ABSTRACT
Lycopene, a potent antioxidant present primarily in tomatoes and tomato products, is now proven to be important in bone health on the basis of epidemiological data, clinical studies and in vitro cell culture studies. Lycopene stimulates the growth and differentiation of the bone-forming osteoblasts through mechanisms not yet understood. Lycopene also inhibits the formation of osteoclasts and their ability to resorb bone by inhibiting the formation of reactive oxygen species. The evidence for the involvement of lycopene in bone health is presented through epidemiological and cross-sectional studies on men and premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Our ongoing clinical study is the first to evaluate lycopene from nutritional supplements and tomato juice for its ability to decrease the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. This review also includes the effects of oxidative stress and antioxidants in general, and the role played by lycopene in particular, on bone tissue and bone cells in culture. The final results of our study may indicate that lycopene can be used either as a dietary alternative to drug therapy or as a complement to the pharmaceuticals used by women at risk for osteoporosis.
