Tomato products and human health

Tomato products are heat processed tomato products including canned tomatoes (diced, whole peel, stewed), tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato soup, tomato juice, and ketchup.

Important nutrients

Tomato products are a good source of vitamins C, A and K; potassium, magnesium and fiber. They are also low in calories; a 100-gram serving of canned tomatoes contains only 32 calories. Tomatoes are also high in the carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene.[1]

Lycopene

Main article: Lycopene

Lycopene is a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes. There is no good evidence it has any health effect.[2]

Cancer

Some studies have indicated that the lycopene in tomatoes may help prevent cancer, but taken overall the research into this subject is inconclusive.[3]

Tomato products and heart health

Tomatoes contain nutrients that may work in concert to protect lipoproteins and vascular cells from oxidation, the most widely accepted theory for the genesis of atherosclerosis, according to researchers form the Department of Food Science at North Carolina State University. Other heart-protective activities in tomatoes may include the reduction of “bad” LDL cholesterol, homocysteine, platelet aggregation, and blood pressure.[4]

References

  1. ↑ USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Accessed on 5 May 2009: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
  2. ↑ Qualified Health Claims Subject to Enforcement Discretion, Docket No. 2004Q-0201, US Food and Drug Administration
  3. ↑ "Lycopene". American Cancer Society. 13 May 2010. Retrieved June 2014.
  4. ↑ Willcox, JK; et al. (2003). "Tomatoes and cardiovascular health". Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 43 (1): 1–18.
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