Adding tomatoes to the daily diet may be linked to lower levels of liver fat, according to Italian researchers who conducted a small study as part of the POMOSANO project. The findings were published in the Nutrients journal.
The study involved 79 adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The first continued their usual diet without tomatoes, while the second consumed 200 grams of fresh tomatoes and 50 grams of tomato sauce daily for six weeks — about 250 grams of tomato products per day.
After six weeks, liver fat levels had decreased in both groups. However, the reduction was approximately 1.9 times greater among participants who consumed tomatoes and tomato sauce daily.
The possible role of lycopene
Researchers hypothesized that the potential effect could be related to compounds found in tomatoes, particularly lycopene, the pigment responsible for their red color. This carotenoid has antioxidant properties and has previously been studied in connection with metabolic health.
However, blood lycopene levels were not measured in the study, so the researchers could not establish that lycopene was specifically responsible for the reduction in liver fat.
Other measures did not change significantly over the six-week period. Researchers found no significant differences between the groups in body mass index, body composition, liver stiffness, signs of fibrosis, liver enzyme levels, lipid profiles, insulin resistance or inflammatory markers.
What the findings mean for MASLD
The distinction is important because MASLD involves more than the accumulation of fat in the liver. The disease can progress to inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and other complications. A reduction in a single measure of liver fat does not necessarily mean that the disease has been reversed or cured.
The study was small and lasted only six weeks. Its findings cannot automatically be generalized to everyone with MASLD and will need to be confirmed in larger, longer-term studies.
For people with MASLD, lifestyle changes and management of risk factors remain central to treatment. Dietary recommendations should be tailored to an individual’s overall health and medical needs.
