Tomato
What the research shows
PrototypeUnclear
the research on this page hasn’t settled it
2 health findings on this page · See the findings
The edible berry of a plant, eaten as a vegetable.
It has a strong savory flavor and is used in sauces, soups, salads and drinks.
Written from English Wikipedia1
What research says
Studies in people
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Benefit
Skin sun protection2
Eating tomato and lycopene helped people's skin resist sun redness and aging in the studies reviewed.
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Open question
Nutrient absorption from food3
In people, calcium taken with a tomato meal cut how much lycopene the body absorbed from the tomato.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Products
The 6 most-scanned of 41,843 products on Open Food Facts that list tomato.
- Pesto Rosso BARILLA · 200 g 1 additive
- Tomato Ketchup BIO Heinz · 580 g 0 additives
- Tomato Ketchup Heinz · 250 g 0 additives
- Beanz in a rich tomato sauce Heinz · 415 g 0 additives
- Gehackte Tomaten in Tomatensaft Baresa · 400 g 1 additive
- Pasta sauce Mutti · 400 g 0 additives
References
- 1Tomato. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026.
- 2Zhang X, Zhou Q, Qi Y, et al. The effect of tomato and lycopene on clinical characteristics and molecular markers of UV-induced skin deterioration: A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024;64(18):6198-6217. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2164557
- 3Borel P, Desmarchelier C, Dumont U, et al. Dietary calcium impairs tomato lycopene bioavailability in healthy humans. Br J Nutr. 2016;116(12):2091-2096. doi:10.1017/S0007114516004335