Anti-Cancer Properties.
People who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables are considerably less likely to develop cancers. Some health experts attribute this to the phytochemical content in fruits and vegetables. The cancer prevention properties in phytochemicals is one key area of research. Lycopene is one of these phytochemicals that is attributed with anti-cancer properties.

Lycopene
Though tomatoes have received a lot of attention for their high lycopene content, other fruits also provide a good source of this phytochemical. Pink grapefruit, watermelon, apricots and papaya also contain fair amounts of lycopene. Studies show that the intake of lycopene can decrease one’s risk of developing certain cancers, particularly lung, stomach, bladder, skin, and prostate cancer. For instance, general population studies have shown that areas where people consume a lot of tomatoes and have high blood levels of lycopene, are less likely to develop cancer.

Juicing for Lycopene
Juicing is a great way to get lycopene into your diet. Juicing helps release the lycopene from the fruits and vegetables to make it more available for digesting and assimilating into the cells. This is especially true for tomatoes, which have been shown to release more of their lycopene content when juiced or cooked rather than eating the whole raw fruit. Here are 5 juicer recipes that will provide you with lycopene.

Juicing Recipes #1 – Tomato Juice
5 large tomatoes
(add more if using smaller tomatoes)

Remove stems, wash thoroughly and juice!

Juicing Recipes #2 – Watermelon
1/4 of medium sized watermelon

Use only the flesh and not the rind for juicing. The rind will add a sour taste if juiced. The lycopene is found in the flesh of the watermelon and responsible for its reddish color. Melon doesn’t digest so great with other foods, so it is a good idea to drink it alone.

Juicing Recipes #3 – Pink Grapefruit Juice
2 pink grapefruit

Peel the grapefruits and juice! Be sure to use pink and not yellow grapefruits.

Juicing Recipes #4 – Guava and Apricot
2 pink guava
3 Apricots

Use only the guava flesh and not the skins. Take the stone out of the apricot. Juice and enjoy!

Juicing Recipes #5 – Lycopene Vegetable Juice
4 large carrots
1 red bell pepper

Top and tail the carrots. Top and tail the red pepper and remove pith and seeds. Put them in your juicer.

(this article is for informational purposes only and should never take the place of medical advice)

In health
Darren and Veronica.