Tomatoes Are Good for Prostate Health

LET TOMATOES BE YOUR MEDICINE (semi-quote)

Tomatoes are one of the symbolic foods of the Mediterranean diet: versatile, flavorful, and present in countless everyday dishes. Beyond their general nutritional value, they are also of interest because of their content of bioactive compounds, particularly lycopene, a carotenoid responsible for the typical red color of ripe tomatoes. Lycopene is also found in other red fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and apricot, but tomatoes and tomato-based products are among the main dietary sources in the usual diet (source).

Lycopene has antioxidant properties and has been studied for its possible role in the prevention of several chronic diseases, including some cancers. In the case of the prostate, scientific interest arose from epidemiological studies that observed, in some settings, an association between higher consumption of tomatoes or lycopene and a lower risk of prostate cancer.

However, it is important to clarify from the outset that an association does not automatically imply a causal effect, and that the conclusions currently available require caution (source).

How much lycopene do tomatoes actually contain?

The lycopene content of tomatoes is not fixed: it varies depending on the cultivar, degree of ripeness, season, growing conditions, and the type of industrial or home processing. A recent review reported indicative values ranging from about 1–4 mg per 100 g, with wide variability among products and varieties. For this reason, it is better to avoid overly rigid absolute numbers, as they may be misleading (source).

One well-documented finding is that the skin generally contains more lycopene per gram than the pulp, even though the skin represents only a small portion of the fruit. In an analytical study on several fresh cultivars, the concentration in the skin was on average about 3.5 times higher than in the pulp. This does not mean, however, that the skin alone is the main absolute source of lycopene in the portion consumed: in the whole tomato, the pulp remains quantitatively predominant (source).

The degree of ripeness also matters: the intense red color of ripe tomatoes reflects the accumulation of lycopene, whereas yellow or orange varieties generally tend to contain less. However, the actual content depends greatly on the specific variety (source).

Better raw or cooked?

When talking about lycopene, what matters is not only how much is present in a food, but also how much our body is able to absorb. From this point of view, heat-processed tomato products such as purées, sauces, soups, and concentrates may be more favorable than raw tomatoes, because processing partially breaks down the plant matrix and makes lycopene more available for absorption (source).

The presence of some fat in the meal is also relevant: lycopene is a fat-soluble molecule, so its absorption improves when tomatoes are consumed together with fats, for example with olio extravergine di oliva. For this reason, within the Mediterranean diet, preparations such as tomato sauce with olive oil may be a favorable way to increase its bioavailability.

What about “black tomatoes”?

In recent years, some tomato varieties with a very dark color, tending toward purple or black, have attracted attention. However, it is important not to confuse the pigments responsible for this color with lycopene. In the case of Sun Black, for example, its distinguishing feature is not that it is “the richest in lycopene,” but rather the presence of anthocyanins in the skin, while the pulp retains the typical red color associated with lycopene. These are therefore interesting varieties from a nutraceutical standpoint, but it would not be correct to present them as the main reference for lycopene content (source).

Tomatoes and prostate cancer: what the research says

The scientific literature on the relationship between lycopene and prostate cancer is extensive, but not entirely consistent. A prospective meta-analysis published in 2025 found a modest inverse association between dietary lycopene intake and prostate cancer risk, suggesting that higher intake levels may be associated with a slightly lower risk. However, the size of the observed effect is limited and is not enough, on its own, to establish a cause-and-effect relationship (source).

To date, however, major summary reports such as those from the World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research do not conclude that lycopene-containing foods have a certain protective effect against prostate cancer (source, source).

A similar position also emerges from evidence-based cancer information sources such as Cancer Research UK, which emphasize that there is not enough evidence to state with certainty that lycopene reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer or prevents its recurrence. This does not mean that tomatoes “are useless,” but rather that they should not be presented as a proven protective factor (source).

What about men with a family history of prostate cancer?

There are also some interesting data in men with a family history of prostate cancer. In an analysis of the PLCO trial, higher consumption of lycopene and certain tomato products consumed with fat was associated with a lower risk specifically in this subgroup. However, the authors themselves pointed out that this is a signal that requires confirmation in other studies and therefore cannot be considered a definitive conclusion (source).

Clinical studies: interesting biological signals, but no definitive evidence for prevention or treatment

When moving from population studies to clinical trials, the picture becomes even more cautious. In men with HGPIN (high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia), a lesion considered to carry increased risk, small early studies had suggested a possible favorable effect of lycopene on progression toward cancer.

However, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, published in 2015, showed no significant differences in PSA, IGF-1, cell proliferation, or major histological endpoints after supplementation with tomato extract rich in lycopene. In other words, clinical data do not consistently confirm a definite preventive effect (source).

Something similar applies to studies conducted in men already scheduled for prostatectomy. Some small pre-operative studies observed that daily consumption of tomato sauce or other tomato-based products for several weeks may increase lycopene concentrations in plasma and in prostate tissue and may modify some biological biomarkers, such as oxidative stress and signs of apoptosis.

These are interesting results from a mechanistic point of view, but they come from studies with small sample sizes, sometimes non-randomized or with limited controls (source).

For this reason, it can currently be said that favorable effects on some biomarkers have been observed in small preliminary studies.

So: are tomatoes good for the prostate?

The most honest and up-to-date answer is this: tomatoes can be part of a diet that supports prostate health, but there is not enough evidence to consider them, on their own, a means of preventing or treating prostate cancer. Including them regularly in the diet, especially within a balanced Mediterranean dietary pattern, certainly makes sense, both because of their lycopene content and because of their overall nutritional profile.

In practical terms, tomatoes and tomato-based products can contribute to a healthy diet, and their lycopene content remains a promising area of research for prostate health.