When life gives you tomatoes, make tomato juice! Jokes aside, tomato juice comes with a host of health benefits – from curing cold and flu to helping build immunity. Filled with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, tomato juice is rich in lycopene and vitamin E, which, in turn, can help with heart health as well.

While you may feel that tomato juice is just the juice of many tomatoes, much more goes into the making of this beverage. Besides tomatoes, you can also add celery, carrots as well as beetroot to the mix. However, many packaged tomato juices contain a lot of sodium as well, which is not healthy. Read on to learn more about tomato juice, its benefits and what to be careful of.

What is tomato juice?

Made from the juice of fresh tomatoes, tomato juice is a healthy beverage. While you can make tomato juice at home as well, many commercial juice brands have their packaged versions of the same. It has a vibrant flavour and the taste is tangy. Tomato juice is made from ripe tomatoes. Commercially, this beverage can be made from tomato paste as well. Ripe heirloom tomatoes are best to make juice, however, other varieties of tomatoes such as plums, beefsteaks, Brandywine, and Campari tomatoes can also be used.

Tomato juice: Nutrition

Tomato juice is nutritious and contains many vitamins and minerals. Here is the nutritional information of one cup (240 g) of canned tomato juice, without any added salt, according to Food Trust Central.

• Calories: 41
•  Protein: 2 grams
•  Fiber: 2 grams
•  Vitamin A: 22 percent of the Daily Value (DV)
•  Vitamin C: 74 percent of the DV
•  Vitamin K: 7 percent of the DV
•  Thiamine (vitamin B1): 8 percent of the DV
•  Niacin (vitamin B3): 8 percent of the DV
•  Pyridoxine (vitamin B6): 13 percent of the DV
•  Folate (vitamin B9): 12 percent of the DV
•  Magnesium: 7 percent of the DV
•  Potassium: 16 percent of the DV
•  Copper: 7 percent of the DV
• Manganese: 9 percent of the DV

Health benefits of tomato juice

Here are some of the health benefits of tomato juice:

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1. Covers your vitamin and fiber needs

One of the biggest tomato juice benefits is that is it a rich source of protein. One cup of tomato juice meets your daily vitamin C needs and covers about one-fourth of your vitamin A needs as well. According to the National Health Institute, one glass of tomato juice covers 20 percent of the recommended daily vitamin A intake; 12-15 percent of potassium and copper, and 5 per cent of magnesium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. It also has 12 percent of the recommended daily consumption of pectins and about 8% of dietary fiber.

2. Rich in carotenoids and polyphenols

Tomatoes contain bioactive constituents. These have phytochemicals such as carotenoids and polyphenols. Carotenoids are converted into vitamin A in our body. This helps in maintaining good eyesight and tissue health. It can also prevent cancer, states this study, published in Cancers. Carotenoids are also antioxidants, that help prevent the production of free radicals.

3. Rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants are very important for your body, and tomato juice is rich in an antioxidant known as lycopene. One glass of tomato juice has 22 mg of lycopene. Lycopene helps to protect cells from damage and reduces all signs of inflammation in the body, states a study, published in Current Medicinal Chemistry. A two-month study, published in Nutrition, observed the impact of 1.2 cups of tomato juice daily on 30 women. It was seen that there was a reduction in inflammatory proteins called Adipokines. Not only this, the researchers also saw that there were also reductions in cholesterol and waist measurements.

4. Helps with heart disease

Regular consumption of tomato juice can help keep your heart healthy. The lycopene and beta-carotene present in the juice can help with blood pressure as well as cholesterol. A study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, observed 584 participants who actively consumed tomatoes as well as tomato products for a decade. They had a reduced risk of heart disease, than the group which did not have tomatoes. Another study, published in Maturitas, combined the results of 13 studies that observed how tomato consumption reduced cholesterol.

5. Could prevent cancers

Drinking tomato juice can also help in preventing various types of cancers. Research published in Scientific Research analysed the work of 24 studies and concluded that tomato consumption can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. It can help with skin cancer as well, reported a mice study, published in Scientific Reports. Here, mice were fed tomato powder for 35 weeks.

Also Read: Calling all peeps with oily skin: Tomatoes can fix your acne and blackheads

Side effects of tomato juice

While tomato juice is extremely healthy, there are some downsides to drinking tomato juice as well. Here is what you need to be careful about if you are having too much tomato juice.

1. Sodium content

If you are drinking packaged tomato juice, make sure to check the sodium and salt content in it. Many commercial brands have excessive sodium, which can cause harm to the body, such as high blood pressure.

2. Less fiber than tomatoes

If you are looking to up your fibre content, then it would be a better idea to have whole tomatoes, rather than drink tomato juice. Tomato contains 1.4 g of fibre in 100 grams of tomato, while the fibre content in 100 grams of tomato juice is 0.4 g.

3. High-calorie additions

If you are drinking pre-made tomato juice, make sure to check all the ingredients. At times, fruit and other high-calorie items can be added to enhance the taste, and this can increase your calorie count. Also, make sure to check sugar content as well.

4. May worsen digestive ailments

If you are suffering from any digestive issues, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or GERD, it is advisable to avoid tomato juice. This can make you feel worse. Tomatoes are acidic and this can cause you more harm.

How to make tomato juice at home?

You can prepare your glass of fresh tomato juice at home. All you need are some fresh tomatoes and other veggies to enhance the taste. Here is your simple tomato juice recipe:

Serving

2 people

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tomatoes
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Ice cubes
• Ginger
• Mint leaves

Method

Remove the seeds of the tomato, put it in a mixer grinder and add water, ice cubes, salt, black pepper, ginger and some mint leaves.

FAQs

1. Can I drink tomato juice every day?

Yes, tomato juice can be had every day. One cup of tomato juice is healthy and covers most of your vitamin needs for the day.

2. When is the best time to drink tomato juice?

The best time to drink tomato juice is in the morning, on an empty stomach. This helps in better absorption of nutrients and balances the body’s PH levels.