Regular intake of diets rich in lycopene and α-carotene may protect men against prostate cancer.

This study investigated the effect of high dietary exposure to carotenes and lycopene on prostate cancer risk. Researchers examined nutritional and clinical data extracted from 34 published studies.

Researchers discovered that high dietary ingestion of foods with high content of lycopene and α-carotene diminished the risk of developing prostate cancer but did not affect the progression of the advanced form of the disease. On the other hand, generous intake of foods loaded with β-carotene was found to have little or no effect on prostate cancer risk. The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that consistent consumption of foods rich in lycopene and α-carotene may be beneficial in the prevention of prostate cancer.