Instalab ResearchInflammation is a core process in human biology. In the short term, it protects us. When you sprain your ankle or catch a cold, inflammation brings immune cells to the scene, repairing damage and fighting pathogens. This type of acute inflammation is essential for healing.
Chronic inflammation is very different. It is a low-level but persistent activation of the immune system that can last for months or years. Instead of resolving, the body remains in a heightened state of alert. Over time, this process contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, and even certain cancers.
Researchers often measure chronic inflammation by looking at blood biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These markers provide reliable signals of whether inflammation is elevated or reduced in response to a diet or lifestyle change.
Concerns about tomatoes causing inflammation largely come from anecdotal reports or theories tied to their status as nightshades. Some compounds in nightshades, such as alkaloids, are thought by critics to worsen inflammation. However, when put to the test in controlled human studies, there is no evidence that tomatoes increase inflammation.
In one trial, healthy adults consumed a tomato-rich Mediterranean diet for a month. Researchers measured vascular inflammation markers such as CRP and adhesion molecules and found no increase. Levels remained unchanged compared with baseline, suggesting that tomatoes are not inflammatory in practice.
Another controlled trial looked at fresh tomatoes bred to contain high levels of lycopene. Participants’ blood levels of lycopene rose significantly, but there was no evidence of heightened oxidative stress or inflammation. These findings align with a larger systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Across 465 participants, tomato consumption did not increase CRP or IL-6 levels, two of the most reliable markers of systemic inflammation.
Together, this evidence makes it clear that tomatoes do not trigger inflammation in healthy populations.
The best available clinical studies suggest that they do.
In a clinical trial of overweight and obese women, those who drank tomato juice daily for 20 days had significant reductions in IL-8 and TNF-α. Among obese participants, IL-6 was also reduced. These changes were statistically significant compared with a control group that drank water, showing that tomato products can directly improve inflammatory markers in at-risk populations.
Another study examined what happens when tomatoes are eaten with unhealthy, high-fat meals that usually cause spikes in inflammation. In healthy adults, eating processed tomato products alongside a high-fat meal prevented the usual sharp rise in IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine. This suggests that tomatoes may buffer the body against meal-induced inflammation, which is a known risk factor for vascular damage and cardiovascular disease.
More recently, a 2025 randomized controlled trial demonstrated that adding tomato puree to a high-fat meal reduced both systemic and adipose tissue inflammation. Researchers found significantly lower TNF-α, IL-6, and inflammatory gene expression in fat tissue biopsies compared with the control meal. This points to a direct effect of tomatoes on tissues central to obesity and metabolic health.
In the short term, tomatoes appear to blunt the immediate rise in inflammatory markers that often follows meals high in fat. This is important because post-meal inflammation is one of the ways diet contributes to long-term cardiovascular risk.
With regular consumption, tomatoes may reduce risk factors for chronic diseases driven by inflammation. Clinical research has linked tomato intake to improvements in inflammatory biomarkers, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism. These shifts are highly relevant to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, where inflammation is a central driver of damage.
