What are the benefits of eating tomatoes?
Sep 12, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yu Yongchao
Introduction
Tomatoes, as a common vegetable and fruit, offer several health benefits when consumed. These benefits mainly include supplementing lycopene, providing vitamins, promoting digestion, supporting eye health, and replenishing body fluids. When consuming tomatoes, it is important to note that unripe green tomatoes contain solanine, and excessive consumption may cause discomfort. Therefore, ripe tomatoes should be selected. Additionally, individuals with weak gastrointestinal function or excessive stomach acid should consume tomatoes with caution.
Generally speaking, as a common vegetable and fruit, the benefits of eating tomatoes mainly include supplementing lycopene, providing vitamins, promoting digestion, supporting vision protection, and replenishing water. The specific details are as follows:
1. Supplementing lycopene: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a component with strong antioxidant properties that helps remove excess free radicals in the body, reducing damage to cells. Regular consumption of tomatoes provides this nutrient and supports the health of body tissues.
2. Supplementing vitamins: Tomatoes contain various vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C participates in body metabolism and helps maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A supports visual function. Eating tomatoes helps the body obtain these essential vitamins in a balanced way.
3. Promoting digestion: Tomatoes contain a certain amount of dietary fiber and organic acids. Dietary fiber stimulates intestinal peristalsis, accelerates the digestion and absorption of food, and relieves constipation. Organic acids can promote gastric juice secretion, improve indigestion, abdominal distension, and other issues, and reduce the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.
4. Supporting vision protection: β-carotene in tomatoes can be converted into vitamin A in the human body. Vitamin A is an important component of the light-sensitive substances in visual cells. Eating tomatoes can provide nutrition for the eyes, help relieve eye fatigue, and support the maintenance of normal visual function, especially suitable for people who use their eyes frequently.
5. Replenishing water: Tomatoes have a high water content. Eating tomatoes can quickly replenish body fluids and relieve dry mouth and throat, especially suitable for consumption during summer when sweating is heavy or water intake is insufficient, helping to maintain the body's water balance.
When consuming tomatoes, it is important to note that unripe green tomatoes contain solanine, and excessive consumption may cause discomfort. Therefore, ripe tomatoes should be chosen. Additionally, individuals with weak gastrointestinal function or excessive stomach acid should avoid consuming large amounts on an empty stomach to prevent irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
