Why You May Want to Start Drinking Tomato Juice (and How to Choose the Best Kind)
Key takeaways:
Tomato juice is a nutritious drink, high in vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants like lycopene.
The lycopene in tomato juice may help reduce your risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and Type 2 diabetes.
Some brands of tomato juice are high in sodium. So, opt for low- or no-sodium varieties.
Tart, rich, and savory, tomato juice is a nutrient-rich beverage made from fresh, ripe tomatoes. Historically, it was served as an appetizer, but it can be enjoyed anytime of day as a hydrating drink.
Legend has it that tomato juice was first served in 1917 at a hotel when the chef ran out of orange juice and squeezed tomatoes instead. It turned out to be a winning idea, as global sales of tomato juice are now around $4.2 billion per year.
Tomato juice is filled with nutrients that can benefit your health. Read on to learn more about what tomato juice can offer and how to choose the most nutritious kind.
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Is tomato juice good for you?
Tomato juice is good for you because it’s filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also a hydrating beverage, made up of 94% water. Plus, it’s low in calories and has no added sugar.
Tomato juice is particularly rich in an antioxidant called lycopene. Your body can’t make this antioxidant on its own, so it has to be consumed through your diet. Tomatoes and tomato-based foods (like sauce and juice) make up more than 85% of lycopene intake for adults in the U.S.
Lycopene has been linked to a reduced risk of:
Heart disease
Prostate cancer
Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Studies show that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of lycopene may benefit heart health by:
Preventing plaque buildup in arteries
Stopping platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots
Improving blood flow in blood vessels
Binding to “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to protect against fat buildup in arteries
Lowering blood pressure
Prostate cancer
Research suggests that lycopene from tomatoes may help lower your risk of prostate cancer. But most studies linking tomatoes, lycopene, and prostate cancer have been studied in rodents. More research is needed to determine lycopene’s effects on cancer cells in humans.
Is it OK to drink juice concentrate? The process of making juice concentrate removes some nutrients, so it’s not as nutritious as fresh juice. But some types are better for you than others.
Drinks that can help blood pressure: Skim milk, tomato juice, and beet juice are among the beverages that may help lower blood pressure.
What’s the best drink for staying hydrated? Water is usually your best bet. But other drinks can also contribute to your daily fluid needs.
Type 2 diabetes
Lycopene’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may help decrease the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It may also help manage diabetes in those who already have it. The potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C in tomato juice work alongside lycopene to help decrease diabetes-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.
Another reason tomato juice may appeal to those with diabetes is its low glycemic index. This means it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar levels. One small study even showed that having a cup of tomato juice 30 minutes before eating could improve post-meal blood sugar levels.
Tomato juice nutrients
Tomato juice is loaded with essential nutrients. Here are the nutrition facts for one cup of tomato juice.
Nutrient | Amount (per 1 cup) | Percentage of daily value (%DV) |
Calories | 41 kcal | - |
Protein | 2 g | - |
Fat | 0.7 g | Less than 1% |
Carbohydrate | 8.5 g | 3% |
Fiber | 1 g | 4% |
Sugar | 6 g | - |
Sodium | 615 mg | 27% |
Vitamin C | 170 mg | 53% |
Vitamin A | 56 mcg RAE | 6% |
Vitamin B1 | .24 mg | 17% |
Vitamin B3 | 1.64 mg | 10% |
Vitamin B6 | .17 mg | 11% |
Folate | 48.6 mcg | 12% |
Magnesium | 26.7 mg | 6% |
Manganese | .17 mg | 7% |
Potassium | 527 mg | 11% |
What are the drawbacks of drinking tomato juice?
While tomato juice has significant nutritional value, there are a couple of potential drawbacks to keep an eye out for.
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Sodium (salt)
Many brands of tomato juice are very high in sodium. Some have as much as 800 mg of sodium per cup, which is about 30% of your recommended daily (DV). That’s a lot of sodium for one beverage, especially when most adults in the U.S. already consume more than the recommended daily limit.
Adults in the U.S. consume around 3,400 mg of sodium per day, which is well over the recommended 2,300 mg/day. The American Heart Association recommends an even lower limit of 1,500 mg/day. Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure, which increases your risk of:
Heart disease
Stroke
Congestive heart failure
Kidney problems
Low-sodium and no-sodium tomato juices are the best options when possible.
Acid
Tomato juice is acidic and can trigger heartburn and other symptoms of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). If you have GERD or suffer from heartburn often, you may want to limit the amount of tomato juice you drink.
Potassium (for those taking certain medications)
Tomato juice is high in potassium, an electrolyte with many health benefits. But some people need to keep a close eye on their potassium intake to avoid hyperkalemia (high potassium levels in the blood). This includes people with kidney disease and those who take potassium-sparing diuretics or ACE inhibitors.
What to look for when buying tomato juice
The best tomato juice to choose is one with as few ingredients as possible. Ideally, the ingredient list should include just tomatoes, water, and a small amount of salt or other seasoning. Here’s what to pay attention to when buying tomato juice.
Sodium content
The amount of sodium varies greatly between commercial brands of tomato juice. In 1 cup of regular tomato juice, there’s typically 400 mg to 800 mg of sodium. For lower sodium, pick a juice brand with the following designations on the label:
Salt-free: Less than 5 mg sodium per cup
No added salt: Around 25 mg sodium per cup
Low sodium: Less than 140 mg sodium per cup
Reduced sodium: Meaning 25% less sodium than the brand’s regular version
Processing method
The tomatoes used to make tomato juice can go through cold or heat processing. Most supermarket brands of tomato juice use heat processing methods, while juice bars tend to use cold processing.
Cold-processed tomato juice usually has better color and flavor. But heat-processed tomato juice may provide more health benefits, as this method allows the lycopene to be better absorbed by your body.
Additional fruits and/or veggies
Some brands combine tomato juice with other fruits and vegetables, such as celery and carrots, to make “vegetable juice.” These vegetable juices (including brands like V8) often look identical to tomato juice. And they provide lots of vitamins and nutrients like tomato juice. Specific amounts depend on the vegetable used — for example, juice blends with carrot juice will be high in vitamin A.
Frequently asked questions
Both raw and cooked tomato juice offer health benefits, but cooked versions have a slight edge. The lycopene in tomatoes is better absorbed by your body when tomatoes are cooked or heated.
Lycopene absorption is also boosted by fat, so adding a drizzle of olive oil to your tomato juice is another way to enhance its absorption.
Tomato juice is an excellent drink to enjoy daily, as long as you choose a low-sodium version. Look for juice with less than 140 mg of sodium per cup.
Both homemade and store-bought tomato juice can be very nutritious, depending on the ingredients used. One advantage to making your own tomato juice is having more control over the salt content.
The bottom line
Tomato juice is a hydrating, low-calorie beverage that’s filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including lycopene. The lycopene in tomato juice is linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. It may even decrease your risk of prostate cancer. For the most nutritious tomato juice, keep an eye on sodium content and choose no- or low-sodium options.
Why trust our experts?
References
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