Food health

Everything you need to know about tomatoes

Last updated Mon 25 Sep 2017

By Megan Ware RDN LD

Reviewed by Karen Gill, MD

Table of contents

A tomato is a nutrient-dense superfood that offers benefit to a range of bodily systems. Its nutritional content supports healthful skin, weight loss, and heart health.

Despite the popularity of tomatoes, it was only 200 years ago that they were thought to be poisonous in the United States (U.S.) This is likely to be because the plant belongs to the toxic nightshade family.

Tomatoes are now the fourth most popularfresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions. This article will examine their powerful health benefits, nutritional content, ways to include more tomatoes in the diet, and the risks of tomato consumption.

Fast facts on tomatoes

Including tomatoes in the diet can help protect against cancer, maintain healthy blood pressure, and reduce blood glucose in people with diabetes.

Tomatoes contain key carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene. These can protect the eye against light-induced damage.

Eat more tomatoes by adding them to wraps or sandwiches, sauces, or salsas. Alternatively, eat them cooked or stewed, as these preparation methods can boost the availability of key nutrients.

Tomatoes are in the top ten fruits and vegetables for containing levels of pesticide residue. Wash tomatoes before eating.

Benefits



Tomatoes have extremely high nutritional density.
Image credit: unique_capture, own work

Tomatoes are an intensely nutritious plant food.

The benefits of consuming different types of fruit and vegetable are impressive, and tomatoes are no different. As the proportion of plant foods in the diet increases, the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer decreases.

There are different types and sizes of tomato, and they can be prepared in different ways. These include cherry tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, raw tomatoes, soups, juices, and purees.

The health benefits can vary between types. For example, cherry tomatoes have higher beta-carotene content than regular tomatoes.

High fruit and vegetable intake is also linked to healthy skin and hair, increased energy, and lower weight. Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables significantly decreases the risk of obesityand overall mortality.

1. Cancer

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitaminC and other antioxidants. With these components, tomatoes can help combat the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are known to cause cancer.

A recent study in the journal Molecular Cancer Research linked the intake of high levels of beta-carotene to the prevention of tumor development in prostate cancer.

Tomatoes also contain lycopene. Lycopene is a polyphenol, or plant compound, that has been linked with one type of prostate cancer prevention. It also gives tomatoes their characteristic red color.

Tomato products provide 80 percent of dietary lycopene consumed in the U.S.

A study of the Japanese population demonstrates that beta-carotene consumption may reduce the risk of colon cancer. Fiber intake from fruits and vegetables is associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.

Diets rich in beta-carotene may play a protective role against prostate cancer.

Further human-based research is needed to explore the possible roles of lycopene and beta-carotene in preventing or treating cancer.

1. Blood pressure

Maintaining a low sodium intake helps to maintain healthful blood pressure. However, increasing potassium intake may be just as important due to its widening effects on the arteries.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), fewer than 2 percent of U.S. adults meet the recommended daily potassium intake of 4,700 milligrams (mg).

High potassium and low sodium intake are also associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of dying from all causes.