Solanum lycopersicum · Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Hi, I'm Tomato! Am I a fruit or a vegetable? Scientists say fruit — cooks say vegetable!
Tomatoes give you vitamin C and potassium. They are mostly water, so they are light and juicy.
🟢 Scientists are sure
Eating tomatoes may be good for your heart and blood tubes. Scientists think so, but they are still learning.
🟡 Scientists think so
Tomatoes may help your skin a tiny bit against sunburn. But they never replace sunscreen and a hat!
🟡 Scientists think so
For kids OK in normal food Pills, powders & oils: ask a grown-up first
Tomatoes are a great food for kids — raw in salads or cooked in sauces. Lycopene pills are not needed: eat the real tomato!
👀 Be careful
For some people, tomato sauce can cause a burning feeling in the chest.
Natural does not always mean safe. Always ask a grown-up before trying something new, and a doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplement. Try the safety check →
A tomato is the juicy fruit of a leafy plant. It has seeds inside, so plant scientists call it a fruit. In the kitchen, we use it like a vegetable.
Tomatoes first came from South America. Today people put them in salads, sauces, soups and tagines all over the world.
Tomatoes are red because of lycopene The natural red colour in tomatoes and watermelon. It is an antioxidant.. Your body takes in more of it from cooked tomato sauce.
There are thousands of kinds of tomatoes: red, yellow, orange, purple and even striped!
Tomatoes are cousins of potatoes and aubergines. They are all in the same plant family.
A raw tomato is about 95% water. That's why it is so juicy!
💡 Only eat the ripe fruit. Tomato leaves and stems are for the plant, not for eating.
Answer 3 questions. Get 2 right to win this plant’s badge for your garden!
For plant scientists, is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
It grows from the flower and has seeds inside, so it is a fruit — even if we cook it like a vegetable.
What gives tomatoes their red colour?
Lycopene is the natural red colour in tomatoes.
Can eating tomatoes replace sunscreen?
Tomatoes may help a tiny bit, but sunscreen, shade and a hat protect you much more.
🏅 You earned the Tomato badge!
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Solanum lycopersicum
Vitamins & good food
Heart & blood vessels
Skin
🤩 Tomatoes are red because of lycopene. Your body takes in more of it from cooked tomato sauce.
General information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before using any herbal supplement — especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for children, before surgery, or if you take medicines. Medical disclaimer
| Use | Evidence | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamins & good food | 🟢 Strong evidence (several good human trials) | Per 100 g, raw ripe tomatoes provide about 18 kcal, 13.7 mg vitamin C, 237 mg potassium and 1.2 g fibre, with 94.5 g water[1]. |
| Heart & blood vessels | 🟡 Some evidence (small human studies) | In a meta-analysis of 21 intervention trials, tomato products lowered LDL cholesterol and improved blood-vessel function, and lycopene supplements lowered systolic blood pressure[2]. In observational studies, people with the highest lycopene intake or blood levels had a lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease — an association, not proof of cause[3]. |
| Skin | 🟡 Some evidence (small human studies) | A 2024 meta-analysis of 21 trials found that tomato and lycopene intake reduced UV-induced skin redness and some markers of photo-ageing[4]. This is modest internal protection and does not replace sunscreen. |
| Energy | 18 kcal |
|---|---|
| Water | 94.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.9 g |
| Sugars | 2.6 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g |
| Protein | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g |
| Potassium | 237 mg |
| Vitamin C | 13.7 mg |
| Vitamin A | 42 µg |
| Vitamin K | 7.9 µg |
| Folate | 15 µg |
✅ Reviewed by sm_owner on September 26, 2026.
Last updated September 25, 2026. How we write and check our pages
Vegetables
Natural does not always mean safe. Always ask a grown-up before trying something new, and a doctor or pharmacist before taking any supplement. 
How people use it
In the kitchen
Home & garden
Fun facts
