A red pigment with strong antioxidant effect found in tomatoes

It is said that lycopene is needed to protect tomatoes from sunlight while it ripens by absorbing the sun's rays. In Europe, the saying goes, "When tomato is red, the doctor's face is green." Tomatoes have long been thought to aid our physical health. Nowadays, it is know that lycopene has a strong antioxidant effect simi8lar to lutein. Lycopene can be more easily absorbed by our body from cooked food then from fresh vegetables and fruits. Lycopene's absorption rate is higher if it is cooked with oil, as it is fat-soluble.