Tomato sauce: better lycopene uptake, a small waist effect, no weight loss

According to a meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials in adults with overweight, tomato-based interventions trimmed waist size by 0.45 in (95% CI -0.89 to -0.02; metric: 1.15 cm, -2.27 to -0.04), an interval that nearly touches zero, and had no consistent effect on body weight or BMI. Those trials mixed sauces, juice and tomato extracts, so the result is not specific to sauce. What cooking into a sauce clearly changes is lycopene uptake. In 12 adults, a heat-processed sauce rich in cis-lycopene was absorbed about 1.5 times better than an all-trans-rich sauce, 7.30 against 4.74 nmol x h/l, after one 5.3 oz (150 g) serving of specially prepared sauces. In a randomized trial of 33 men awaiting prostate surgery, split across four groups, 5 to 7 oz (142 to 198 g) of sauce a day raised plasma lycopene by 71 percent and left prostate lycopene 3.6 times higher than in controls.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK homemade tomato sauce gives 89 calories, 5.5 g fat and 340 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). — Homemade tomato sauce, UK composition table, 100 g Evidence E source
  Energy 89 calories, fat 5.5 g, sodium 340 mg, total sugars 4.0 g, carotene 1070 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• US canned tomato sauce without added salt holds 7 mg vitamin C and 1.44 mg vitamin E per 3.5 oz (100 g), close to UK homemade sauce, but its copper figure is almost four times higher. — Canned tomato sauce, no salt added, USDA SR Legacy, 100 g Evidence E source
  Vitamin C 7 mg, vitamin E 1.44 mg, copper 0.115 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) (CoFID homemade: 8 mg, 1.47 mg, 0.03 mg)

What a real portion looks like

• US dietary survey coding counts 2.1 oz (60 g) of tomato sauce per cup of vegetables and 30 g when the amount is not specified. — US portion measures, FNDDS Evidence E source
  60 g per cup of vegetable, 30 g quantity not specified

What your body absorbs

• In men before prostate surgery, 5-7 oz (142-198 g) of tomato sauce a day raised plasma lycopene by 71%, from 0.48 to 0.82 umol/l. — Men scheduled for prostatectomy, randomized to soup, sauce, juice or lycopene-restricted diet (n = 33) Evidence B source
  Plasma lycopene 0.48 to 0.82 umol/l (+71%), prostate lycopene 3.6-fold vs control (P = 0.001)

What cooking and storage change

• In a crossover trial in 12 adults, lycopene from a heat-processed tomato sauce rich in cis-isomers was absorbed about 1.5 times better than from an all-trans-rich sauce. — Healthy adult subjects, 150 g sauce in a standardized breakfast, 2-week washouts (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Dose-adjusted lycopene AUC 7.30 vs 4.74 nmol x h/l (P = 0.002)
• Lab measurements suggest boiling tomato puree and adding olive oil raise the measured lycopene and beta-carotene content of the sauce over cooking time. — Two commercial tomato purees, boiled with and without extra virgin olive oil Evidence D source
  Lycopene isomers and beta-carotene increased with boiling time and oil, maximal in strained puree with oil

What it does to your health

• Observational data link higher tomato intake with 11% lower cancer mortality across prospective cohort studies. — Adults in 119 prospective cohort studies followed 2 to 32 years (n = 119 studies) Evidence C source
  Cancer mortality RR 0.89 (95% CI 0.85-0.93), high heterogeneity I2 65.7%
• In 79 adults with fatty liver, 200 g raw tomatoes plus 50 g tomato sauce a day for 6 weeks cut liver fat more than a tomato-free diet. — Adults with MASLD and BMI 30 or less, 6 weeks (n = 79) Evidence B source
  CAP treatment-by-time beta -26.63 dB/m (95% CI -44.00 to -9.25), median change -35 vs -18 dB/m
• In 98 adults with fatty liver, a carotenoid-rich tomato sauce for 12 weeks lowered liver fat by 33 dB/m against 12 dB/m with an ordinary commercial tomato sauce. — Adults aged 30-75 with MASLD, 12 weeks, sauce cooked with olive oil (n = 98) Evidence B source
  CAP -33 (SD 44) vs -12 (SD 38) dB/m, p = 0.014

Safety, limits and interactions

• USDA FSIS advises refrigerating cooked leftovers within 2 hours and keeping them 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months frozen. — General population (home food handling) (n = -) Evidence E source
  Refrigerate within 2 hours, keep 3 to 4 days chilled
• A case report from South Africa describes two children who died of type A botulism after eating commercially tinned fish in tomato sauce from a corrosion-damaged can. — Two siblings aged 8 and 12 (n = 2) Evidence D source
  Two deaths, type A botulinum toxin in serum and food
• In Dhaka, 80% of 104 street-vended tomato sauce samples carried Staphylococcus aureus, and 46% of those isolates were methicillin-resistant. — 104 street-vended tomato sauce samples, Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 104) Evidence C source
  S. aureus 79.8% (95% CI 71.1-86.4), MRSA 45.8% of isolates

What people believe that the data does not support

• Across 11 randomized trials in people with overweight, tomato-based foods trimmed waist size by about 0.47 in (1.2 cm) but did not lower body weight or BMI. — Adults with mean BMI of 25 or more, trials of tomatoes, tomato products or extracts (n = 11 RCTs) 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 effect on weight or BMI
• The EU refused a claim that tomato lycopene from pulp and sauces should always be used for its nutritional qualities. — EU health claim assessment Evidence E source
  Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In 24 breastfeeding women, 3 days of tomato sauce raised lycopene in breast milk while fresh tomatoes did not, though not after adjusting for milk fat. — 24 lactating women, 4 to 12 weeks postpartum, 3-day intervention (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Milk lycopene rose with sauce, unchanged with fresh tomatoes, no difference from baseline when adjusted for milk fat

What is still unknown

• In 91 adults with high cholesterol, 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) a day of a carotenoid-rich tomato sauce for 6 weeks lowered LDL by 12 mg/dl only in those who ate it reliably, while low adherers rose 8 mg/dl. — Adults with polygenic hypercholesterolemia, 6 weeks (n = 91) Evidence B source
  LDL change -16 (sterol yogurt), -12 (sauce, high adherence), +8 mg/dl (sauce, low adherence)
• During a cholera outbreak in Guinea-Bissau, eating tomato sauce with rice was linked to lower odds of cholera. — Hospitalized cholera cases and matched controls, Bissau, 1996 epidemic Evidence C source
  OR 0.36 (95% CI 0.24-0.54)

The bottom line

Two trials in adults with fatty liver point the same way, each with a limit. In 79 adults with a BMI of 30 or less, 7.1 oz (200 g) of raw tomatoes plus 1.8 oz (50 g) of sauce a day for 6 weeks lowered the liver fat score (CAP) more than a tomato-free diet, by 26.63 dB/m (95% CI -44.00 to -9.25). That trial was not blinded and sauce was only part of the change. In 98 adults with fatty liver, a patented carotenoid-rich sauce for 12 weeks lowered CAP by 33 dB/m against 12 dB/m with an ordinary commercial sauce, and the researchers were linked to the product. Cholesterol is less clear. In 91 adults with polygenic high cholesterol, 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) a day of a carotenoid-rich sauce for 6 weeks lowered LDL by 12 mg/dl in those who ate it reliably, while low adherers rose 8 mg/dl. About a third adhered poorly, and the comparison was a sterol yogurt with no placebo. Observational data link higher tomato intake with 11 percent lower cancer mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.93) across 119 cohort studies. That covers tomatoes in general, with high heterogeneity, and shows an association, which cannot tell us what sauce itself does. The EU refused a claim that lycopene from tomato pulp and sauces should always be eaten for its nutritional qualities, because the evidence was judged insufficient. One UK homemade recipe gives 89 calories, 5.5 g fat and 340 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). US survey coding counts 2.1 oz (60 g) of sauce per cup of vegetables. In a lab test of two purees, boiling with olive oil raised the measured lycopene and beta-carotene in the pot, which says nothing yet about absorption. The cautions we found are about how sauce is made and kept. Two children aged 8 and 12 in South Africa died of type A botulism after eating tinned fish in tomato sauce from a corrosion-damaged can, a single case report that gives no measure of risk. In Dhaka, 80 percent of 104 street-vended tomato sauces carried Staphylococcus aureus (95% CI 71 to 86), and 46 percent of those isolates were methicillin-resistant. We have no card on damaged cans, on acidifying sauce for home canning or on keeping opened sauce cold, so this page gives no handling steps. In 24 breastfeeding women, 8 per group, sauce over 3 days raised lycopene in milk, though not once milk fat was taken into account.

Sources

1. tmsc-daily-r4-14 · reference dataset
   CoFID 50-1173 Tomato sauce, homemade: Energy (kcal) 89 · Fat 5.5 g · Satd FA 1.80 g · Total sugars 4.0 g · NSP 1.4 g · Sodium 340 mg · Potassium 280 mg · Carotene 1070 µg · Vitamin C 8 mg · Vitamin E 1.47 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 50-1173 (Tomato sauce, homemade) · checked 2026-09-29
2. tmsc-daily-r4-15 · reference dataset
   FDC 169074 Tomato sauce, canned, no salt added: Vitamin C 7 mg · Vitamin E 1.44 mg · Copper 0.115 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 169074 (Tomato sauce, canned, no salt added) · checked 2026-09-29
3. tmsc-daily-r4-16 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2710247 Tomato sauce, for use with vegetables (food code 89901050): Guideline amount per cup of vegetable 60 g · Quantity not specified 30 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 89901050, fdc_id 2710247 (Tomato sauce, for use with vegetables) · checked 2026-09-29
4. tmsc-daily-r4-04 · randomized controlled trial
   tomato sauce (142-198 g/d or 5-7 ounces/d) ... Tomato soup, sauce and juice consumption significantly increased plasma lycopene concentration from 0·68 (sem 0·1) to 1·13 (sem 0·09) μmol/l (66 %), 0·48 (sem 0·09) to 0·82 (sem 0·12) μmol/l (71 %) and 0·49 (sem 0·12) to 0·78 (sem 0·1) μmol/l (59 %), respectively
   Br J Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
5. tmsc-daily-r4-03 · randomized crossover trial
   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 2026-09-29
6. tmsc-daily-r4-06 · laboratory analysis
   The results indicate that boiling and the addition of olive oil positively affected the cis-, trans-lycopene, and β-carotene concentration in both sauces in a time-dependent manner.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
7. tmsc-daily-r4-02 · 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 2026-09-29
8. tmsc-daily-r4-07 · randomized controlled trial
   Crucially, the treatment-by-time interaction was significant (β = -26.63, 95% CI -44.00 to -9.25; p = 0.0030), demonstrating a significantly greater reduction in hepatic steatosis in the tomato intervention group compared to the control group.
   Nutrients, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
9. tmsc-daily-r4-08 · randomized controlled trial
   A greater reduction in liver fat content was observed in participants consuming OsteoCol® compared to those receiving the placebo (CAP score: - 33 ± 44 dB/m vs. - 12 ± 38 dB/m, p = 0.014).
   Eur J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. sf-left-r2-7 · agency advice
    Within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated. ... Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months.
    USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety · checked 2026-10-08
11. tmsc-daily-r4-10 · case report
    The implicated vehicle of the toxin was tinned fish in tomato sauce, commercially produced in South Africa. Type A Clostridium botulinum was cultured from the food. The most likely scenario was that corrosion damage had allowed entry of environmental organisms, including Clostridium botulinum, to the tinned food.
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
12. tmsc-daily-r4-11 · prevalence study
    Among 104 street-vended tomato sauce samples, 83 (79.8%; 95% Cl: 71.1-86.4%) were S. aureus isolates confirmed. Of these, 38 (45.8%) identified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
    BMC Res Notes, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
13. tmsc-daily-r4-01 · 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 2026-09-29
14. tmsc-daily-r4-13 · regulatory register entry
    POL-HC-7535 Lycopenes from tomato pulp and sauces Tomato is as almost unique as a source of a specific carotene named: Lycopene; Therefore use it always is any conditions for its nutritional qualities Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7535, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
15. tmsc-daily-r4-05 · randomized trial
    Milk total and cis- and trans-lycopene concentrations (unadjusted for fat) increased in the processed tomato group but did not change in the fresh tomato group. In the control group, milk total and trans-lycopene decreased. Milk total lycopene concentrations were not significantly different from baseline in any group when adjusted for fat content of milk.
    J Am Diet Assoc, 2002 · checked 2026-09-29
16. tmsc-daily-r4-09 · randomized trial
    A significant difference in LDL-cholesterol change was found between participants taking yogurt, tomato sauce (high adherence) and tomato sauce (low adherence) (- 16; - 12; + 8 mg/dl respectively; p < 0.001).
    J Transl Med, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
17. tmsc-daily-r4-12 · case-control study
    Lime juice in the sauce eaten with rice gave a strong protective effect (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17-0.56), and tomato sauce was also protective (OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.24-0.54).
    Trop Med Int Health, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29