The Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw^®
Life Extension News^TM
Volume 7 No. 2 • April 2004

Lycopene Inhibits Mineral Resorption from Bone

In a cell-culture study (cells from rat bone marrow),¹ lycopene (water-dispersible microemulsion preparation) was shown to inhibit basal and parathyroid hormone-stimulated osteoclast mineral resorption (as occurs in bone loss) and also to inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species (thought to be involved in bone loss) produced by osteoclasts. The authors also found that lycopene was not cytotoxic to the osteoclasts, but merely inhibited development. They concluded that these findings “. . . are novel and may be important in the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of osteoporosis.”

Reference

1. Leticia et al. Lycopene I—effect on osteoclasts: lycopene inhibits basal and parathyroid hormone-stimulated osteoclast formation and mineral resorption mediated by reactive oxygen species in rat bone marrow cultures. J Medicinal Food 6(2):69-78 (2003).