Studies showing that high levels of bad cholesterol negatively impact our cardiac health are plentiful these days, and they all say the same thing: many people need to decrease their dietary intake of cholesterol immediately. This may be easier said than done, so some people may end up needing the help of pharmaceuticals to keep their cholesterol levels in check. Unfortunately, pharmaceuticals often come with dangerous side effects, which may be why some savvy consumers have started exploring holistic elements and methods, such as Plant Sterols, first.

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Lycopene is one of the newer elements being promoted by developers as a cholesterol-lowering agent. It has been included in some multi-spectrum and stand-alone supplements. However, there are many elements on the market that are all promoted as being effective, and as one may expect, such promotions are not always accurate. Therefore, we'll take a focused look at Lycopene to see exactly what it may have to offer in this arena.

Lycopene is a carotenoid, which means that it is a natural fat-soluble pigment. It is found most often in plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. In fact, tomatoes are very rich in Lycopene. However, it's also found in our serum, skin, liver, adrenal glands, lungs, prostate and colon. In some animal and lab based studies, Lycopene has been shown to have some antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties.

Based upon these studies, it is often promoted as being able to address a wide range of issues, such as asthma, benign prostate hyperplasia, breast cancer, high blood pressure and various forms of cancer, as well as atherosclerosis and high cholesterol. However, when it comes to human health, its abilities and healthfulness remains controversial.

Developers who promote Lycopene-based products often point to studies that suggest an increased ingestion of Lycopene-containing foods may lessen the occurrences of cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. While these studies do in fact exist, they were based on ingesting tomatoes and not upon the use of Lycopene supplements. Also, it is important to keep in mind that tomatoes are also rich in Vitamin C, Foliate and Potassium, so, at this point, it is not clear if the healthful effects of increased tomato intake is due to the presence of Lycopene, other elements or both.

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