Cherry tomatoes: a little sweeter than standard ones, and their lycopene needs fat

A meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in people with overweight found that tomatoes, tomato products or tomato extracts cut waist circumference by 0.45 in (95% CI 0.02 to 0.89; metric: 1.15 cm, 0.04 to 2.27), with no consistent change in body weight or BMI. Those trials were on tomatoes in general, some of them on extracts, and we found none on cherry tomatoes. What is specific to the small ones is composition. Per 100 g in the UK table, raw cherry tomatoes carry 22 calories against 14 for standard tomatoes, 3.6 g of sugar against 3.0 g, and 479 against 349 micrograms of carotene, with less vitamin C, 15 mg against 22 mg. Color matters as well. In one lab study of cultivars grown side by side, yellow and green cherry tomatoes contained no detectable lycopene. Fat decides how much of the red pigment you absorb. In a crossover trial in 7 adults eating a salad that included cherry tomatoes, lycopene barely reached the blood with a fat-free dressing and absorbed best with a dressing containing 0.99 oz (28 g) of oil.

How much is actually in it

• Laboratory data found 5.12 mg lycopene per 3.5 oz (100 g) in raw cherry tomatoes and 11.60 mg in industrially canned ones, partly from processing and partly from different raw batches. — raw and industrially canned cherry tomatoes from Italy, three determinations each Evidence D source
  Lycopene 5.12 mg/100 g raw vs 11.60 mg/100 g canned (fresh weight)
• Laboratory data show color matters in cherry tomatoes: yellow and green types contain no detectable lycopene, and red ones had the lowest vitamin C at 11.54 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g). — cherry tomato cultivars of different fruit colors grown under the same conditions Evidence D source
  Lycopene not detected in yellow and green; red vitamin C 11.54 mg/100 g, lowest of the colors
• In the UK composition table raw cherry tomatoes have more energy, sugar and carotene per 3.5 oz (100 g) than standard tomatoes but less vitamin C (15 vs 22 mg). — CoFID 2021, Tomatoes cherry raw (13-519) vs Tomatoes standard raw (13-517) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g cherry vs standard: 22 vs 14 calories, sugars 3.6 vs 3.0 g, carotene 479 vs 349 ug, vitamin C 15 vs 22 mg, potassium 274 vs 223 mg

What a real portion looks like

• In the USDA survey food table one cherry tomato weighs 17 g and one grape tomato 8 g, so a cup (180 g) is roughly ten cherry tomatoes. — USDA FNDDS survey food Tomatoes, raw, food code 74101000 Evidence E source
  1 cherry 17 g, 1 grape tomato 8 g, 1 cup 180 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial in 7 adults, lycopene and carotenes from a salad with cherry tomatoes were barely absorbed with fat-free dressing and absorbed far better with a 28 g oil dressing. — 7 adults, single salads of spinach, romaine, cherry tomatoes and carrots with 0, 6 or 28 g canola oil, at least 2 weeks apart (n = 7) Evidence B source
  Negligible chylomicron lycopene with fat-free dressing; higher with reduced-fat (P < 0.04) and highest with full-fat dressing (P < 0.02)
• In a randomized crossover trial in 6 women, adding fresh cherry tomatoes to a fried onion meal changed which flavonoids reached the blood, with only quercetin detected after the combined meal. — 6 healthy women aged 20-44, two test meals in crossover (n = 6) Evidence B source
  Onion meal raised quercetin-3-glucoside and isorhamnetin-4-glucoside in plasma; after onion plus tomato meal only quercetin was detected

What cooking and storage change

• Laboratory data suggest heating cherry tomatoes partly degrades their carotenoids but makes lycopene more extractable from the fruit matrix and shifts it toward Z isomers. — raw, home-processed and industrially canned cherry tomatoes, HPLC analysis Evidence D source
  Direction only: partial pigment degradation, E to Z isomerization, higher lycopene extractability

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in people with overweight found tomato-based interventions cut waist circumference by about 0.45 in (1.15 cm), with no consistent effect on weight or BMI. — people with mean BMI 25 or more, 11 RCTs of tomatoes, tomato products or extracts (isolated lycopene excluded) Evidence A source
  Waist circumference MD -0.45 in (95% CI -0.89 to -0.02; metric: -1.153 cm, -2.27 to -0.04); no consistent change in body weight or BMI
• Observational data from prospective cohorts link higher tomato intake to 11% lower cancer mortality. — 121 prospective studies, 108,574 cancer cases and 10,375 deaths, follow-up 2 to 32 years Evidence C source
  Cancer mortality RR 0.89 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.93) for total tomato intake
• Observational data from a Korean cohort link the highest tomato intake to a 14% lower risk of prehypertension in men and 6% in women. — Korean adults, Health Examinees cohort, FFQ quintiles Evidence C source
  Men HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.92); women HR 0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)

Safety, limits and interactions

• A meta-analysis of 2014-2020 surveys found 0% Salmonella prevalence in sampled tomatoes, against 13.7% in mixed ready-to-eat salad vegetables. — worldwide prevalence studies of Salmonella in vegetables and fruits, 2014-2020 Evidence C source
  Prevalence: tomatoes 0%, fruits 0.1%, leafy vegetables 0.2%, mixed RTE vegetables 13.7%
• A case report described a woman whose two years of compulsive cherry tomato eating turned out to be pica from severe iron deficiency anemia, with yellowish skin from carotenemia. — one woman in her forties with severe microcytic anemia (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Iron deficiency anemia and carotenemia; improved after transfusion and intravenous iron

What people believe that the data does not support

• A scoping review of 12 studies found no simple answer to whether processed tomato products are as nutritious as fresh tomatoes, because processing affects each compound differently. — 12 original studies on industrial processing of tomatoes Evidence D source
  Direction differs by compound; data limited and inconsistent
• The EU did not authorize the claim that lycopene from tomato extract protects body cells and DNA as an antioxidant. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, substance Lycopene (from Tomato extract) Evidence E source
  Non-authorized claim

The bottom line

One cherry tomato weighs about 17 g in the USDA survey table and a cup 180 g, so a cup is roughly ten of them by our own division. Heat changes the carotenoids in both directions. In lab work, heating cherry tomatoes partly broke down every pigment and made lycopene easier to extract from the fruit. Canned cherry tomatoes measured 11.60 mg of lycopene per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 5.12 mg raw, but the two came from different batches, and the authors put only part of the gap down to processing. A review of 12 studies found no single answer on whether processed tomato products match fresh ones, because each compound responds differently. In 6 women, adding fresh cherry tomatoes to a fried onion meal changed which flavonoids reached the blood, with only quercetin detected afterward. The longer-term links come from observational data on tomatoes of every kind. Across 121 prospective studies, higher tomato intake went with 11 percent lower cancer mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.93). In a Korean cohort, the highest intake went with a 14 percent lower risk of prehypertension in men and 6 percent in women. The EU refused the claim that lycopene from tomato extract protects cells and DNA as an antioxidant. On safety, surveys from 2014 to 2020 found 0 percent Salmonella in sampled tomatoes, against 13.7 percent in mixed ready-to-eat salad vegetables. None in the samples does not mean no risk. One case report describes a woman whose two years of compulsive cherry tomato eating turned out to be pica caused by severe iron deficiency anemia, with yellowish skin from carotenemia. A craving that strong is a reason to see a doctor. We have no card on tomato allergy, pregnancy or medicines.

Sources

1. chtm-r3-04 · food chemistry analysis
   Lycopene was the most abundant carotenoid, with values ranging from 5.12 mg/100 g fresh weight (f.w.) in the raw sample to 11.60 mg/100 g f.w. in the
   Foods, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
2. chtm-r3-05 · food composition analysis
   RT had the lowest vitamin C content, with only 11.54 mg·100 g−1. ... As shown in Figure 2C, lycopene was not detected in YT and GT. The lycopene content in RTs was significantly higher than that in CT.
   Foods, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
3. chtm-r3-06 · reference dataset
   Tomatoes, cherry, raw | CoFID 13-519 | Energy 22 kcal | Total sugars 3.6 g | Carotene 479 µg | Vitamin C 15 mg | Potassium 274 mg || Tomatoes, standard, raw | CoFID 13-517 | Energy 14 kcal | Total sugars 3.0 g | Carotene 349 µg | Vitamin C 22 mg | Potassium 223 mg
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 13-519 and 13-517 (OGL v3.0) · checked 2026-09-29
4. chtm-r3-07 · reference dataset
   Tomatoes, raw | FNDDS code 74101000 | fdc_id 2709719 | 1 cherry 60550 = 17 g | 1 grape tomato 64073 = 8 g | 1 cup 10205 = 180 g
   USDA FNDDS, Tomatoes raw, food code 74101000, fdc_id 2709719 · checked 2026-09-29
5. chtm-r3-01 · randomized crossover trial
   The subjects (n = 7) each consumed 3 salads consisting of equivalent amounts of spinach, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and carrots with salad dressings containing 0, 6, or 28 g canola oil. ... After ingestion of the salads with fat-free salad dressing, the appearance of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene in chylomicrons was negligible.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
6. chtm-r3-02 · randomized crossover trial
   Six healthy non-obese normocholesterolaemic female volunteers in the age range 20-44 years participated in a randomised two-phase crossover supplementation trial to compare the antioxidant effects associated with (a) a meal of fried onions and (b) a meal of fried onions and fresh cherry tomatoes. ... After the combined tomato and onion meal, only quercetin was detected in plasma.
   Eur J Nutr, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
7. chtm-r3-03 · food chemistry analysis
   Analyses performed in this study leads to three interesting conclusions with regard to the effect of heating on carotenoids distribution in cherry tomato: partial degradation of all pigments, lycopene and β-carotene isomerization from E to Z forms and increased lycopene extractability from the vegetable matrix.
   Foods, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
8. chtm-r3-08 · meta-analysis of randomized trials
   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 2026-09-29
9. chtm-r3-09 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   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)
   Front Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
10. chtm-r3-10 · cohort study
    Higher tomato consumption was associated with a lower risk of prehypertension in men (hazard ratio (HR) 0·86, 95 % CI 0·80, 0·92, Pfor trend 0·0005). Women in the highest quintile also showed a similar trend (HR 0·94, 95 % CI 0·90, 0·99, Pfor trend 0·0091).
    Br J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
11. chtm-r3-11 · meta-analysis of prevalence
    Results showed prevalence for Salmonella spp. of 0.1%, 0.2%, 13.7%, 0.1%, and 0% for fruits, leafy vegetables, mixed vegetables related to ready-to-eat salads (RTE), tubercles, and tomatoes, respectively.
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
12. chtm-r3-12 · case report
    A Caucasian female in her forties was referred to the hospital with severe microcytic anaemia and a two-year history of excessive cherry tomato consumption. She exhibited a notably yellowish discolouration of her skin. Based on the history and clinical findings, the diagnosis of iron deficiency anaemia and carotenemia was made.
    Cureus, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
13. chtm-r3-13 · scoping review
    The data suggested that different processing methods had different effects on different compounds in tomatoes. However, currently available data are still limited, and the existing data are often inconsistent.
    Adv Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
14. chtm-r3-14 · non-authorized health claim
    POL-HC-7531 Lycopene (from Tomato extract) lycopene is an antioxidant and helps to protect the body’s cells/helps to maintain intact body cells. Lycopene or a diet rich in lycopene helps to maintain intact cell DNA/contributes to healthy ageing by maintaining intact cell DNA/ Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7531, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29