Tomatoes show up in daily salad, shakshuka, pasta sauce, matbucha, soup, sandwiches and a simple evening meal with cheese. Dr. Maya Rosman said in a radio interview with tomato grower Ilan Ammar that they discussed different varieties, taste, ripening and the way the tomato became a basic ingredient in almost every home. Ordinary food, ordinary routines. The kind of thing that slips past the grand speeches and lands on the plate anyway.
The Body Knows the Difference
The tomato’s nutritional secret is lycopene, a natural antioxidant that gives the tomato its red color and has been researched in connection with the health of the heart, blood vessels, skin and oxidation processes in the body. Lycopene is a natural pigment from the carotenoid family, the same family as beta-carotene, the orange pigment in carrots and sweet potatoes. In the body, it acts as part of the natural defense mechanism against free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause oxidative damage to cells.
A review published in Antioxidants said lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, has been studied mainly for its ability to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation. The review linked that research to cardiovascular health, blood pressure, blood lipids, skin health and, in some studies, reducing the risk of prostate cancer. Another review published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition examined studies on tomatoes, lycopene and sun damage to the skin and described evidence that consumption of tomatoes or lycopene can contribute to protection from sun damage and skin aging related to radiation exposure.
A red and ripe tomato generally contains more lycopene than a pale or greenish tomato. Lycopene is also found in watermelon, pink grapefruit, pink guava and papaya, but tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste are usually the most accessible and constant source in daily diets. The article said a daily consumption of 5 to 30 mg of lycopene, an amount that can come from one or two tomatoes or from tomato products, may have a health contribution.
Heat Changes the Equation
Heating and crushing tomatoes increase lycopene absorption. Unlike vitamin C, part of which might be damaged by heat, lycopene becomes more available to the body when the cell walls of the tomato soften and break down. Tomato sauce, tomato paste, shakshuka, tomato soup and matbucha are therefore excellent sources of lycopene. Studies cited in the article found that adding olive oil to cooked tomatoes significantly raised lycopene levels in the blood after eating. Lycopene is fat-soluble, so eating tomatoes with some source of fat helps absorption. The article said even a teaspoon of olive oil in a salad, a little tahini, avocado or nuts can help.
Fresh tomatoes still provide vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, fluids and additional antioxidants. They are relatively low in calories and contribute to volume and satiety in a meal. The article said there is no reason to give up fresh tomatoes, but that a good tomato sauce is not less healthy and can be even more effective for lycopene. That’s the whole trick, really: the humble thing survives the heat and comes out easier to use.
Cheap, Common, and Hard to Dress Up
The article described a tomato as a simple, available, cheap and healthy food that does not need the label of a superfood and does not require a lycopene supplement to provide benefits. No miracle branding. No glossy rescue narrative. Just a food that keeps turning up in kitchens, in salads, in sauces, and in the small, repetitive work of getting through a day.