8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
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8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes

8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
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Updated on August 19, 2026
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You might want to trade your apple a day for another juicy red bite: a tomato. Research suggests

 that the versatile fruit — yes, it's a fruit, and technically a berry — boasts bountiful health benefits. One medium-sized raw tomato packs more than one gram of fiber into just 22 calories, according to data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),

 and is also a good source of potassium, vitamin A, and the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that offers various research-backed benefits, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

Tomatoes also have a notably high water concentration, according to UCLA Health, which notes that at 94 percent, they are even more hydrating than watermelon.

Tomatoes are available in various forms, including fresh, canned, or in products such as paste or sauce. This versatility makes them easy to incorporate into weekly menus and accessible for most budgets. Tomato paste is actually more concentrated for certain nutrients — notably lycopene — than raw or canned tomatoes, says Jennifer Christman, RDN, clinical nutrition director at the Medifast Metabolic Health Institute in Baltimore. That’s because tomato paste has much less water than fresh tomatoes, lending it a higher concentration of the antioxidant. Cooking fresh tomatoes into, say, a pasta sauce can provide a similar effect by stewing out the water content.

In concentrated tomato products like tomato paste, the lycopene content may be higher ounce for ounce, says Christman, but that doesn’t mean you should stay away from the fresh fruit, because lycopene is “still abundant” in that, too. “If you do choose processed tomato products, look for ones without added sugar, salt, and oil when possible,” Christman recommends.

Here are eight key reasons to add more tomatoes to your diet.

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1. A Tomato-Rich Diet Lowers the Risk of Certain Cancers

The lycopene in tomatoes (most abundantly present in their skin, Christman says) may have promising anticancer properties. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2025 found an association between dietary lycopene intake and lower rates of cancer and death from cancer, particularly prostate cancer.

 This could be because the lycopene in the tomatoes inhibits cancer cell growth and modulates immune function.

“Lycopene, along with other antioxidants in tomatoes, works synergistically to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals,” Christman says. Free radicals are compounds that have been associated with disease and aging, so in this way, tomatoes may play a crucial role in disease prevention.

One more caveat: The key to maximizing lycopene’s protective benefits is to eat tomatoes along with healthy fats, as carotenoids require fat to be properly absorbed by the body, research published in 2021 in Antioxidants found.

 “Try tomatoes with avocados or olive oil, for example, in a salsa or salad, to reap the full benefit,” Christman says.
Illustrative graphic titled Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes shows Loaded with lycopene, May protect your vision, May lower heart disease risk, Could help prevent certain cancers. Everyday Health logo
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2. Tomatoes May Help Improve Liver Health

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. It’s characterized by an accumulation of liver fat, and it can progress to something more serious if left untreated.

 A small study published in Nutrients found that eating lycopene-rich tomatoes — including raw and as a sauce — may be helpful for managing liver fat in adults with MASLD.

3. Tomatoes May Preserve Your Eye Health

Along with lycopene, tomatoes contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which may support eye health. Clinical trials have found that they may lower the risk of progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people who already have intermediate AMD, according to the National Eye Institute.

 The vitamin A that the body gets from tomatoes is another key nutrient that supports eye health. Avoiding a vitamin A deficiency can help reduce the risk of night blindness.

4. The Water in Tomatoes Helps You Stay Hydrated

Tomatoes are around 94 percent water, which makes them ultra-hydrating, says Rachel Jones, RDN, the executive vice president and chief merchandising and science officer at GNC. They also contain potassium (292 milligrams [mg] per one medium tomato), an electrolyte that supports proper hydration by helping maintain intracellular fluid volume, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements.

5. Tomatoes Pack a Punch of the Antioxidant Vitamin C

One cup of chopped tomatoes provides an average of 29 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C, according to USDA data.

 Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports immune function and collagen production, reduces inflammation, and helps protect against disease-causing free radical damage and aging, per the Office of Dietary Supplements.

“Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption,” Christman says, “so by pairing tomatoes with iron-rich lean proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, skinless chicken, and turkey and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, and seeds, you’ll optimize the nutrients you are getting.”

6. Tomatoes Can Do Wonders for the Gut

A diet rich in tomatoes may help diversify the gut microbiome, which can maintain balanced digestion and an optimized immune system, according to a review published in Biology in February 2022.

 Another study published in 2022 concludes that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in tomatoes, is connected to reduced gut inflammation for people with Crohn’s disease.

Additional research on tomatoes’ impact on gut health is in the early stages, and human studies are needed to provide confident conclusions. However, mouse experiments found that dietary supplementation with tomato powder significantly increased the diversity and richness of the rodents’ gut microbiota and reduced the inflammatory response, indicating that tomatoes show potential for treating inflammatory bowel disease. A healthy, diverse microbiome has been linked to many health benefits, including improved immunity and the prevention of diseases, like cancer and inflammatory liver disease, by mediating the buildup of harmful bacteria.

7. The Antioxidants in Tomatoes Are Good for Your Heart

High consumption of tomatoes is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death from coronary heart disease, according to research published in Frontiers in Nutrition in March 2022.

 One potential reason: The antioxidants and other nutrients in tomatoes — specifically lycopene — have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, potentially for supporting healthy blood pressure.

8. Tomatoes Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight

With only around 20 calories in a medium-sized fruit, fresh tomatoes are a low-calorie food, and their fiber and high water content may help you feel full longer and maintain a healthy weight, Jones says. Canned tomatoes have similar properties, provided they have been processed without added sugar and sodium (check the nutrition facts label to be sure).

Incorporating tomatoes into your diet can be part of a balanced diet, says Christman, who recommends the general rule of filling half your plate with nonstarchy vegetables or fruits like tomatoes.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Collins EJ et al. Tomatoes: An Extensive Review of the Associated Health Impacts of Tomatoes and Factors That Can Affect Their Cultivation. Biology. February 4, 2022.
  2. Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  3. Shafe MO et al. Lycopene: A Potent Antioxidant with Multiple Health Benefits. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. June 8, 2024.
  4. 15 foods that help you stay hydrated. UCLA Health. June 17, 2022.
  5. Soares NDCP et al. Comparative Analysis of Lycopene Content from Different Tomato-Based Food Products on the Cellular Activity of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines. Foods. June 10, 2019.
  6. Balali A et al. Dietary intake of tomato and lycopene, blood levels of lycopene, and risk of total and specific cancers in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Frontiers in Nutrition. February 12, 2025.
  7. Kapala A et al. The Anti-Cancer Activity of Lycopene: A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Studies. Nutrients. December 3, 2022.
  8. Arballo J et al. Lycopene: A Critical Review of Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism, and Excretion. Antioxidants. February 25, 2021.
  9. Chan WK et al. Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A State-of-the-Art Review. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome. September 13, 2023.
  10. Tatoli R et al. Effect of Tomato Consumption on Liver Steatosis in MASLD: A Randomized Controlled Trial (POMOSANO Study). Nutrients. July 30, 2026.
  11. AREDS/AREDS2 Clinical Trials. National Eye Institute. October 22, 2025.
  12. Vitamin A and Carotenoids. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. March 10, 2025.
  13. Potassium. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. June 2, 2022.
  14. Vitamin C. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. July 31, 2025.
  15. Turpin W et al. Mediterranean-Like Dietary Pattern Associations With Gut Microbiome Composition and Subclinical Gastrointestinal Inflammation. Gastroenterology. September 2022.
  16. Cámera M et al. Scientific Evidence of the Beneficial Effects of Tomato Products on Cardiovascular Disease and Platelet Aggregation. Frontiers in Nutrition. March 14, 2022.
  17. Nam YE et al. Role of lycopene from tomato on cardiovascular risk: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention studies. Food & Function. January 26, 2026.
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