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THE "SCIENCE" OF INDUSTRY 301The media, willing to oblige, rose to the occasion. It was lycopene time!
Suddenly lycopene became widely known as something to eat more of
if you don't want prostate cancer. The scientific world, investigating
details, escalated its efforts to decipher the "lycopene magic." As of this
writing, there now are 1,361(!) scientific publications on lycopene cited
by the National Library of Medicine.^26 A major market is developing,
with trade names like Lycopene lO Cold Water Dispersion and LycoVit
lO% to be used as food supplementsY Judging by the health claims,
we might be on the way to bringing prostate cancer, a leading cancer
among men, under control.
There are, though, a couple of disquieting thoughts. First, after
spending millions of research and development dollars, there is some
doubt whether lycopene, as an isolated chemical, can prevent prostate
cancer. According to a more recent publication, six studies now have
shown a statistically significant decrease in prostate cancer risk with
increased lycopene intake; three non-statistically Significant studies
agree; and seven studies do not show any association.^28 But these stud-
ies measured lycopene intake from whole foods, namely tomatoes. So,
while these studies certainly indicate that the tomato is still a healthy
food,28 does that mean we can assume that lycopene, by itself, reduces
prostate cancer risk? There are hundreds, even thousands, of chemicals
in tomatoes. Do we have evidence that isolated lycopene will do what
tomatoes do, especially for those who don't like tomatoes? The answer
is no.^29
There is no evidence for a lycopene-specific effect on prostate cancer,
and I seriously doubt whether we will ever have convincing evidence.
Nonetheless the lycopene business is up and running. In-depth studies
are underway to determine the most effective dose of lycopene as well
as to determine whether commercial lycopene preparations are safe
(when tested in rats and rabbits, that is).27 Also, consideration is being
given to the possibility of genetically modifying plants for higher levels
of lycopene and other carotenoids.^30 It is a real stretch to call this series
of lycopene reports legitimate science. In my book, this is what I call
technological tinkering and marketing, not science.
Five years before the latest "discovery" of lycopene, a graduate stu-
dent of mine, Youping He, compared four different carotenoids (beta-
carotene, lycopene from tomatoes, canthaxanthin from carrots and
cryptoxanthin from oranges) regarding their ability to prevent cancer in
experimental animals.^31 , 32 Depending on what we were testing and how