lycopene is not an essential nutrient for humans, but it is commonly found in the diet mainly from dishes prepared from tomatoes. When absorbed from the intestine, lycopene is transported in the blood by various lipoproteins and accumulates primarily in the blood, adipose tissue, skin, liver, and adrenal glands, but it can be found in most tissues. Lycopene in men also accumulates in the prostate and testes.
Preliminary research has shown that people who consume tomatoes may have a lower cancer risk, possibly due to lycopene affecting mechanisms of prostate cancer. However, this area of research and the relationship between lycopene and prostate cancer have been deemed insufficient of evidence for health claim approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.