Benefits of tomato juice

Let us know about the benefits of tomato juice. After a long morning walk or intense workout, you’ll need to re-energize. So what better than a glass of tomato juice? Apart from being a great energy drink, it can fulfill your need to revive your health. Tomato juice contains antioxidants, vitamins and essential nutrients that can help you make the most of your day.

The scientific name of tomato is Solanum lycopersicum and it is a member of the nightshade family Solanaceae. Tomatoes are originally from South America and due to their high demand, they are now also grown in the countries of Central and South Asia. Tomatoes are loved and enjoyed by people of all ages and are commonly known as love apples.

Read on to know how many health benefiting nutrients are packed in sweet and sour red tomato juice.

Nutritional value of tomato juice:  

The most common use of tomato juice is as an energy drink or sports drink. Due to the high amount of water and minerals in it, it helps in providing energy to your body after strenuous exercise. Tomato juice is a good source of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and essential minerals like potassium, phosphorus, etc., which are essential ingredients to keep you fit. The description of the amount of nutrients present in tomato juice is as follows- 

Table 1: Nutrient content per 100 g of tomato juice. 

Benefits of tomato juice:  

Tomato juice is loaded with ingredients that provide potential health benefits to your body. It is a multifunctional fruit due to the presence of various bioactive compounds that can confer special biological properties. 

• It may have antioxidant properties.
• It may have anti-inflammatory properties.
• It may have cholesterol-lowering properties. 
• It may have the property of lowering blood pressure.  
• It may have the property of lowering blood sugar.  
• It may have anti-obesity properties (may aid in weight loss).  
• It may have anti-fungal properties.
• It may have anti-carcinogenic properties (can reduce the growth of cancer cells).  
• It may have anti-mutagenic properties (can prevent mutations in a cell).  
• It may have antiplatelet properties (prevent blood clotting).

Possible uses of tomato juice:  

Possible uses of Tomato juice:

Tomato juice may have potential uses in various diseases; Some of these are described below:  

1. Possible Uses of Tomato Juice for Bones

Tomato juice contains vitamin K and calcium, which may be useful in strengthening bones. These can help make small repairs to bone and bone tissue. Drinking tomato juice supplies a good amount of Vitamin K for the daily requirement. Vitamin K has the ability to activate osteocalcin, a major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin helps to mineralize the calcium molecules in the bones. ¹ Hence tomato juice helps in controlling your bone density.  

However, this information is not sufficient and more studies on humans are needed to confirm the benefits of drinking tomato juice on bone health.  

2. Possible Uses of Tomato Juice for Skin

Tomato juice can be an excellent drink for quick repair of skin cells. It is high in lycopene antioxidant, which acts as a natural sunscreen and combats harmful UV light. You can replace those expensive ingredients like facial cleansers with a bowl of potent tomato juice. You can use tomato juice to get glowing skin. It can cleanse your face and make it glow. If you notice redness on your face, don’t worry; It goes away in a few minutes. ¹  

However, this information is not enough for us and we need more studies on humans to determine the efficacy of tomato juice for glowing skin. So consult your doctor before using it on your skin. 

3. Possible uses of tomato juice for the heart

Tomato juice is full of vitamins and nutrients such as potassium, which is essential for the proper functioning of the heart. Tomato juice does not contain cholesterol and contains Vitamin B-3 which is effective and safe in reducing cholesterol levels in the body. Potassium lowers blood pressure, which reduces the chances of heart attack and stroke. Vitamins B-6 and B-9 help the body convert a dangerous chemical (homocysteine). Therefore, the inclusion of tomato or tomato juice as a regular diet reduces the chances of developing fatal diseases related to the heart. ¹  

However, these data are not sufficient and large-scale human studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of tomato juice in heart health. So if you are suffering from heart disease take medical advice and use it only when recommended by your doctor. 

4. Other possible uses of tomato juice: 

• Tomato juice can show detoxification effect in the body. It contains chlorine and sulphur, which can stimulate liver function and enhance the body’s action of cleansing and detoxifying body waste.  
• The vitamins present in tomato juice, especially vitamin C, can be used to treat sunburn. ¹  
• Tomato juice can act as an energy drink to revitalize the body. It can improve the health of dialysis patients. ¹  
• It can act as a sports drink to remove fatigue (fatigue) and lethargy from the body. ¹  
• Tomato juice contains lycopene and vitamins that can reduce the build-up of “bad cholesterol” in the body. ¹
• Drinking tomato juice helps to avoid cold and flu and strengthens the body’s immunity. ¹ 
• The health benefits of tomato juice can help in reducing the damage done to your body by smoking. Tomato juice contains chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid which combat carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) produced in the body by cigarette smoking. ¹

Although studies show that tomato juice benefits various diseases, they are not sufficient, and more studies are needed to determine the exact extent of tomato juice’s benefits to the human body. In addition, each person may react differently to different drugs. Therefore, it is mandatory to consult a doctor before consuming tomato juice in case of any disease.

How to use tomato juice?  

Tomato juice can be used in the following ways:  

• Tomato juice can be used as a refreshing energy drink.  
• It can be used as a detoxification drink.  
• It can be used to make tomato sauces, soups and ketchups or as a base gravy in a variety of curries. ¹  

Before drinking tomato juice daily, people should consult an Ayurvedic doctor. Additionally, we advise you not to discontinue your existing medicines or substitute any ayurvedic or herbal medicine prepared with tomato juice. They will guide you regarding the right form and dosage as per your health condition. 

Side effects of tomato juice:  

Tomato juice is safe. ²  However, drinking tomato juice in excess can have some side effects.  

• Tomato juice is high in potassium and excessive consumption can lead to high serum potassium levels and dangerous complications. ⁴  
• One report (Jones, 2004) found that excessive consumption of tomato juice caused severe hyperkalemia (a condition in which serum potassium levels exceed a threshold), resulting in kidney insufficiency (impaired function). ⁴  
• Tomato juice may cause oral allergy syndrome. A case report (Kawamoto et al., 2003) found that consumption of tomato juice caused inflammation of the mucosa of the mouth and nose and irritation of the eyes. ⁵  

Still, if you are suffering from kidney problem, then take tomato juice in limited quantity. We advise you not to consume tomato juice excessively. If you experience any of these rare allergic reactions, go to a hospital immediately for proper treatment of your allergy.  

Precautions to be taken regarding tomato juice:  

Tomato juice is safe to drink in moderation. Nevertheless, the usual precautions must be followed.  

• People suffering from kidney related problems should consume tomato juice in moderation. This can lead to severe hyperkalemia. ⁴  
• People who are allergic to tomatoes should not drink tomato juice. ⁵  
• There are no significant reports regarding the safe use of tomato juice in pregnant and lactating women. Therefore, before using it, you should consult your doctor.  

• Tomato juice should be given with caution to young children and elderly people as they have a weak immune system and may develop an allergic reaction in their body.  
• Doctor’s advice is necessary before consuming tomato juice as a medicine. Additionally it should not be used for self-medication. 

Reaction with other drugs:  

There is no scientific evidence regarding drug interactions with tomato juice. Nevertheless, people should not assume that the reaction does not occur. 

That’s why people should contact an Ayurvedic doctor. They will tell you how to use tomato juice optimally to make the most of its potential benefits on health.