Overview
- Recent reporting showed that cooking and processing can raise bioavailable lycopene in tomatoes by as much as fourfold, with about 22 mg per 100 g in purée versus roughly 3 mg in the same weight of raw fruit.
- Lycopene is fat‑soluble so its uptake improves when heated tomatoes are eaten with a little fat, such as olive oil, which helps deliver the antioxidant to the body.
- Tomatoes also supply vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K1, folate, beta‑carotene, naringenin and chlorogenic acid, nutrients and plant compounds tied to skin protection, lower LDL and reduced inflammation in observational studies.
- Buyers seeking better flavor should prefer regional, seasonally ripened tomatoes because many supermarket fruits are picked green and ripened with ethylene during transport, and people with pollen or latex allergies should be tested because tomatoes can trigger cross‑reactions.
- Tomato consumption is high in Germany at about 25–27 kg per person per year and the coverage notes both culinary and gardening tips as practical takeaways, including causes of poor fruit set and common fungal threats.