Tomato and Lycopene Consumption Prevents UV Damage and Skin Photoaging
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Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant found primarily in tomatoes that protects against UV radiation damage.
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A meta-analysis of 21 intervention trials found that tomato consumption or lycopene supplementation significant reductions in MMP-1 (an enzyme that degrades collagen), ICAM-1 (a protein that plays a role in inflammatory processes) and skin pigmentation.
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Tomato and lycopene also significantly increased skin thickness and density.
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Tomatoes could be an important food for reducing skin erythema (sunburn) and its associated damage, pigmentation, and skin photoaging.
Lycopene as a natural antioxidant that have been studied for ultraviolet radiation (UVR) photo protection and is one of the most effective carotenoids to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). This review aims to summarize the protective effect of tomato and lycopene on skin photo damage and skin photoaging in healthy subjects by reviewing the existing population intervention experiments. A total of five electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched from inceptions to January 2021 without any restriction. Out of 19336 publications identified, 21 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were meta-analysis. Overall, interventions supplementing tomato and lycopene were associated with significant reductions in Δa*, MMP-1, ICAM-1 and skin pigmentation; while tomato and lycopene supplementation were associated with significant increase in MED, skin thickness and skin density. Based on the results of this systematic review and meta-analysis, supplementation with tomato and lycopene could reduce skin erythema formation and improve the appearance and pigmentation of the skin, thereby preventing light-induced skin photodamage and skin photoaging. Lycopene-rich products could be used as endogenous sun protection and may be a potential nutraceutical for sun protection.