Apple and tomato: one side has far more trials behind it

By meta-analysis of 21 intervention trials in adults, tomato products lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.5 mg/dL (0.22 mmol/L) and improved flow-mediated dilation, a test of blood vessel function, by 2.53%, across a mix of tomato products. We found no study that compares apple and tomato head to head, so this page sets the evidence for each side by side. In 11 randomized trials in people with overweight or obesity, tomato-based interventions trimmed waist circumference by 0.45 in (1.153 cm), with a 95% interval of 0.02 to 0.89 in (0.04 to 2.27 cm) that nearly touches zero, and no consistent change in body weight. The apple side is thinner. A 2026 systematic review of 38 human intervention studies judged the evidence insufficient for firm conclusions and gave no pooled estimate. On the plate they are different foods. Per 100 g raw, apple has 61 calories and 12.08 g sugars against 20 calories and 2.63 g for tomato, and tomato has more vitamin C, 16.3 against 4.6 mg, with variety and ripeness shifting both profiles.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g raw, apple has 61 calories and 12.08 g sugars against 20 calories and 2.63 g for tomato, while tomato has more vitamin C (16.3 vs 4.6 mg) and potassium (226 vs 104 mg). — Food composition data, US Evidence E source
  Apple / tomato per 3.5 oz (100 g): energy 61 / 20 calories; sugars 12.08 / 2.63 g; fiber 2.1 / 1.2 g; vitamin C 4.6 / 16.3 mg; potassium 104 / 226 mg; lycopene 0 reported / 2813 ug
• Both foods vary widely between databases and samples: tomato vitamin C runs 0.5 to 40.9 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 12 USDA Foundation samples, and apple fiber is 2.075 g in USDA against 1.2 g in CoFID. — Food composition data, US and UK (n = Foundation samples: tomato 12, apple 8) Evidence E source
  Tomato vitamin C 27.2 mg (grape, USDA) vs 15 mg (cherry, CoFID 13-519); apple fiber 2.075 g (Fuji, USDA) vs 1.2 g (CoFID 14-319)

What a real portion looks like

• A medium apple (200 g) gives about 122 calories, while a tomato slice (20 g) gives 4 calories and a cherry tomato (17 g) about 3 calories. — US household measures Evidence E source
  Apple small 165 g 100.7 calories, medium 200 g 122.0 calories, large 242 g 147.6 calories; tomato slice 20 g 4.0 calories, cherry 17 g 3.4 calories, grape 8 g 1.6 calories

What your body absorbs

• In 11 healthy adults, adding olive oil to unheated tomato juice significantly raised all plasma lycopene isomers, peaking at 24 h. — healthy volunteers, 750 g tomato juice with or without 10% refined olive oil per 70 kg body weight (n = 11) Evidence B source
  All lycopene isomers increased significantly with oil; peak at 24 h
• In 10 adults, taking 500 mg calcium carbonate with a tomato paste meal cut lycopene bioavailability by 83%. — healthy adults, meal with 19 mg lycopene from tomato paste (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Lycopene bioavailability -83% with 500 mg calcium

What cooking and storage change

• In 12 adults, heat-processed tomato sauce rich in cis-lycopene gave a lycopene absorption response of 7.30 versus 4.74 nmol x h/l from an all-trans-rich sauce. — healthy adults, 150 g tomato sauce in a standard meal (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Dose-adjusted AUC total lycopene 7.30 vs 4.74 nmol x h/l (P = 0.002)

What it does to your health

• By meta-analysis of 21 intervention trials, tomato products lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.5 mg/dL (0.22 mmol/L) and improved flow-mediated dilation by 2.53%. — adults over 18 in tomato or lycopene intervention trials (n = 21 trials) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -8.5 mg/dL (-0.22 mmol/L) (p = 0.006); IL-6 SMD -0.25; FMD +2.53%
• Observational data from 121 prospective studies link higher total tomato intake with 11% lower cancer mortality. — adults in prospective cohorts, follow-up 2-32 years (n = 121 studies) Evidence C source
  Cancer mortality pooled RR 0.89 (0.85-0.93) for tomato intake, I2 65.7%

Safety, limits and interactions

• A systematic review of 90 studies found 42.8% of checks on apple products exceeded EU maximum residue limits. — apple products tested worldwide (n = 90 studies) Evidence C source
  MRL exceedance 42.8% overall; pesticides 51.6%, heavy metals 42.55%, mycotoxins 40.2%

What people believe that the data does not support

• Under the FDA rule updated in December 2024, a plain apple or tomato with nothing added except water automatically qualifies for the “healthy” label claim. — US food labeling: the voluntary “healthy” nutrient content claim, 21 CFR 101.65(d) as updated by FDA Evidence E source
  Raw fruits and vegetables with no added ingredients except water qualify automatically; no food-group minimum or nutrient-limit calculation needed

Who this works differently for

• By meta-analysis of 11 RCTs in people with overweight or obesity, tomato-based interventions trimmed waist circumference by 0.45 in (1.153 cm) with no consistent change in body weight. — adults with mean BMI 25 or more (n = 11 RCTs) Evidence A source
  Waist MD -0.45 in (95% CI -0.89 to -0.02; metric: -1.153 cm, -2.27 to -0.04); no consistent effect on weight or BMI

What is still unknown

• A 2026 systematic review of 38 human intervention studies with apples or apple products judged the current evidence insufficient to draw definitive conclusions. — human intervention studies with apples or apple products (n = 38 studies) Evidence B source
  No pooled estimate; evidence judged insufficient for definitive conclusions

The bottom line

A medium apple (200 g) gives about 122 calories, while a tomato slice (20 g) gives 4 calories and a cherry tomato (17 g) about 3 calories, figures recalculated from the 100 g values. Tomato carries 226 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 104 mg in apple. Tomato vitamin C ran from 0.5 to 40.9 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 12 USDA Foundation samples. Apple fiber is 2.075 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) for Fuji in USDA against 1.2 g in the UK table, with different varieties behind the two records. How you eat a tomato changes how much lycopene reaches the blood. In 11 healthy adults drinking 26 oz (750 g) of tomato juice per 70 kg of body weight, adding olive oil raised all plasma lycopene isomers, peaking at 24 hours, after a single dose and with no size given in the abstract. In 12 adults eating 5.3 oz (150 g) of sauce in single meals, a heat-processed sauce rich in cis-lycopene gave a lycopene response of 7.30 against 4.74 nmol x h/l from an all-trans-rich sauce. In 10 adults, taking 500 mg of calcium, a supplement dose, with a tomato paste meal cut lycopene bioavailability by 83%. Observational data from 121 prospective studies link higher total tomato intake with 11% lower cancer mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.93), with high heterogeneity between studies. That is an association between eating habits and deaths. It does not show that tomatoes prevent them. Under the FDA rule announced in December 2024, a plain apple or tomato with nothing added except water automatically qualifies for the voluntary "healthy" label claim. The rule says such a food fits a healthy eating pattern and makes no promise about preventing disease. Our safety evidence for these two foods is thin. A systematic review of 90 studies found that 42.8% of checks on apple products exceeded EU maximum residue limits, and published surveys tend to over-represent problem samples. The calcium result above is the one interaction with a supplement, at a supplement dose taken with the meal. We have no card on allergy, pregnancy or medicines for either food.

Sources

1. aptm-daily-r6-01 · food composition table
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 per 100 g: Apple, raw (2709215) Energy 61 KCAL, Total Sugars 12.08 G, Fiber 2.1 G, Vitamin C 4.6 MG, Potassium 104 MG; Tomatoes, raw (2709719) Energy 20 KCAL, Total Sugars 2.63 G, Fiber 1.2 G, Vitamin C 16.3 MG, Potassium 226 MG, Lycopene 2813 UG
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, Apple, raw 2709215; Tomatoes, raw 2709719 · checked 2026-09-28
2. aptm-daily-r6-03 · food composition table
   Tomatoes, grape, raw (FDC 321360, Foundation): vitamin C 27.2 mg per 100 g (Foundation samples 0.5-40.9 n=12), CoFID 13-519 Tomatoes, cherry, raw 15 mg; Apples, fuji, with skin, raw (FDC 1750340, Foundation): fiber 2.075 g (samples 1.43-3.07 n=8), CoFID 14-319 Apples, eating, raw, flesh and skin 1.2 g
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation (FDC 321360, 1750340); CoFID 2021 codes 13-519, 14-319 · checked 2026-09-28
3. aptm-daily-r6-02 · portion data
   FNDDS 2024-10-31 Apple, raw (2709215): 1 small 165 g 100.7 KCAL, 1 medium 200 g 122.0 KCAL, 1 large 242 g 147.6 KCAL; Tomatoes, raw (2709719): 1 slice 20 g 4.0 KCAL, 1 cherry 17 g 3.4 KCAL, 1 grape tomato 8 g 1.6 KCAL
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2709215 and 2709719 · checked 2026-09-28
4. aptm-daily-r6-05 · RCT, crossover
   All lycopene isomers increased significantly in subjects consuming TJ with oil, reaching the maximum concentration at 24h.
   Food Chem, 2015 · checked 2026-09-28
5. aptm-daily-r6-06 · RCT, crossover
   LYC bioavailability was diminished by 83 % following the addition of Ca in the test meal.
   Br J Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-28
6. aptm-daily-r6-04 · RCT, crossover
   AUC values adjusted for the amount lycopene consumed showed that total, total cis-, and all-trans-lycopene responses were significantly higher from the cis-isomer-rich sauce, compared with the all-trans-rich sauce, being 7.30 (sem 1.45) v. 4.74 (sem 1.08) nmol x h/l (P = 0.002)
   Br J Nutr, 2007 · checked 2026-09-28
7. aptm-daily-r6-07 · meta-analysis
   Overall, interventions supplementing tomato were associated with significant reductions in LDL-cholesterol (-0.22 mmol/L; p = 0.006), IL-6 (standardised mean difference -0.25; p = 0.03), and improvements in FMD (2.53%; p = 0.01); while lycopene supplementation reduced systolic-BP (-5.66 mmHg; p = 0.002).
   Atherosclerosis, 2017 · checked 2026-09-28
8. aptm-daily-r6-09 · meta-analysis of cohorts
   Regarding cancer mortality, negative relationships were found with total tomato intake (Pooled RR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.93, I2 = 65.7%, p < 0.001), lycopene intake (Pooled RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.81-0.86, I2 = 86.5%, p < 0.001) and lycopene levels (Pooled RR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60-0.98, I2 = 70.9%, p = 0.031).
   Front Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
9. aptm-daily-r6-11 · systematic review
   We selected 90 articles in which we were able to assess compliance with the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) regulations and found a 42.8% overall rate of checks exceeding the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL), a 51.6% rate for pesticides, a 42.55% rate for heavy metals, and a 40.2% rate for mycotoxins.
   Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
10. aptm-webfix-1-01 · US federal regulation (agency explainer page)
    Under the updated ”healthy” claim, nutrient-dense foods that are encouraged by the Dietary Guidelines – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy, lean game meat, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds – with no added ingredients except for water, automatically qualify for the “healthy” claim because of their nutrient profile and positive contribution to an overall healthy diet.
    US FDA, Use of the “Healthy” Claim on Food Labeling (final rule of December 19, 2024) · checked 2026-09-29
11. aptm-daily-r6-08 · meta-analysis
    In the RCTs, tomato-based interventions produced a small but significant reduction in waist circumference (MD: -1.153 cm, 95% CI: -2.27 to -0.04, p = 0.0432), with no consistent effects on body weight or BMI.
    Food Funct, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
12. aptm-daily-r6-10 · systematic review
    However, the current evidence remains insufficient to draw definitive conclusions.
    Food Funct, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28