Lycopene: The Tomato Compound That May Help Your Heart

This red plant pigment shows up again and again in research on blood pressure and cholesterol.

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By the Ration Editorial Team · Reviewed against primary research · Updated July 14, 2026

Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid, the same family of plant pigments that includes beta-carotene and lutein.

It gives tomatoes, watermelon, and pink grapefruit their color.

Unlike some carotenoids, lycopene has no vitamin A activity. Its interest comes almost entirely from its antioxidant properties and its possible effects on cardiovascular markers^[6].

Lycopene is a strong antioxidant, capable of neutralizing reactive molecules that can damage LDL cholesterol and blood vessel walls.

Some of the clearest mechanistic evidence points to the gut. In cell studies, lycopene downregulated NPC1L1, a transporter responsible for absorbing cholesterol from food^[7][4].

Less cholesterol absorbed may mean less circulating in the blood over time.

Separately, lycopene appears to influence cholesterol handling inside immune cells called macrophages, encouraging cholesterol efflux rather than buildup, a process relevant to early atherosclerosis^[11].

For blood pressure, researchers suspect improved endothelial function and reduced oxidative stress in blood vessel walls, though this pathway is less firmly established than the cholesterol mechanism^[1].

Lycopene is one of the better studied carotenoids for cardiovascular markers, with several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized trials.

• ↓Systolic Blood PressureAHuman trials

  Research may lower Systolic Blood Pressure · strong agreement · 6 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials (2011)
  • Lycopene supplement and blood pressure: an updated meta-analysis of intervention trials (2013)
  • Effect of tomato, lycopene and related products on blood pressure: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (2021)
  • Dietary Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure Control: Beyond Salt Restriction (2021)
  • Lycopene: Food Sources, Biological Activities, and Human Health Benefits (2021)
• ↓LDL CholesterolAHuman trials

  Research may lower LDL Cholesterol · strong agreement · 6 studies

  View 5 studies on PubMed

  • Protective effect of lycopene on serum cholesterol and blood pressure: Meta-analyses of intervention trials (2011)
  • Effects of lycopene intake on HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels: A systematic review with meta-analysis (2021)
  • Lycopene regulation of cholesterol synthesis and efflux in human macrophages (2011)
  • Lycopene Reduces Cholesterol Absorption and Prevents Atherosclerosis in ApoE(-/-) Mice by Downregulating HNF-1α and NPC1L1 Expression (2021)
  • Lycopene reduces cholesterol absorption through the downregulation of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 in Caco-2 cells (2015)

For LDL cholesterol, a 2021 meta-analysis found lycopene supplementation associated with meaningful reductions, alongside effects on HDL and triglycerides that were less consistent^[3]. Earlier pooled analyses from 2011 and 2012 similarly reported LDL lowering with lycopene or tomato products^[10][9].

For blood pressure, a 2021 network meta-analysis comparing tomato products, lycopene extracts, and combinations found reductions in systolic blood pressure, particularly at higher doses and in people who started with elevated readings^[2]. An older 2013 meta-analysis of intervention trials reached a similar conclusion^[8], as did a 2011 pooled analysis^[10].

Not every trial agrees on magnitude or on which subgroups benefit most, and dietary intervention studies suggest lycopene works best as part of a broader pattern that also limits sodium^[5].

Animal work in ApoE knockout mice, a standard model for atherosclerosis, found lycopene reduced cholesterol absorption and slowed plaque development, reinforcing the gut mechanism seen in human cell studies^[4].

• Tomatoes and tomato products, especially cooked or concentrated forms like tomato paste and sauce
• Watermelon
• Pink and red grapefruit
• Guava
• Papaya
• Red bell peppers (in smaller amounts)

Cooking tomatoes in a bit of oil actually increases how much lycopene the body can absorb, since it is fat soluble^[6].

There is no established daily requirement for lycopene, since it is not an essential nutrient.

Trials showing benefits for blood pressure and LDL cholesterol have used doses ranging from about 10 mg to over 25 mg per day, often from concentrated tomato extracts rather than whole food^[2][8][3].

Supplement forms include softgels with tomato oleoresin or synthetic lycopene, and doses vary considerably between products, which makes comparing studies difficult^[6].

A diet rich in tomatoes and other lycopene sources, paired with a source of dietary fat, remains the best studied way to raise lycopene levels.

Lycopene from food sources is considered very safe and has a long history of dietary consumption without issue^[6].

High intakes, mostly from concentrated supplements, have occasionally been linked to a harmless skin discoloration called lycopenemia, which resolves once intake is reduced.

Because lycopene may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, people already taking medications for these conditions might want to be mindful of combined effects, though this has not been well studied in trials.

• People looking to support healthy cholesterol levels through diet
• People with mildly elevated blood pressure interested in food based approaches
• Anyone already eating a Mediterranean style diet rich in tomatoes and other produce
• Researchers and clinicians tracking carotenoid intake as part of overall antioxidant status

Lycopene has some of the more consistent trial evidence among carotenoids for two cardiovascular markers, systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol^{[2][3][8][10]}.

The effects are modest, not dramatic, and best viewed as a supporting player alongside broader dietary patterns rather than a standalone fix.

Getting lycopene from tomatoes, watermelon, and other colorful produce remains a reasonable, low risk way to work it into a heart healthy diet.