Tomatoes are among the nightshade family of vegetables which are often and incorrectly suggested to be inflammatory and thus bad for arthritis, which is an inflammatory condition. There is no scientific or medical evidence to support this claim and arthritis sufferers should not omit tomatoes from their diet for this reason. 

Scientifically considered a fruit, tomatoes are much more similar to a vegetable both in terms of their nutrient profile and culinary usage. Tomatoes are similar to many vegetables in the sense they provide dietary fibre for almost no calories ( ~75 grams of tomato being 1 gram of fibre, 15 cals) and share both fruit and vegetables unique capacity to contain multiple families of beneficial antioxidant compounds.

They are rich in a wide array of important nutrients including potassium, folate and Vitamins C & K, with potassium being the mineral that is the most likely among them to be under consumed at the population level. What makes tomatoes truly unique, however, is that they are among the richest sources of the dietary antioxidant known as lycopene – which may be uniquely protective against prostate cancer. Often seeing your local family physician for a referral to registered dietitian, nutritionist or who have available appointments to treat conditions, symptoms of  in conjunction with Smart Food Now. 

Tomatoes are among the nightshade family of vegetables which are often and incorrectly suggested to be inflammatory and thus bad for arthritis, which is an inflammatory condition. There is no scientific or medical evidence to support this claim and arthritis sufferers should not omit tomatoes from their diet for this reason. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant with impressive anti-inflammatory properties and are therefor a great choice when trying to increase one’s vegetable intake. Tomatoes are versatile to cook with and can be eaten raw or cooked in a variety of dishes which makes them a great choice for anyone looking to add more vegetables into their diet.

 Dr. Stefanie Wade, Rheumatologist, Sarah Ware, Registered Dietician, and Nick Pratap, Kinesiologist, talk about the health benefits of tomatoes in relation to arthritis management.