There is convincing scientific evidence in support of the
association between diet and chronic diseases. Based on such
evidence, dietary guidelines have been formulated around the
world for the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. One of the main
recommendation of these dietary guidelines is to increase the
consumption of plant based foods including fruits and vegetables
that are good sources of carotenoids and other biologically
active phytochemicals. Fruits and vegetables mediate their beneficial
effects via several mechanisms that include metabolism,
immune modulation and hormonal induction.However, in recent
years oxidative stress, induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS)
that are generated by normal metabolic activity as well as
lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise and diet, have been
implicated in the causation and progression of several chronic
diseases. Antioxidants that can mitigate the damaging effects
of ROS have been the focus of recent research. The role of
oxidative stress and antioxidants in chronic diseases is shown
in Fig. 1. Carotenoids, in view of their antioxidant properties
have received considerable interest by researchers, health professionals
and regulatory agencies. This review will focus on the
role of carotenoids in human health in general and lycopene in
particular which has been researched extensively in recent year
for its role in the prevention of chronic diseases.