It's the red in your tomato and the pink in your grapefruit, but in your body, it's a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease. It is found in foods like tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, guava, rosehip, and red chilies.
Carotenoids also play a major role in the biological coloration of animals.
They are known to be essential for plant growth and photosynthesis, and are vital, researchers are discovering, for good health in animals. Animals, including people, store these vital chemicals in their bodies, but are dependent on plants as a source. In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids. Some organs, such as the testes and adrenal glands, store higher levels of lycopene than do other organs or tissues.