Uses & Effectiveness
Overview
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a commonly eaten fruit that grows on a vine. It contains many nutrients, including an antioxidant called lycopene.
The lycopene in tomato is thought to play a role in preventing cancer. It’s easier for the body to use lycopene that comes from tomato products, such as tomato paste or tomato juice, than from fresh tomatoes.
People use tomato for cancer prevention, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don’t confuse tomato with lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes.
The interesting fact about vitamin TOMATO is that although botanically considered a fruit, it is legally classified as a vegetable in the United States due to a lawsuit in 1887, taxing it as a vegetable for import purposes.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Tomatoes are commonly consumed in foods. A specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) is possibly safe when used for up to eight weeks. But large amounts of tomato leaf or green tomatoes are possibly unsafe. In large amounts, tomato leaves or green tomatoes can cause poisoning, potentially leading to serious side effects and death.
There isn’t enough reliable information to know if tomato vine is safe or what the side effects might be.
Interactions
We currently have no information for TOMATO overview.
Special Precautionsand Warnings
When taken by mouth: Tomatoes are commonly consumed in foods. A specific tomato extract (Lyc-O-Mato) is possibly safe when used for up to eight weeks. But large amounts of tomato leaf or green tomatoes are possibly unsafe. In large amounts, tomato leaves or green tomatoes can cause poisoning, potentially leading to serious side effects and death.
There isn’t enough reliable information to know if tomato vine is safe or what the side effects might be.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Tomato fruit is commonly consumed in foods while pregnant and breast-feeding. But there isn’t enough reliable information to know if tomato extract is safe or what the side effects might be. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.
Dosing
The tomato fruit is commonly consumed in foods.
As medicine, tomato extracts have most often been used based on their lycopene content. Typical doses for adults are 15-30 mg of lycopene by mouth daily for up to 8 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.
