Lycopene is a naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits and vegetables a red color. It is found rich in tomatoes. The compound is one type of carotenoids and its anti-oxidation capability is 2 times more potent than β-carotene and **0 times more potent than vitamin E.

People take lycopene for preventing heart disease, "hardening of the arteries" (atherosclerosis); and cancer of the prostate, breast, lung, bladder, ovaries, colon, and pancreas. Lycopene is also used for treating human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, which is a major cause of uterine cancer.