Tomato and lycopene supplements and sun damage to skin in people
What it found
Taking tomato or lycopene reduced redness and pigmentation from sun exposure in healthy people.
It also improved skin thickness, density and resistance to burning.
What they found
Studies in people
Less skin redness
Taking tomato or lycopene was linked to a clear drop in skin redness after sun exposure. This was measured by changes in skin colour readings.
Better sun tolerance
Supplements raised the amount of ultraviolet light needed to cause a sunburn. Skin thickness and density also went up.
Lower molecular damage markers
Two proteins tied to skin breakdown and inflammation dropped with supplementation. These are called MMP-1 and ICAM-1.
Less skin darkening
People who took tomato or lycopene showed less change in skin pigmentation after sun exposure.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that tomato and lycopene supplements can lower skin redness and improve skin appearance and colour after sun exposure.
- The authors say these products might work as a form of internal sun protection.
- They propose lycopene-rich items could serve as a dietary supplement for defending against light-induced skin damage.
How it was done
Lycopene is a natural antioxidant studied for protecting skin against ultraviolet light. The authors wanted to gather all existing trials on how tomato and lycopene affect sun damage and skin aging in healthy people.
They searched five research databases up to January 2021 for intervention trials. Out of 19336 publications found, 21 met their criteria and were combined for analysis. The trials involved healthy people taking tomato or lycopene supplements.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These trials followed people over short periods, so they cannot show long-term effects on skin aging.
- The studies looked at healthy people, so the results may not apply to those with skin conditions.
- Combining many different trials makes it hard to know the exact dose needed for these effects.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Zhengzhou University, China
The paper
- Title
- 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
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Zhang X, Zhou Q, Qi Y, et al (2024). 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. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2022.2164557PubMed 36606553DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error