Not only do tomatoes add juiciness and acidity to a dish, they are also packed with nutrients, like potassium and Vitamin C.
Tomatoes also contain a beneficial compound called lycopene, which has antioxidant properties.
Lycopene is more available when exposed to heat, like in cooked tomato products such as tomato sauce. And that’s good news because research states that over 80% of all commercially grown tomatoes are used in tomato products, like soup, juice and sauce.
Let’s take a look at the health benefits of eating tomatoes, frequently asked questions about tomato products and yummy tomato recipes.
Tomato nutrition
One cup of tomatoes has:
- 32 calories
- 2 grams protein
- 0 grams fat
- 7 grams carbohydrates
- 2 grams fiber (7% daily value (DV))
- 25 milligrams Vitamin C (28% DV)
What are the health benefits of eating tomatoes?
Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C, a nutrient that is known for its role in immune health. Vitamin C contributes to many other bodily processes, such as wound healing, collagen synthesis, protein metabolism and iron absorption.
This water-soluble vitamin is also an antioxidant that helps rid the body of harmful free radicals — atoms that damage the body’s cells.
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a plant compound that has been studied for cancer prevention and heart protection. A 2022 review found that lycopene plays a role in preventing prostate cancer and breast cancer, two of the most common forms of cancer. Specifically, lycopene is thought to encourage cancer cell death.
Another review states that lycopene consumption reduces the blood concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which plays a role in the development of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. Lastly, a review of over 30 different articles concluded that there is an inverse association between tomato consumption and prostate cancer risk.
Beyond cancer, eating tomatoes has been linked to heart health. A tomato-rich diet has been linked to a reduction in the risk of heart disease. Several studies have found a link between lycopene consumption and a reduced risk of coronary heart disease. A separate meta-analysis concluded that high lycopene consumption was linked to lower incidences of mortality, cardiovascular disease and stroke.
