Save
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a commonly eaten fruit that grows on a vine. It contains many nutrients, including an antioxidant called lycopene.
The lycopene in tomato is thought to play a role in preventing cancer. It's easier for the body to use lycopene that comes from tomato products, such as tomato paste or tomato juice, than from fresh tomatoes.
People use tomato for cancer prevention, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don't confuse tomato with lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes.
- Bladder cancer. Consuming tomatoes and tomato-based products does not appear to reduce the risk of bladder cancer.
Login for details - Breast cancer. Consuming tomatoes and tomato-based products does not appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Login for details - Diabetes. Consuming tomatoes and tomato-based products does not appear to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes or improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Login for details
- Aging skin. It is unclear if tomato improves skin appearance.
Login for details - Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Oral tomato powder has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear.
Login for details - Cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is unclear if consuming tomato-based foods reduces the risk of cardiovascular events.
Login for details - Cataracts. It is unclear if consuming tomatoes reduces the risk of cataracts.
Login for details - Cervical cancer. It is unclear if consuming tomatoes reduces the risk of cervical cancer.
Login for details - Colorectal cancer. Research on the benefits of consuming tomatoes or tomato-based products for the prevention of colorectal cancer is conflicting and limited to observational studies only.
Login for details - Exercise-induced asthma. It is unclear if oral tomato extract is beneficial in patients with exercise-induced asthma.
Login for details - Gastric cancer. Research on the benefits of consuming tomatoes or tomato-based products for the prevention of gastric cancer is conflicting and limited to observational studies only.
Login for details - Hyperlipidemia. Small clinical studies suggest that consuming tomato sauce or semi-dried tomatoes may modestly reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients with hyperlipidemia.
Login for details - Hypertension. Small clinical studies suggest that oral tomato extract may modestly reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
Login for details - Lung cancer. It is unclear if consuming tomatoes reduces the risk of lung cancer; the available research is conflicting.
Login for details - Muscle strength. It is unclear if consuming tomatoes improves muscle strength or attenuates declines in muscle strength.
Login for details - Ovarian cancer. Research on the benefits of consuming tomatoes or tomato-based products for the prevention of ovarian cancer is conflicting and limited to observational studies only.
Login for details - Pancreatic cancer. Research on the benefits of consuming tomatoes or tomato-based products for the prevention of pancreatic cancer is conflicting and limited to observational studies only.
Login for details - Prostate cancer. Consuming tomatoes or tomato-based products may slightly lower the risk of prostate cancer; however, observational research is mixed and high-quality clinical trials addressing tomato intake and prostate cancer risk are lacking.
Login for details - Radiation dermatitis. It is unclear if drinking tomato juice is beneficial in patients with radiation dermatitis.
Login for details
When taken by mouth: Tomatoes are commonly consumed in foods. A specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) is possibly safe when used for up to eight weeks. But large amounts of tomato leaf or green tomatoes are possibly unsafe. In large amounts, tomato leaves or green tomatoes can cause poisoning, potentially leading to serious side effects and death.
There isn't enough reliable information to know if tomato vine is safe or what the side effects might be.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Tomato fruit is commonly consumed in foods while pregnant and breast-feeding. But there isn't enough reliable information to know if tomato extract is safe or what the side effects might be. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.It is not known if Tomato interacts with any medicines. Before taking Tomato, talk with your healthcare professional if you take any medications.
Beta-carotene: Taking beta-carotene while consuming tomatoes might change the amount of a certain nutrient, called lycopene, that is absorbed into the body.
Calcium: Taking calcium supplements with tomato paste can decrease the amount of a certain nutrient, called lycopene, that is absorbed into the body.
Lutein: Taking lutein while consuming tomatoes can decrease the amount of a certain nutrient, called lycopene, that is absorbed into the body.
There are no known interactions with foods.
The tomato fruit is commonly consumed in foods.
As medicine, tomato extracts have most often been used based on their lycopene content. Typical doses for adults are 15-30 mg of lycopene by mouth daily for up to 8 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.
Extrait de Tomate, Love Apple, Lycopersicon esculentum, Pomme d'Amour, Pomme d'Or, Raktamaci, Solanum lycopersicum, Tamatar, Tomate, Tomato Fruit.
Information on this website is for informational use only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While evidence-based, it is not guaranteed to be error-free and is not intended to meet any particular user’s needs or requirements or to cover all possible uses, safety concerns, interactions, outcomes, or adverse effects. Always check with your doctor or other medical professional before making healthcare decisions (including taking any medication) and do not delay or disregard seeking medical advice or treatment based on any information displayed on this website.
© TRC Healthcare 2023. All rights reserved. Use and/or distribution is permitted only pursuant to a valid license or other permission from TRC Healthcare.
Licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC
Copyright © 1995-2023 by Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. All Rights Reserved.