Tomato: A Superfood or Not? Nutrition Professionals Weigh In, With Tips on Portions and Risks

Tomato image

Perspective from Faith Seke

PhD, Agronomy and Crop Science (ongoing), Master’s degree, Food Science and Technology · 1 years of experience · South Africa

Possible Side Effects

• Tomatoes contain a chemical histamine which may trigger skin rashes and allergic reactions.

Quantity Recommendation

• Tomatoes are considered a safe everyday consumption vegetable, it can count as one of the five in a day. It is recommended that one consumes one medium tomato or an seven cherry tomatoes everyday.

→ Tomato: How much should you eat? Experts weigh in.

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Perspective from Leticia Soares

Postgraduate Degree in Public and Family Health/Bachelor Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics · 5 years of experience · Brazil

Possible Side Effects

• Patients with chronic renal dysfunction should be cautions to consume tomatoes, since the vegetable is a source of potassium, which should be avoided for these patients. Also, tomatoes have high oxalate concentrations, oxalate in the body can react with calcium, increasing risk of kidney stones.

Quantity Recommendation

• The recommended intake for tomatoes is five servings per day. A serving of tomato is approximately one medium vegetable. Tomatoes can be eaten fresh, but when consumed as a juice or paste the lycopene content is higher.

→ Tomato: How much should you eat? Experts weigh in.

→ See benefits of Tomato from this expert

This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors, and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.