Tomato Juice and the Health Benefits You Didn't Know About

According to the USDA's most recent estimates, the average American consumes 29.6 pounds of tomatoes each year, and with good reason. Tomatoes are tasty, versatile and packed with nutrition. Want to get the most out of this garden favorite? Try drinking tomato juice (no, not as a bloody mary). It has some amazing health benefits you might not know about.

Regular tomato juice consumption may protect against cancer, improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and reduce body inflammation. These benefits may also therefore significantly cut heart attack risk. See the full article for details on the incredible health benefits that may come with drinking tomato juice.

Why Juice?

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamins A, C and K, and they also contain a good amount of potassium. Unfortunately, it may be difficult to eat them every day given the human penchant for variety, and you'd have to eat three of them to meet your daily vitamin C requirement—so that's probably not going to happen. But one glass of tomato juice contains 74%, and it also has notable amounts of vitamin B6 and folate. Tomato juice also contains antioxidants and other nutrients that make it a powerhouse for your health.

Tomato Juice May Protect Against Cancer

Lycopene, the antioxidant that makes tomatoes red, may protect against oxidative stress, which may in turn reduce cancer risks. One study found higher blood concentrations of lycopene were associated with reduced DNA damage. Moreover, men who consume at least 10 servings of tomato products each week have a 35% reduced risk of developing prostate cancer.

Tomatoes also contain a number of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, including quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin, which may lower the risk of cancer. Other nutrients, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, lutein and phytoene, likely add to those effects.

Reduces LDL Cholesterol

Lycopene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene all appear to have positive effects on blood cholesterol. Researchers compared antioxidant levels in people who consumed no tomato products to participants who consumed 400 milliliters of tomato juice and 30 milligrams of tomato ketchup each day for 3 weeks. The “high tomato” consumption group had significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels compared to the “no tomato” group. These findings correlated with increased blood antioxidant levels.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Tomato juice may also improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure. One study showed tomato products could treat low-grade hypertension, with an average reduction from 144/87.4mm Hg to 134/83.4mm Hg. This was without the assistance of prescription medications. In cases of high blood pressure with other cardiovascular risks, tomato consumption offered comparable benefits to an aspirin regimen.

Reduces Inflammation

The nutrients in tomatoes may have an effect on C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, lowering body inflammation. The vitamin E levels alone found in tomato juice may reduce CRP levels by nearly 50%. This may significantly cut risks for cardiovascular disease and other disorders worsened by inflammation.

Tomato juice is a great source of all sorts of important nutrients, and the positive effects it could have on health may make it worth an investigation.

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