Very high lycopene

[Eazybiker]

Hi everyone, my first post, thanks so much for letting me join. My first battery of blood tests in relation to hypo shows excessively high lycopene. (1.62 for a range of 0.5 to 1.3). I cannot find any information on lycopene imbalance, only that it is a good thing, but even too much of a good thing can be bad. Does anyone have info on this? Thanks so much. (PS the allergen test says tomato and peppers are fine, so it's apparently not a nightshade sensitivity.)

[RedApple Administrator]

Eazybiker, Maybe you'd eaten a lot of tomatoes before the test. Scroll down to Adverse Effects on this article en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopene

[Eazybiker in reply to RedApple]

Thanks, RedApple. Can't remember, honestly! Perhaps I will start a meal diary.

[humanbean]

I could be leading you up the garden path here... I'm not a doctor or a biochemist, so the following may be complete nonsense.

According to wikipedia :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopene

Lycopene is an organic compound classified as a tetraterpene and a carotene.

...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotene

β-Carotene can be stored in the liver and body fat and converted to retinal as needed, thus making it a form of vitamin A for humans and some other mammals. The carotenes α-carotene and γ-carotene, due to their single retinyl group (β-ionone ring), also have some vitamin A activity (though less than β-carotene), as does the xanthophyll carotenoid β-cryptoxanthin. All other carotenoids, including lycopene, have no beta-ring and thus no vitamin A activity (although they may have antioxidant activity and thus biological activity in other ways).

I wonder if there is a limit to the amount of carotenes the liver can handle. If the body is not good at converting beta-carotene to vitamin A then perhaps the levels of beta-carotene build up? Are the palms, of your hands and the soles of your feet quite orange, or orangey-red? And perhaps vitamin A levels are low?

If there are high levels of carotenes then perhaps this has a knock-on effect on the levels of lycopene?

You could try taking "real" vitamin A for a month i.e. not beta-carotene. In high doses real vitamin A is toxic i.e. not good for the liver which is why I am suggesting taking it just for a month.

"Real" vitamin A, rather than the prohormone beta-carotene, is often sold in the form of a supplement, retinyl palmitate. I'm not suggesting this is the best vitamin A supplement - there are several kinds available.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitam...

The reason I connected your high lycopene with carotenes and vitamin A is that people who have an underactive thyroid gland are very poor at converting carotenes to vitamin A.

See this link :

thyroiduk.org/role-of-vitam...

...

I had orangey-red palms and orange-red soles. I took retinyl palmitate (real vitamin A) and the orange/red colour of palms and hands disappeared.

...

I hope this is of interest. I'm not sure if it has any relevance to your question though!

[Eazybiker in reply to humanbean]

Very interesting, thanks so much. I eat something orange daily in trying to "eat the rainbow", usually carrots or squash. Palms and soles appear normal colour. Just before Covid I made a special effort to eat liver once a week and felt very good - based on your reply, I wonder if I converting that vitamin A better. Should get back to it.

[humanbean in reply to Eazybiker]

If you eat liver regularly it is unlikely that you are short of real vitamin A. I think liver is one of the main sources of real vitamin A in the human diet.

[Eazybiker in reply to humanbean]

That was before Covid, I should incorporate liver into my diet once again.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

This link about nutrition says it can be linked to cholesterol levels which would fit if you are under replaced for your thyroid. Was there a reason for this test?

academic.oup.com/jn/article...

How are your thyroid blood tests looking? Do you have any to share here? Also key vitamins - ferritin, folate, B12 & D3.

[Eazybiker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks, they were my first tests to try and diagnose the problem and I have my follow-up on Monday. I am not currently on medication but definitely hypo. I live in a country where both patient and doctor receive their tests so I have lots of questions for Monday!

Ferritin 59 (range 60 250). D3 68 (30-80). T3L 3 (2-4.4). T4L 10.7 (9.3-17.1). T3R 149 (90-215). I do not see B12 or folate. Selenium also jumped out at me. 1.29 ( 1.34-2.84). I am in worse health than I thought Glad I am finally seeking treatment.

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Eazybiker]

I don't see a TSH result there but your T4 is low.

Ferritin could be higher - 90-100 is better. Try eating chicken livers or pate a few times a week.

Selenium is really good for thyroid conversion. Would be good to supplement.

[Eazybiker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks so much for those ideas, it is all new to me. TSH 3.59 (range 0.27-4.2).

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to Eazybiker]

Much will depend on the diagnosis guidelines for your country. In the UK we need 2 consecutive blood results above the reference range to get a diagnosis. It may well be different where you live.

Always get bloods done at or as close to 9am as possible & fasting as this is when TSH is highest.

Your TSH shows your thyroid is struggling. Retest every 3-4 months.

Also get B12 & folate tested.

[Eazybiker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Thanks so much. I am in France.

[Eazybiker in reply to Jaydee1507]

Also cow dairy allergy literally off the chart but better to know. I have no stereotypical intestinal symptoms when eating cow dairy so this one shocked me. Apparently I tolerate goat milk, but sheep goat is "yellow light" on the green to red spectrum.