Although water is the healthiest beverage, not everyone is happy to just drink water whenever they are thirsty. One alternative that has a number of health and nutrition advantages is tomato juice. It is filled with vitamins and minerals while being low in calories and fat free.
Nutrition Facts
A 1 cup serving of canned tomato juice provides 40 calories, 2 g of fiber and 2 g of protein. It also contains 70 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 15 percent of the daily value for vitamin B6, 10 percent of the daily value for folate, 8 percent of the daily value for thiamine, niacin, iron and magnesium, 6 percent of the daily value for phosphorus, 4 percent of the daily value for riboflavin and 2 percent of the daily value for calcium and zinc. Tomato juice is also a source of lycopene, vitamin E, potassium and vitamin K.
Possible Health Benefits
Consuming tomatoes or tomato juice may lower your risk for certain cancers, heart disease, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, according to the My Healthy Foods website. The lycopene and other antioxidants in tomatoes are at least in part responsible for this lower disease risk. Many of the vitamins and minerals in tomatoes are also known to lower cardiovascular disease risk, such as folate and niacin. Lycopene is not the only component in tomatoes that lowers cancer risk, according to BBC News. A study found that rats who consumed tomato powder had lower prostate cancer risk than those who consumed lycopene supplements, which means other components in tomatoes also offer protection against cancer.
Considerations
Commercially prepared tomato juices are often high in sodium. Consuming too much sodium may increase your risk for high blood pressure, kidney stones, osteoporosis and heart disease. Choose low-sodium versions of commercially prepared tomato juice or make your own for the most health benefits.
Potential
Consider replacing high calorie sodas or fruit juices with lower calorie tomato juice. You will be less likely to consume too many calories, and you will get some nutritional and health benefits from the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in the tomato juice. Unlike fruit juices, which have little or no fiber, tomato juice still contains some of the fiber from the tomatoes it was made from.
Expert Insight
The Mayo Clinic notes that the evidence for lycopene limiting your risk for cancer, macular degeneration and heart disease all comes from studies involving tomato consumption, not consumption of supplemental lycopene. The benefits may come from other components of the tomato, either alone or in conjunction with the lycopene, so it is best to get this nutrient from tomatoes or tomato juice, rather than taking supplements.
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