A radio interview between Dr. Maya Rosman and tomato grower Ilan Ammar explored how heating and crushing tomatoes increases the body's absorption of lycopene, the red antioxidant linked to cardiovascular health, skin protection, and cellular defense — making shakshuka and tomato sauce more nutritionally powerful than fresh salad tomatoes.
Tomatoes appear daily in Israeli meals: salad, shakshuka, pasta sauce, matbucha, soup, sandwiches, and simple evening meals with cheese. The discussion covered varieties, taste, ripening, and how the tomato became a basic ingredient in almost every home.
Lycopene: The Red Pigment With Real Benefits
The tomato's nutritional secret is lycopene, a natural antioxidant that gives the tomato its red color and has been researched in connection with heart health, 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 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. It 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.
Why Cooking Makes the Difference
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 Count
Fresh tomatoes still provide vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, fluids, and additional antioxidants. They're relatively low in calories and contribute to volume and satiety in a meal. The article said there's no reason to give up fresh tomatoes, but that a good tomato sauce isn't less healthy and can be even more effective for lycopene. It described a tomato as a simple, available, cheap, and healthy food that doesn't need the label of a superfood and doesn't require a lycopene supplement to provide benefits.
Why This Matters:
In a region where fresh produce is central to daily eating, understanding how preparation affects nutrition helps people make better use of what they already have. Cooked tomato dishes — shakshuka, matbucha, sauce — aren't just comfort food. They're among the most effective ways to get lycopene into the bloodstream, especially when paired with olive oil or another fat source. The research on cardiovascular health, skin protection, and cellular defense suggests that these everyday meals carry real benefits. It's a reminder that traditional cooking methods often align with what science later confirms: that heat, fat, and time can unlock nutrients in ways raw food can't. No supplements needed. Just tomatoes, heat, and a little oil.