The Anti-Ageing Power of Tomatoes

Tomatoes could be renamed ‘inner sun protection and skin preserver’, but it’s a bit of a mouthful and doesn’t really have a ring to it. So best we stick to tomato.

What makes them so effective at protecting skin is the carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene, which as well as providing sun-protection from the inside, has also been linked to reduced risk of both heart disease and cancer.

Tomatoes contain many other nutrients including: vitamin C, potassium, folate, vitamin K, and other carotenoid antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene.

Whilst lycopene is a red pigment, beta carotene gives fruit and vegetables a yellow or orange hue (as found in carrots), and is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Lycopene is found most abundantly in the skins of tomatoes, and is more readily available and absorbed in the body when tomatoes are cooked and served with fat.

A 2015 study found that tomato juice intake appeared to help alleviate some menopausal symptoms including anxiety. 95 women aged 40-60 years old consumed 200ml of unsalted tomato juice, twice daily, for eight weeks and reported an improvement in symptoms, however this was a small study and further research is needed.