On the hunt for some yummy tomato juice recipes? Clever you. When it comes to versatility in the kitchen, tomatoes are definitely a fruit (or vegetable cording to the Tariff Act of 1883) that tops of the list. And with the loads and loads of vitamins and minerals, you can get from them, tomatoes are some of the healthiest treats you can indulge in as well.
With more than 7,000 varieties the globe across, tomatoes are believed to have first proliferated in the region of the South American Andes, where modern-day Peru now stands. Apart from having gathered quite a following for their distinct flavor over the years, tomatoes have also become very popular for their superb health benefits.
This is the top reason why I consider tomatoes as an ingredient that shouldn’t be missed when juicing is concerned. So if you still haven’t made tomato juice a mainstay in your regular diet, here are a few reasons that will surely make you a fan in no time at all.
If you’re on the lookout for a new juicer just for tomatoes, look no further. We have reviewed 10 juicers to make your buying decision a bit easier – check out the best tomato juicer, manual and electic!
9 Tomato Juice Benefits for Health and Beauty
So what’s so awesome about tomato juice anyway? Well, on top of its wholesome taste – a whole lot. Here’s a list of tomato juice benefits to drink to!
Keeps Your Bones Strong
Now while tomatoes may not be on your usual list of healthy treats to reach for when it comes to keeping bones hale and hearty, making it a habit to load up on a glass or two of tomato juice each day is a must if you’re looking to keep clear from fractures and similar bone-related problems.
This is because tomatoes are quite rich in vitamin K, an essential nutrient that helps activate osteocalcin, a type of acid-containing protein that ensures calcium bonds properly with bone cells to keep them as strong and durable as ever.
A recent study even found that lycopene inhibits the sudden weakening of the bones of women who are well into their post-menopausal phase. It’s thought that the frequent consumption of lycopene maintains the resilience of bone tissue, which prevents the onset of osteoporosis, osteomalacia and similar conditions.
Protects Your Heart
Someone once told me that fruits and veggies are beneficial for the body part it most resembles. In the case of heart-shaped tomatoes, this couldn’t be more true.
You see, tomatoes are one of the most abundant sources of lycopene, a type of carotenoid pigment that is found to have beneficial effects to the heart by helping control the levels of homocysteine in the body. Although lycopene can be also found in other fruits and vegetables that are red or reddish in color, it is super abundant in tomatoes.
Now while minimal amounts of homocysteine don’t pose a problem to the overall health of the heart, having excessive levels of it can lead to negative effects to the cardiovascular system by increasing the risk of unwanted blood clots, stroke as well as the narrowing and hardening of arteries.
Lycopene also has the ability to lessen the chances of lipid peroxidation in the bloodstream, which can affect the quality of the essential nutrients sent to the heart and promote the accumulation of plaque along the linings of veins and arteries. When this happens, the cardiovascular system becomes more prone to issues like atherosclerosis and aneurysm sooner or later.
Tomato Juice Benefits for Skin
Lycopene promotes the production of pro-collagen molecules that help maintain the natural elasticity and suppleness of the skin. It is not uncommon to see lycopene as a vital component in a number of beauty creams and other cosmetic products commercially available these days.
Prevents Inflammation
Apart from boosting heart health, lycopene has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that can help ward off health issues like osteoporosis, development of abscesses as well as chronic swelling of the joints.
This anti-inflammatory attribute of lycopene also helps in managing oxidative stress, which can potentially lead to macular degeneration, bouts of migraine and renal problems sooner or later if allowed to intensify. There are also studies that pinpoint oxidative stress as a factor in unexplained infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as well as endometriosis in women.
Protects Against Cancer
It’s not just the lycopene that has protective benefits – tomatoes are also packed with a very potent antioxidant called alpha-tomatine that was found to significantly cut back unwanted inflammation and chronic oxidative stress in the body, which can eventually lead to cancer.
Alpha-tomatine is currently considered in the medical field as a natural deterrent against prostate, pancreatic, lung, endometrial, breast and colon cancer.
Keeps Your Eyes Healthy
omatoes are loaded with eye-nourishing vitamin A and various eye-friendly flavonoids, such as zeaxanthin that filters out ultra-violet rays to greatly reduce the risk of macular degeneration in the long run. Consuming tomatoes on a regular basis also keeps dry and itchy eyes in check.
Lowers Bad Cholesterol Levels
Tomato juice is very rich in niacin and fiber, which play key roles in controlling low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol levels in the system. Besides making you feel constantly weary and rather anxious most of the time, having too much bad cholesterol in the body also leads to the formation of plaque in the arterial walls that can cause atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke in the long run if not given proper attention.
Interesting, having excessive amounts of bad cholesterol is also pinpointed as a major factor for erectile dysfunction in men since plaque can make it extremely tricky for the blood directed to the erectile tissues in the penis to flow through properly. No wonder tomatoes are still referred to as “love apples” in some countries (they were traditionally deemed as an aphrodisiac by various cultures).
Boosts Weight Loss
Tomato juice flaunts a few cool benefits that make it a very smart option to reach for if you’re trying to shed off excess pounds. Apart from being packed with amazing water content as well as an impressive list of vitamins and minerals that keeps you sufficiently nourished and full at the same time, this tasty treat is also ridiculously low calorie and low sugar.
An average-sized tomato contains no fat at all and only packs a mere 22 calories. This makes it a very good diet staple if you’re looking to shed excess pounds.
The Benefits of Drinking Tomato Juice at Night
Homocysteine is not just bad for your heart – it’s bad for your beauty sleep, too, since it prevents the brain from releasing sufficient amounts of sleep-inducing serotonin.
Lucky for you, tomatoes come to the rescue once again with their rich folic acid content, which helps inhibit the formation of excess homocysteine in the body, ensuring your get a good night’s sleep.
5 Tasty Tomato Juice Recipes
Tomatoes are now one of the most popular, commonplace foods the whole world over. But did you know that the tasty tomato is believed to have originated from South America?
More interestingly, based on archaeological findings, they were cultivated by early South American cultures like the Aztecs and Mayans hundreds and hundreds of years before Spanish explorers brought them to the shores of the New World. From there, they obviously spread.
Last fun fact: the word “tomato” may have come from the Aztec term, tomatl, which roughly translates to “puffing or swelling fruit.”
Pretty cool, right? But not as cool as these terrifically tasty tomato juice recipes!
Savory Kale Tomato Juice
Let’s start this list of delicious tomato juice recipes with a green juice! Of course, once you add a tomato or two, no juice recipe is going to stay green. But still…
Want to make this juice recipe more filling (and get a boost of omega 3 fatty acids)? Garnish it with a tsp of chia seeds!
Toxin Killer Detox Juice to Flush Out Toxins
What to do about all those years of stored-up toxins from back when you used to eat processed food, day in and day out? Well, this delicious detoxing juice is one answer. It is rich in toxin-flushing vitamin A, and includes a variety of other minerals and vitamins such as vitamin K, vitamin C., and a whole array of B vitamins.
Cilantro acts as a vacuum cleaner for heavy metal accumulations, and recent research shows that cilantro may be particularly effective in reducing lead accumulation in the body,. This means it is an important ingredient to include in your diet if you or your children have every been exposed to brain debilitating lead poisoning—likely if you’ve ever lived in a house with old paint.
Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, and they also play an important role in keeping your heart healthy. This juice has a wonderfully fresh taste, with a little zing from the cilantro.
Tomato Basil Juice Recipe
Whenever you’re craving the taste of homemade tomato pasta – but don’t want the carbs, whip up a glass of this very fresh, very nutritious tomato basil juice, courtesy of Dr Axe:
- 2 tomatoes
- ½ cucumber
- 1 cup fresh basil
We love how low in sugar this juice recipe is while being surprisingly filling and full of skin-protective goodness!
Can’t get enough of basil? Here’s the reason why – basil juice benefits.
Lycopene Lover Juice Recipe
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene – but why stop there when you can add a bit of watermelon for an extra boost of this protective, healthy antioxidant? Here’s how to whip up a heavy dose of lycopene-rich juice:
- 1 large tomato
- 2 cups watermelon
- juice of one lime
It’s incredibly simple and sublime. Although tomatoes and watermelons don’t look like they’d naturally be friends, they actually play really well together in this recipe 😉
Tomato Immunity Tonic
You know those days when you just want to drink an entire garden? No? Okay, well, when you’re in the mood for a immune boost from a huge dose of protective antioxidants and nutrients, look no further than this deceivingly simple juice recipe, courtesy of Cadry’s Kitchen:
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 small to medium cucumber
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
The beauty of this juice is that it tastes more like a soup than a juice and it’s wonderfully nourishing, wholesome and very, very comforting. Perfect for when you feel a cold coming on.
Tips for Juicing Tomato
- Make sure you use the skin of the tomato when you toss this fruit in the juicer. Unlike the peel of other fruits and vegetables, it actually yields a lot of vitamins and minerals, including loads of lycopene.
- Tomato juice – unlike say, garlic or onion juice – can totally be juiced alone. Of course, it is yummier when you add in a few extra goodies. Hint: try it with watermelon. It is incredible.
