Stir-frying tomatoes helps with the absorption of lycopene
Research has shown that among various natural carotenoids, lycopene has the strongest effect in scavenging active oxygen and plays a role in preventing various epithelial cancers such as prostate and lung cancer. In human blood, the concentration of lycopene is inversely proportional to the incidence of cancer.
Tomatoes contain more than 20 types of carotenoids, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, of which lycopene accounts for about 80% to 90%. It can be said that tomatoes are a natural warehouse for lycopene.
When tomatoes are processed or cooked, the heat causes some of the double bonds in the lycopene molecule to change from a trans to a cis structure, causing the lycopene molecule to bend and making it easier for the human body to absorb. Additionally, since lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient, cooking tomatoes with oil or drizzling oil on tomato products facilitates its absorption. However, lycopene is prone to decomposition and loss when exposed to light, heat, and oxygen. Therefore, whether in factory production or home cooking, prolonged high-temperature heating should be avoided to retain more lycopene in the products and dishes, thereby enhancing their health benefits.