that lycopene (LY), a major carotenoid from tomatoes and tomato products, may act as a chemopreventive agent against certain types of cancers. We recently showed that high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) promoted diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated hepatocarcinogenesis in a rat model ... tomato extract (TE) ... These data indicate that LY and TE can inhibit NASH-promoted hepatocarcinogenesis mainly as a result of reduced oxidative stress, which could be fulfilled through different mechanisms" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Antioxidant vitamins and the risk of endometrial cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis - Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Jul;20(5):699-711 - "Based on case-control data, the random-effects summary odds ratios (OR) were, for beta-carotene: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79-0.98) per 1,000 mcg/1,000 kcal (I2: 77.7%; p < 0.01); for vitamin C: 0.85 (95% CI: 0.73-0.98) per 50 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 66.1%; p < 0.01); and, for vitamin E: 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84-0.99) per 5 mg/1,000 kcal (I2: 0.0%; p: 0.45)"
• Dietary carotenoid intake is associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly men - J Nutr. 2009 May;139(5):987-92 - "After adjustment for confounders, total carotenoid and lycopene intakes were inversely associated with presence of metabolic syndrome [relative risk (RR) quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 (95% CI) 0.42 (0.20-0.87), P-trend 0.02; and 0.55 (0.28-1.11), P-trend 0.01, respectively]. For beta-carotene, a decreased risk was observed for each quartile of intake compared with the first [RR quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 (95% CI) 0.58 (0.33-1.02)]. Higher total carotenoid, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene intakes were associated with lower waist circumferences and visceral and subcutaneous fat mass. Higher lycopene intake was related to lower serum triglyceride concentrations" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Dietary carotenoids and the risk of invasive breast cancer - Int J Cancer. 2009 Feb 3 - "An inverse association observed among premenopausal women was for high levels of vitamin A (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.98, p for trend = 0.01), beta-carotene (OR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.98, p for trend = 0.009), alpha-carotene (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.98, p for trend = 0.07) and lutein/zeaxanthin (OR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.68-0.99, p for trend = 0.02). An inverse association was not observed among postmenopausal women. Among premenopausal women who reported ever smoking, these results were stronger than among never smokers, although tests for interaction were not statistically significant. Results from this study are comparable to previous prospective studies, and suggest that a high consumption of carotenoids may reduce the risk of premenopausal but not postmenopausal breast cancer, particularly among smokers" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• Protective Effect of Total Carotenoid and Lycopene Intake on the Risk of Hip Fracture: A 17-Year Follow-Up From the Framingham Osteoporosis Study - J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Jan 12 - "Subjects with higher lycopene intake had lower risk of hip fracture (P trend=0.01), and non-vertebral fracture (P trend=0.02). A weak protective trend was observed for total beta-carotene for hip fracture alone but associations did not reach statistical significance (P trend=0.10). No significant associations were observed with alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin or lutein plus zeaxanthin. These results suggest a protective role of several carotenoids for bone health in older adults" - See lycopene at Amazon.com.
• Intake of plant foods and associated nutrients in prostate cancer risk - Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(2):216-24 - "Plant foods and associated nutrients may impact prostate cancer (PC) risk and survival ... Reduced PC risk was associated with the highest tertile of cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.35-0.75), fiber (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.35-0.89), vitamin C (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.41-0.88), and fruits and/or fruit juices (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.31-0.68), with significant linear trends. Increased risk of PC was associated with the highest tertile of protein (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.05-3.79) and daily servings of grains (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.23-3.22) with significant linear trends"
• The Effects of Natural Antioxidants from Tomato Extract in Treated but Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients - Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2008 Dec 4 - "two double blind cross-over treatment periods of 6 weeks each, with standardized tomato extract or identical placebo ... There was a significant reduction of systolic BP after 6 weeks of tomato extract supplementation, from 145.8 +/- 8.7 to 132.2 +/- 8.6 mmHg (p < 0.001) and 140.4 +/- 13.3 to 128.7 +/- 10.4 mmHg (p < 0.001) in the two groups accordingly. Similarly, there was a decline in diastolic BP from 82.1 +/- 7.2 to 77.9 +/- 6.8 mmHg (p = 0.001) and from 80.1 +/- 7.9 to 74.2 +/- 8.5 mmHg (p = 0.001). There was no significant change in systolic and diastolic BP during the placebo period" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Comparison of lycopene and fluvastatin effects on atherosclerosis induced by a high-fat diet in rabbits - Nutrition. 2008 Jun 26 - "Compared with the control, levels of total cholesterol, total triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, malonaldehyde, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and interleukin-1 were increased and total antioxidant capacity and nitric oxide were decreased in the animals with a high-fat diet (P < 0.05). Intragastric administration of lycopene counteracted the change in these parameters (P < 0.05). In this case, the data showed that lycopene in the used dose was better than the fluvastatin intervention. Morphologic analysis revealed that lycopene and fluvastatin markedly reduced the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta compared with the situation in rabbits on a high-fat diet alone ... Lycopene, like fluvastatin, significantly attenuated atherogenesis in rabbits fed a high-fat diet" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Total plasma carotenoids and mortality in the elderly: results of the Epidemiology of Vascular Ageing (EVA) study - Br J Nutr. 2008 May 29:1-7 - "After controlling for potential confounding factors, mortality risk increased significantly in men (P = 0.03) with plasma carotenoids in the lowest quintile compared with men with plasma carotenoids in the highest (relative risk 2.94 (95 % CI 1.21, 7.17)). A significant association between mortality by cancer and low plasma carotenoid level variable was also found in men (unit = 1 mumol/l; relative risk 1.72 (95 % CI 1.02, 2.86); P = 0.01)" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.  I think the problem with beta-carotene in smokers was due to the fact that taking large doses of a single carotenoid has been shown to reduce levels of the others.  There are over 600 carotenoids.
• Low plasma carotenoids and skeletal muscle strength decline over 6 years - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Apr;63(4):376-83 - "These findings suggest that older community-dwelling adults with lower plasma carotenoids levels, a marker of poor fruit and vegetable intake, are at a higher risk of decline in skeletal muscle strength over time" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Astaxanthin improves muscle lipid metabolism in exercise via inhibitory effect of oxidative CPT I modification - Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Feb 22;366(4):892-7 - "Astaxanthin increased fat utilization during exercise compared with mice on a normal diet with prolongation of the running time to exhaustion. Colocalization of fatty acid translocase with carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I) in skeletal muscle was increased by astaxanthin. We also found that hexanoyl-lysine modification of CPT I was increased by exercise, while astaxanthin prevented this increase. In additional experiment, we found that astaxanthin treatment accelerated the decrease of body fat accumulation with exercise training"
• Dietary carotenoids, vitamins C and e, and risk of cataract in women: a prospective study - Arch Ophthalmol. 2008 Jan;126(1):102-9 - "In these prospective observational data from a large cohort of female health professionals, higher dietary intakes of lutein/zeaxanthin and vitamin E from food and supplements were associated with significantly decreased risks of cataract"
• Lycopene inhibits disease progression in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53 - "Whereas progression of prostate enlargement occurred in the placebo group as assessed by trans-rectal ultrasonography (P < 0.05) and digital rectal examination (P < 0.01), the prostate did not enlarge in the lycopene group. Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb at Amazon.com.
• J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53 - "Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements. In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53 - "Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements. In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH"
• J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia - J Nutr. 2008 Jan;138(1):49-53 - "Symptoms of the disease, as assessed via the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, were improved in both groups with a significantly greater effect in men taking lycopene supplements. In conclusion, lycopene inhibited progression of BPH"
• Lycopene and soy isoflavones in the treatment of prostate cancer - Nutr Cancer. 2007;59(1):1-7 - "The data suggest that lycopene and soy isoflavones have activity in prostate cancer patients with PSA relapse disease and may delay progression of both hormone-refractory and hormone-sensitive prostate cancer"
• Plasma carotenoids and prostate cancer: a population-based case-control study in Arkansas - Nutr Cancer. 2007;59(1):46-53 - "This study added to the emerging evidence that high circulating levels of lycopene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin are associated with a low risk of prostate cancer" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Lycopene and lutein inhibit proliferation in rat prostate carcinoma cells - Nutr Cancer. 2007;58(2):171-7 - "These studies are consistent with epidemiological studies that show inverse relationships of these carotenoids with prostate cancer" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Plasma carotenoid levels and cognitive performance in an elderly population: results of the EVA Study - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2007 Mar;62(3):308-16 - "participants with the lowest cognitive functioning (<25th percentile) had a higher probability of having low levels of specific plasma carotenoids (<1st quartile): lycopene and zeaxanthin. For zeaxanthin, odds ratios (ORs) were as follows: OR(DSS) = 1.97 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21-3.20), OR(FTT) = 1.70 (CI = 1.05-2.74), and OR(WFT) = 1.82 (CI = 1.08-3.07); for lycopene, OR(DSS) = 1.93 (CI = 1.20-3.12) and OR(TMTB) = 1.64"
• Tomato juice decreases LDL cholesterol levels and increases LDL resistance to oxidation - Br J Nutr. 2007 Jul 9;:1-8 - "a high dietary intake of tomato products had atheroprotective effects, it significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels, and increased LDL resistance to oxidation in healthy normocholesterolaemic adults. These atheroprotective features associated with changes in serum lycopene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene levels"
• Dietary carotenoids and risk of breast cancer in Chinese women - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl:437-42 - "higher intake of lycopene, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin is associated to a lower risk of breast cancer among Chinese women"
• Tea and lycopene protect against prostate cancer - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl:453-7 - "The protective effect of green tea was significant (odds ratio 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06-0.35) for the highest quartile relative to the lowest after adjusting for total vegetables and fruits intakes and other potential confounding factors. Intakes of vegetables and fruits rich in lycopene were also inversely associated with prostate cancer risk (odds ratio 0.18 ... habitual drinking tea and intakes of vegetables and fruits rich in lycopene could lead to a reduced risk of prostate cancer in Chinese men. Together they have a stronger preventive effect than either component taken separately"
• Tomatoes, tomato products and lycopene in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer: do we have the evidence from intervention studies? - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Nov;9(6):722-7 - "Increasing evidence suggests that a single serving of tomatoes or tomato products ingested daily may contribute to protect from DNA damage. As DNA damage seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer, the regular ingestion of tomatoes or tomato products might prevent the disease"
• Associations between intermediate age-related macular degeneration and lutein and zeaxanthin in the Carotenoids in Age-related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS): ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative - Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Aug;124(8):1151-62 - "Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate AMD in healthy women younger than 75 years"
• Vitamin and carotenoid status in older women: associations with the frailty syndrome - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2006 Jun;61(6):600-7 - "Frail women are more likely to have relatively low serum carotenoid and micronutrient concentrations and are more likely to have multiple micronutrient deficiencies"
• Lutein supplementation in retinitis pigmentosa: PC-based vision assessment in a randomized double-masked placebo-controlled clinical trial - BMC Ophthalmol. 2006 Jun 7;6(1):23 - "These results suggest that lutein supplementation improves visual field and also might improve visual acuity slightly, although these results should be interpreted cautiously. As a combined phase I and II clinical trial, this study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of lutein supplementation"
• Association of carotene rich diet with hypogonadism in a male athlete - Asian J Androl. 2006 Jul;8(4):488-92 - "This is the first report associating excessive carotene intake with a hypothalamic form of hypogonadism in a young man"
• Association of abdominal obesity with decreased serum levels of carotenoids in a healthy Japanese population - Clin Nutr. 2006 May 12 - "abdominal fat accumulation is associated with oxidative stress as determined by low levels of serum carotenoids in females"
• Combined Lycopene and Vitamin E Treatment Suppresses the Growth of PC-346C Human Prostate Cancer Cells in Nude Mice - J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1287-93 - "lycopene combined with vitamin E may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer"
• Natural antioxidants from tomato extract reduce blood pressure in patients with grade-1 hypertension: a double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study - Am Heart J. 2006 Jan;151(1):100 - "Systolic blood pressure decreased from 144 (SE +/- 1.1) to 134 mm Hg (SE +/- 2, P < .001), and diastolic blood pressure decreased from 87.4 (SE +/- 1.2) to 83.4 mm Hg" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Diabetes mellitus and serum carotenoids: findings of a population-based study in Queensland, Australia - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Sep;82(3):685-93 - "Serum carotenoids are inversely associated with type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism. Randomized trials of diets high in carotenoid-rich vegetables and fruit are needed to confirm these results and those from other observational studies. Such evidence would have very important implications for the prevention of diabetes"
• Lycopene--a natural antioxidant - Orv Hetil. 2005 Jul 31;146(31):1621-4 - "Lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant amongst carotenoids. Beside the antioxidant effect it influences the expression of various proteins (enzymes of biotransformation, cyclin D1, connexins). According to epidemiologic studies tomato lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Positive effects are also hypothesized in case of other diseases such as osteoporosis, neurodegenerative diseases and hypertension" - See Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Intake of Lycopene Is Associated with Reduced Pancreatic Cancer Risk - J Nutr. 2005 Mar;135(3):592-597 - "After adjustment for age, province, BMI, smoking, educational attainment, dietary folate, and total energy intake, lycopene, provided mainly by tomatoes, was associated with a 31% reduction in pancreatic cancer risk among men"
• Lutein absorption is facilitated with cosupplementation of ascorbic acid in young adults - J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jan;105(1):114-8 - "Cosupplementation with another antioxidant may facilitate absorption"
• Lycopene, ß-carotene, and colorectal adenomas -Am  J  of Clin Nutr, Vol. 78, No. 6, 1219-1224, 12/03 - "Our findings support the hypothesis that lycopene contributes to the protective effect of high tomato intakes against the risk of colorectal adenomas"
• Synthetic and tomato-based lycopene have identical bioavailability in humans - Eur J Nutr. 2003 Oct;42(5):272-8 - "synthetic and natural lycopene are equivalent sources of lycopene and that there is no interaction with other circulating carotenoids"
• Dietary supplementation with a natural carotenoid mixture decreases oxidative stress - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;57(9):1135-40 - "Consumption of the natural carotenoid mixture lowered the increase in oxidative stress induced by the fish oil ... The carotenoid mixture also enhanced the plasma triglyceride-lowering effect of the fish oil" - See my favorite, Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• Dietary carotenoids and risk of coronary artery disease in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jun;77(6):1390-9 - "Higher intakes of foods rich in alpha-carotene or beta-carotene are associated with a reduction in risk of CAD"
• Dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of carotenoids and tocopherols in relation to glucose metabolism in subjects at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the Botnia Dietary Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jun;77(6):1434-41 - "The data suggest an advantageous association of carotenoids, which are markers of fruit and vegetable intake, with glucose metabolism in men at high risk of type 2 diabetes"
• Non-nutritive bioactive constituents of plants: lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin - Int J Vitam Nutr Res 2003 Mar;73(2):95-100 - "These carotenoids are efficient antioxidants quenching singlet molecular oxygen which is formed in photooxidative processes and thus may contribute to the prevention of light-exposed tissue, skin and eyes, from light-induced damage. Increasing lycopene intake by daily consumption of tomato paste over a period of ten weeks provides protection against erythema formation following UV-irradiation. Lycopene and other carotenoids may be used as oral sun protectants and contribute to the maintenance of skin health ... These macula carotenoids are suggested to play a role in protection against light-dependent damage. Filtering of blue light and scavenging of reactive intermediates generated in photooxidation are considered to be the underlying protective mechanisms. Epidemiological studies provide evidence that an increased consumption of lutein is associated with a lowered risk for age-related macular degeneration, a disease with increasing incidence in the elderly"
• Dietary carotenoids, vegetables, and lung cancer risk in women: the Missouri women's health study - Cancer Causes Control 2003 Feb;14(1):85-96 - "beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein + zeaxanthin, and total carotenoid intake were each associated with a significantly lower risk of lung cancer" - Note:  Beta-carotene is just one of over 600 carotenoids.  Some feel that taking mega-doses of just one can cause a deficiency of the others.

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