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Chakras, in some Hinduist traditions and other belief systems, are centers of Prāṇa, life force, or vital energy. Chakras correspond to vital points in the physical body i.e. major plexuses of arteries, veins and nerves. Texts and teachings present different numbers of chakras. Their name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning". The concept of chakra features in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. - Wikipedia
The location of Svadhisthana is just in front of the spine, in the sacral region, and its kshetram or activation point is in the pubic region. Being connected with the sense of taste, it is associated with the tongue, and being connected with reproduction, it is associated with the genitals. It is often associated with the endocrine organs of the testes or ovaries in men and women respectively. These produce the hormones testosterone or estrogen, which are important factors in sexual behaviour. These are also the locations the spermatoza or eggs are stored with their latent genetic information, like the latent samskaras that lie dormant within Swadhisthana.
It is associated with the power of fire, and digestion. It is also associated with the sense of sight, and the action of movement. Manipura is "the center of etheric-psychic intuition: a vague or non-specific, sensual sense of knowing; a vague sense of size, shape, and intent of being." As such, some psychics recommend "listening" to it since it may help in making better decisions in one's life on many different levels.
Flavonoids changes when metabolized into metabolites. In their metabolite form, they often have a lower antioxidant activity, reports the Linus Pauling Institute. Instead, flavonoids appear to have some control over cell-signaling pathways, including those responsible for releasing enzymes into the body. In fact, an article published in the May 2008 "Journal of Medicinal Chemistry" explains that certain flavonoids may inhibit the release of a-amylase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down starch into sugar. With less amylase in your system, the digestion of carbohydrates could slow, thereby lessening the sharp increase in blood glucose typically seen after a meal.
A potassium deficiency can negatively affect your digestion and other bodily functions as well. It often leads to a condition known as hypokalemia, defined as having too little potassium in your blood. Common symptoms include weakness, muscle cramps, stomach disturbances, a lack of energy and an irregular heartbeat. It is typically the result of too much potassium being lost through your urine or feces, rather than a lack of the mineral in your diet. This condition can endanger your life, and you should seek medical attention to correct it. Read more: www.livestrong.com...
Anahata chakra symbolizes the consciousness of love, empathy, selflessness and devotion. On the psychic level, this center of force inspires the human being to love, be compassionate, altruistic, devoted and to accept the things that happen in a divine way.
Anahata is said to be located near the region of the heart. Because of its association with touch, it is associated with the skin, and because of its association with actions of the hands, it is associated with the hands. In the endocrine system, Anahata is supposedly associated with the thymus gland, located in the chest.
Vitamin E also increases the expression of two enzymes that suppress arachidonic acid metabolism, thereby increasing the release of prostacyclin from the endothelium, which, in turn, dilates blood vessels and inhibits platelet aggregation. - NHI
As for the little blood clots that are the final cause of a stroke or heart attack, Doctors Lopez, Williams & Miehlke (all M.D.'s) report in Enzymes, the Fountain of Life (Neville Press, Charleston, SC, 1994): "the Enzyme Research Institute has demonstrated in countless double-blind studies ... that oral enzyme mixtures are able to dissolve the little clots referred to as microthrombi and normalize the blood flow equilibrium." (ch.14) Sprouts are the ultimate "oral enzyme mixture" – with billions of enzymes dancing in synergistic harmony, as only Mother Nature knows how.
Lutein, like beta-carotene, is in a class of nutrients called carotenoids. There is some evidence that lutein supplementation may help prevent macular degeneration, the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly. In a three-part study involving humans, artery cell samples and mice, researchers studied the impact of lutein on atherosclerosis in carotid (neck) arteries. Carotid artery thickness is an indication of atherosclerosis throughout the body. Atherosclerosis is the disease that leads to most heart attacks and strokes. In one part of the study, researchers studied 480 men and women, ages 40 to 60, who were part of the Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study and had no history of heart disease. The thickness of their carotid arteries and plasma levels of lutein were measured at baseline and 18 months later. The individuals in the highest quintile of blood levels of lutein had just a 0.004-millimeter (mm) increase in carotid artery thickness. For those in the lowest quintile, carotid artery thickness increased an average of 0.021 mm. In the laboratory portion of the study, researchers examined inner layer wall linings of human carotid arteries removed during surgery. They found that artery layers pretreated with lutein were less likely to attract monocytes, or white blood cells, which oxidize low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol. Oxidized LDL in the artery wall is a major cause of atherosclerosis. The higher the lutein dose, the less interaction between LDL and monocytes. In the mouse study, researchers found that mice given lutein supplementation had 43 percent smaller atherosclerotic lesions than mice that were not given lutein.
From these findings, the authors suggest that increased dietary intake of lutein may protect against the development of early atherosclerosis. The study may also help explain why diets rich in fruits and vegetables are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. This study and others failed to find a beneficial effect of beta-carotene. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals eat a variety of foods with emphasis on vegetables and fruits.
Resveratrol, the naturally occurring polyphenolic compound characterized by anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and apoptotic properties, appears to contribute substantially to cardioprotection and cancer-prevention. In addition, resveratrol is believed to regulate several biological processes, mainly metabolism and aging, by modulating the mammalian silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) of the sirtuin family. Resveratrol may arrest, among various tumors, cell growth in both papillary and follicular thyroid cancer by activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway as well as increase of p53 and its phosphorylation. Finally, resveratrol also influences thyroid function by enhancing iodide trapping and, by increasing TSH secretion via activation of sirtuins and the phosphatidylinositol- 4-phosphate 5 kinase γ (PIP5Kγ) pathway, positively affects metabolism.
It is believed that tannins isolated from the stem bark of Myracrodruon urundeuva may have neuroprotective functions capable of reversing 6-hydroxydopamine-induced toxicity. The plant has shown promise as a potential therapeutic agent, which may be beneficial in patients with neurological disease. Souza et al. discovered that the tannins isolated from the stem bark also have anti-inflammatory and antiulcer activity in rodents, showing a strong antioxidant property with possible therapeutic applications.
Ajna is associated with the third eye on the forehead. It is sometimes associated with the pineal gland, and sometimes with the pituitary gland. The pineal gland is actually related to a light sensitive 'third eye' (Parietal eye) found in some lizards, amphibians and fish, and regulates the circadian rhythms, while the pituitary gland is considered as the master gland of all endocrine glands, whose secretions control all the other endocrine glands.
Bilberries and blueberries have both been used as traditional medicine, however bilberry has been shown to be far more effective by modern scientific and clinical investigations. This is due to the fact that bilberries contain a significantly higher concentration of the active substances anthocyanins (a form of isoflavonoids) than blueberries, along with a higher antioxidant potential. Anthocyanins, associated with the rich pigment colour in bilberries, have attracted much scientific investigation into their health benefits. The antioxidant properties of bilberry, as measured by its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), was higher than for blueberries corresponding to the amount of anthocyanins. To date, there is evidence that anthocyanins reduce cell damage caused by oxidative stress, while protecting cardiovascular function, and possessing anti-inflammatory properties. For eye health, bilberry provides many protective effects against vision impairments and blindness.
Often associated with improvement of night vision, bilberries are mentioned in a popular story of World War II RAF pilots consuming bilberry jam to sharpen vision for night missions. However, a recent study[5] by the U.S. Navy found no such effect and origins of the RAF story cannot be found.[6] After the introduction of radar, RAF bombing became more accurately targeted, but to confuse the enemy, the story was leaked that it "was something in the pilots' diet" that improved their targeting - that something, however, was carrots, not bilberries, and the story was concocted merely to keep the Germans from knowing the real reason for improved accuracy.
Anthocyanins are the largest group of water-soluble pigments in the plant kingdom, known collectively as flavonoids. More than 8000 flavonoids, and 500 anthocyanin structures had been reported by the year 2000 and more are continually being isolated. Anthocyanins are believed to display an array of beneficial actions on human health and well-being. Due to our increasing understanding and awareness of the potential beneficial human health effects, research on anthocyanins has recently intensified. During the past two decades an increasing number of studies have investigated the diverse protective effects elicited by polyphenolics present in various fruits and vegetables. These effects include antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, antiproliferative, anti-mutagenic, anti-microbial, anti-carcinogenic, protection from cardiovascular damage and allergy, microcirculation improvement, peripheral capillary fragility prevention, diabetes prevention, and vision improvement. Other physiological effects are continually being investigated. The aim of the present article is to summarise the known anti-diabetic and eye function properties of anthocyanins to help in our understanding of their functional mechanism.
When it comes to eye health, the research is limited, but because of Lycopene being closely related other carotenoids, it is often used to support eye health. The carotenoid family helps protect against oxidative damage (free radicals) in many parts of the body, but more so in the eyes. It has been shown that people with higher blood levels of carotenoids have a decreased incidence of conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Lycopene is a natural pigment, a nutrient classified as a carotenoid, which your body can convert into vitamin A. One possible benefit of lycopene is the antioxidant nature of this pigment, and this and other components of lycopene may lead to many health benefits, such as preventing heart disease and certain types of cancer. Lycopene may also have a role in helping to reduce your risk of macular degeneration, but this nutrient cannot reverse damage or improve vision loss that results from the condition.--Read more: www.livestrong.com...
Sahasrara is related to the crown of the head. It is sometimes related to the pineal gland and sometimes to the pituitary gland.
Serotonin: A phenolic amine neurotransmitter (C10H12N2O) that is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is found especially in the brain, blood serum and gastric membranes of mammals. Considered essential for relaxation, sleep, and concentration
Betacyanins from Portulaca oleracea helped ameliorate cognition deficits in mice.
Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. In animal studies, nasunin has been found to protect the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out, and receiving instructions from messenger molecules that tell the cell which activities it should perform.
Researchers at the US Agricultural Service in Beltsville, Maryland, have found that eggplants are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. Plants form such compounds to protect themselves against oxidative stress from exposure to the elements, as well as from infection by bacteria and fungi. The good news concerning eggplant is that the predominant phenolic compound found in all varieties tested is chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plant tissues. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities. ARS researchers studied seven eggplant cultivars grown commercially in the U.S. and a diverse collection of exotic and wild eggplants from other counties. In addition to chlorogenic acid, they found 13 other phenolic acids present at significantly varying levels in the commercial cultivars, although chlorogenic acid was the predominant phenolic compound in all of them. Black Magic—a commercial eggplant cultivar representative of U.S. market types—was found to have nearly three times the amount of antioxidant phenolics as the other eggplant cultivars that were studied. In addition to their nutritive potential, the phenolic acids in eggplant are responsible for some eggplants' bitter taste and the browing that results when their flesh is cut. An enzyme called polyphenol oxidase triggers a phenolic reaction that produces brown pigments. Scientists have begun work on developing eggplant cultivars with an optimal balance of phenolics to ensure both optimal nutritional value and pleasing taste.
Chlorogenic acids found in coffee may also: Improve brain performance and mental health (13) Reduce oxidative stress, body fat, and energy uptake, while also boosting glutathione, your body’s primary antioxidant and toxin-scavenger. Ultimately, the extract may reduce DNA damage and yield anti-aging properties (14; 15) Reduce blood pressure, although the research evidence is still inconclusive (16; 17; 18). The proposed blood pressure-lowering effect may be a result of 5-quinoyl quinic acid as well as other chlorogenic acids found in green coffee bean. Scientists also have shown that the higher the dose of green coffee bean extract given, the more profoundly that blood pressure may be lowered. (19; 20; 21). Offer anti-cancer properties, and like similar plant chemicals, may keep cancer cells from metastasizing into new areas of the body (22).
Lycopene (from the New Latin word lycopersicum, referring to the tomato species) is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical found in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, red bell peppers, watermelons, gac, and papayas (but not strawberries or cherries).[1] Although lycopene is chemically a carotene, it has no vitamin A activity.[2] In plants, algae, and other photosynthetic organisms, lycopene is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of many carotenoids, including beta carotene, responsible for yellow, orange or red pigmentation, photosynthesis, and photo-protection. Like all carotenoids, lycopene is a polyunsaturated hydrocarbon (an unsubstituted alkene).
Structurally, it is a tetraterpene assembled from eight isoprene units, composed entirely of carbon and hydrogen, and is insoluble in water. Lycopene's eleven conjugated double bonds give it its deep red color and are responsible for its antioxidant activity. Due to its strong color and non-toxicity, lycopene is a useful food coloring (registered as E160d) and is approved for usage in the USA,[3] Australia and New Zealand (registered as 160d)[4] and the EU.[5]
Lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but is commonly found in the diet, mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the stomach, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates in the liver, adrenal glands, and testes. Because preliminary research has shown an inverse correlation between consumption of tomatoes and cancer risk, lycopene has been considered a potential agent for prevention of some types of cancers, particularly prostate cancer.[2] However, this area of research and the relationship with prostate cancer have been deemed insufficient of evidence for health claim approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (see below under Antioxidant properties and potential health benefits).
Carotenoids are suitable photoprotectants, and beta-carotene supplements are used for protection against ultraviolet (UV) light-induced erythema. Protective effects are also observed when carotenoids are provided with the diet. Here, we investigated the photoprotective effects of synthetic lycopene in comparison with a tomato extract (Lyc-o-Mato) and a drink containing solubilized Lyc-o-Mato (Lyc-o-Guard-Drink). With these different sources, the volunteers ingested similar amounts of lycopene (about 10 mg/day). After 12 weeks of supplementation, significant increases in lycopene serum levels and total skin carotenoids were observed in all groups. Significant increases in the serum levels of phytofluene and phytoene occurred in the Lyc-o-Mato and the Lyc-o-Guard-Drink group. At weeks 0, 4, and 12 an erythema was induced with a solar light simulator. Dorsal skin of each subject was irradiated with 1.25 minimal erythemal dose (MED).
Reddening of the skin was evaluated before and 24 hours after irradiation by chromametry and expressed as positive a-values (red/green-axis). delta a-values (difference of a-value before irradiation and after 24 hours) were used as an index of erythema intensity. A decrease in the delta a-value from week 0 to week 12, indicating prevention of erythema formation, was observed in all groups. Compared to week 0, the delta a-value at week 12 was 25% lower in the synthetic lycopene group. The protective effect was more pronounced in the Lyc-o-Mato (38%) and Lyc-o-Guard-Drink (48%) groups. In the two latter groups, phytofluene and phytoene may have contributed to protection. Both of these carotenoids exhibit absorption maxima at wavelengths of UV light. Absorption of UV light protects skin from photodamage and might explain the differences observed between groups.
This information[which?] attracted the attention of public news media, describing that red wine consumption is associated with favorable intake of health-promoting flavonoids that correlate positively with oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). In red wines, total oligomeric procyanidin content, including flavan-3-ols (catechins), was substantially higher (177.18 ± 96.06 mg/L) than that in white wines (8.75 ± 4.53 mg/L). A relative high correlation in red wines was found between ORAC values and malvidin compounds (r = 0.75, P < 0.10), and procyanidins (r = 0.87, P < 0.05).[20] In white wines, a significant correlation was found between the trimeric procyanidin fraction and peroxyl radical scavenging values (r = 0.86, P < 0.10). A moderate drink (1 drink per day, about 140 mL) of red wine, or white wine, or wine made from highbush blueberry corresponded to an intake of 2.04 ± 0.81 mmol of TE (Trolox equivalents), 0.47 ± 0.15 mmol of TE, and 2.42 ± 0.88 mmol of TE of ORAC/day, respectively.[20][21]
Procyanidins are the principal vasoactive polyphenols in red wine that are linked to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and to lower overall mortality.[22] Procyanidins are present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia, which are associated with increased longevity in the population. Earlier studies that attributed this health benefit to resveratrol were premature because of the negligible amount of resveratrol in red wine. Procyanidins suppress production of a protein endothelin-1 that constricts blood vessels.[22] These studies provide data supporting the French Paradox that hypothesizes that intake of procyanidins and other flavonoids from regular consumption of red wines prevents occurrence of a higher disease rate (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes) in French citizens on high-fat diets.[22] Procyanidins have antioxidant activity and they play a role in the stabilization of collagen and maintenance of elastin — two critical proteins in connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, and muscle. Possibly because of their effects on blood vessels, procyanidins have been reported in double-blind research to reduce the duration of edema after face-lift surgery from 15.9 to 11.5 days.[citation needed] In preliminary research, procyanidins were reported to have anti-mutagenic activity (i.e., to prevent chromosomal mutations).[citation needed] Common antioxidants currently used are vitamin C and vitamin E; however, studies show that procyanidins antioxidant capabilities are 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E.[23]
Procyanidins found in French maritime pine bark and grape seed extract work directly to help strengthen all the blood vessels and improve the delivery of oxygen to the cells. Procyanidins also have an affinity for cell membranes, providing nutritional support to reduce capillary permeability and fragility.[citation needed] Although flavonoids are widespread in nature, the powerful procyanidin compounds are most abundant and available from the bark of the maritime pine and in grape seeds, or pips.
In addition, the particular procyanidins found in the proprietary extract of maritime pine bark called Pycnogenol have been shown to optimize the production of nitric oxide in the artery walls so as to relax them and allow greater blood flow and reduced pressure.[24] Additionally, this same preparation, Pycnogenol, has been found to normalize platelet adhesion (aggregation) so as to facilitate normal blood flow.[25] Nevertheless, meta-analysis of clinical studies on Pycnogenol(®) published in 2012 concluded:
Procyanidin, optionally combined with hydroxycitric acid, is used in a method for the reduction of appetite in a mammal. Preferably procyanidin is administered to the mammal in a dosage of between 0.5 and 100 mg per kg bodyweight. Also shown is a process for the manufacture of a composition for oral administration.
A nutritional composition suitable for reducing appetite, a method for the treatment and/or prevention of overweight and a method for the reduction of a mammalian appetite. The weight reduction and/or appetite reduction is achieved by administration of procyanidin and a flavonoid selected from the group consisting of chrysin, flavone, precursors of these flavonoids that are convertible into the one of these flavonoids by gastrointestinal hydrolytic cleavage and mixtures thereof. ...
α-Carotene is a form of carotene with a β-ring at one end and an ε-ring at the other. It is the second most common form of carotene.
Dietary intake affects blood levels of α-carotene which was associated with significantly lower risk of death, in one study.
The following vegetables are rich in alpha-carotene[1] :
Yellow-orange vegetables : Carrots (the main source for US adults), Sweet potatoes, Pumpkin, Winter squash
Dark-green vegetables : Broccoli, Green beans, Green peas, Spinach, Turnips greens, Collards, Leaf lettuce, Avocado
Carotenoids are yellow, orange, and red pigments synthesized by plants. The most common carotenoids in North American diets are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene. Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin are provitamin A carotenoids, meaning they can be converted by the body to retinol (vitamin A). Lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene have no vitamin A activity.
Adult rat Leydig cells, purified by Percoll density gradient centrifugation, were used to determine the effect of retinol and retinoic acid on steroidogenesis. It was found that both retinoic acid and retinol stimulated testosterone production.
Abundant animal research indicates the importance of vitamin A to the production of testosterone. Vitamin A crosses the blood-testis barrier in its alcohol form as retinol, where it is stored in the Sertoli cells and converted as needed to its more biologically active form, retinoic acid. Experiments with rats show that greater concentrations of vitamin A in the testes increase basal testosterone secretion, as well as transferrin, which is responsible for the transport of iron; and a variety of growth factors including IGF-binding protein 4 (which transports IGF), androgen-binding protein (which transports androgens), transforming growth factor-beta (which causes cell growth but suppresses cancer) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (which is responsible for the transport of cholesterol into the mitochondria for its conversion to steroids). Vitamin A also decreases estrogen production in the male testes.
Rats that are deficient in vitamin A experience decreased testosterone until the accessory sex organs atrophy, indicating that vitamin A not only aids in, but is essential to, testosterone production.1 One experiment using guinea pigs, which corroborates the many experiments done with rats, found a decrease in plasma testosterone associated with a deficiency in vitamin A.2 A human study comparing the dietary intakes of 155 pairs of male twins found a correlation between testosterone levels and vitamin A intake.3 The most compelling study is one that assigned 102 teenage boys with short stature and delayed puberty into four groups: a control, a testosterone-supplemented group, a vitamin A- and iron-supplemented group, and a group that received both testosterone and the nutritional supplementation. All treatments were effective in inducing growth and puberty, whereas the control group did not gain weight or begin puberty in the same period of time. What is most amazing is that the degree of growth acceleration was similar in the testosterone-treated group and the vitamin A-treated group.
Pubertal onset occurred in 9-12 months in the testosterone group, and by 12 months in the vitamin-A group.4 This study suggests two things. The first is that the growth problems these boys experienced could have been avoided if their parents only had known the importance of serving a meal with liver on a weekly basis, as liver is very rich in both vitamin A and iron. The second is that, with equivalent hard work and dedication, athletes and body builders may be able to achieve similar results from their training by taking high-vitamin cod liver oil and eating foods rich in vitamin A on a regular basis as others receive from the common practice of supplementing with testosterone precursors.
Carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin are fat-soluble substances, and as such require the presence of dietary fat for proper absorption through the digestive tract. Consequently, your carotenoid status may be impaired by a diet that is extremely low in fat or if you have a medical condition that causes a reduction in the ability to absorb dietary fat such as pancreatic enzyme deficiency, Crohn's disease, celiac sprue, cystic fibrosis, surgical removal of part or all of the stomach, gall bladder disease, and liver disease. Due to low consumption of fruits and vegetables, many adolescents and young adults do not take in enough carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
In addition, if you smoke cigarettes and/or drink alcohol, you may have lower than normal blood levels of carotenoids. Statistically speaking, smokers and drinkers eat fewer foods that contain lutein and zeaxanthin. Also, researchers suspect that cigarette smoke destroys carotenoids.
Originally posted by Lucifer84
Sorry if i have got the wrong end of the stick..... How would you look to heal something like a broken leg with chakra healing?
THE FIRST CHAKRA: Saturn represents "structures". Your skeleton is a structure that holds your body in place; it acts as a foundation. "Bones, foundations, security and structure" are all keywords for the 1ST Chakra. It represents the structures that you deal with in life in order to survive physically. If you are not able to deal effectively with the outer social structures of your world, then you tend to live from paycheck-to-paycheck in a dog-eat-dog world. This seems to be a very common problem in our Western Culture because we have forgotten how to ground ourselves with the energies of the Earth. People who are "grounded" have a strong sense of who they are. They know how to acquire what they need in order to comfortably survive.
In conclusion, these results suggest that lycopene intake exhibited positive effect on bone strength but not on BMD.
Osteoporosis is known as the silent disease. This metabolic bone disease occurs primarily in women over the age of 50 due to estrogen loss at menopause. It not only affects one in two women–it also affects one in four men. Oxidative stress is caused when an imbalance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as free radicals, occurs in the body.
This overabundance of ROS is one of the major causes of several chronic diseases including osteoporosis. Lycopene, a potent antioxidant found predominantly in tomatoes and tomato products, helps to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis due to oxidative stress. It inhibits ROS production and the formation and activity of osteoclasts (the cells that are responsible for bone loss).
Lycopene stimulates alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The presence of this widely recognized biochemical marker indicates osteoblasts are at work building bone. Recent Research Bone turnover markers predict bone loss and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Ongoing clinical studies are evaluating the relationship between bone turnover markers and oxidative stress markers.
Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto tested whether lycopene in the diet correlates directly with serum lycopene (the measurement of lycopene in the blood). A direct correlation was found between lycopene intake and serum lycopene which indicates that lycopene in the diet is readily absorbed by postmenopausal women. Additionally, the women who consumed food high in lycopene had lower oxidative stress parameters and lower bone turnover markers.