Illustration of a glass of tomato juice with a straw beside two ripe tomatoes, with key nutrition facts per cup
Superfoods

Is Tomato Juice Good for You? Benefits, Nutrition and Downsides

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Tomato juice has a reputation as a health drink. So is tomato juice good for you? For most people, yes, with one important condition: pick a version without added salt.

Quick answer: Unsalted tomato juice is low in calories and rich in potassium and lycopene. One cup has about 41 calories, 527 mg of potassium and roughly 22 mg of lycopene, according to USDA FoodData Central. The main downside is sodium: salt is added to some versions, and the amount varies widely by brand.

Here’s what’s in a glass, what the research does and doesn’t show, who should be careful, and how to choose a healthier bottle.

Tomato Juice Nutrition Facts

These figures are for 1 cup (243 g) of canned tomato juice without added salt.

Nutrient Amount per cup
Calories 41
Carbohydrates 8.6 g (of which sugars 6.3 g)
Fiber About 1 g
Protein 2.1 g
Potassium 527 mg (11% of the Daily Value)
Sodium 24 mg
Lycopene About 22 mg
Vitamin C Varies by brand (USDA lists about 170 mg)

Source: USDA FoodData Central, entry #170545. Vitamin C varies a lot between products, partly because some juices have vitamin C added, so check the label on your bottle.

Benefits of Tomato Juice

It’s a Rich Source of Lycopene

Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes and one of the carotenoids researchers study for heart health. Tomato juice is a convenient way to get it: a single cup contains about 22 mg.

How much your body absorbs may matter as much as how much you drink. In a human study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, lycopene from heat-processed tomato sauce was better absorbed. The Ohio State University researchers behind it explained that both heat and some fat play a part. In practice, drinking tomato juice with a meal that contains a little fat may help.

It’s High in Potassium

With 527 mg per cup, unsalted tomato juice provides about 11% of the Daily Value for potassium in a low-calorie drink. That’s one reason it’s often linked with heart health, but it’s also why some people need to limit it (see below).

What the Research Shows on Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

The best-known study followed 481 adults in Japan who drank as much unsalted tomato juice as they wanted for a year. Most drank about 200 ml (a little under a cup) a day. It was published in Food Science & Nutrition in 2019.

Group Before After one year
94 people with untreated high or borderline blood pressure 141.2 / 83.3 mmHg 137.0 / 80.9 mmHg
125 people with untreated high cholesterol (LDL) 155.0 mg/dL 149.9 mg/dL

These are encouraging but modest changes, and the study had limits. Everyone drank the juice, so there was no comparison group, which means other factors could have played a part. The research was also funded by Kikkoman, the parent company of the juice brand used. Tomato juice isn’t a treatment for high blood pressure or cholesterol, so don’t use it in place of medicine your doctor has prescribed.

It’s Low in Calories

At about 41 calories per cup, unsalted tomato juice is a light option compared with many sweetened drinks. It won’t keep you full for long, though, because it has only about 1 g of fiber per cup.

Tomato Juice vs Whole Tomatoes

Both are good choices, but they’re not the same. Juice gives you lycopene and potassium in a form that’s easy to drink, and processing may make its lycopene easier to absorb. Whole tomatoes keep more of their fiber, so they’re more filling and better for digestion. If you enjoy both, there’s no need to pick one.

Downsides: Who Should Be Careful

People Watching Their Sodium

This is the big one. The unsalted juice in the table above has just 24 mg of sodium per cup, but salted versions can contain far more, and brands differ a lot. The FDA sets the Daily Value for sodium at less than 2,300 mg a day and says a serving with 20% of the Daily Value or more is high in sodium. That’s 460 mg or more per serving.

People With Kidney Disease

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists tomato juice among higher-potassium foods. If your kidneys aren’t working well, potassium can build up in your blood and affect your heart rhythm. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor or dietitian whether tomato juice fits your potassium limit.

People With Acid Reflux or Heartburn

Tomato products are a common heartburn trigger. The International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders lists them among foods to reduce if you have GERD, though triggers differ from person to person. If tomato juice gives you heartburn, it’s not for you.

People With Diabetes

A cup of unsalted tomato juice has 8.6 g of carbohydrate, including 6.3 g of natural sugars. That’s modest, but it still counts toward your carbohydrate total. Choose juice with no added sugar, and ask your care team how it fits your meal plan.

How to Choose a Healthier Tomato Juice

The label tells you almost everything. Here’s what the common sodium claims mean, according to the FDA:

Label says What it means
Sodium-free Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
Very low sodium 35 mg or less per serving
Low sodium 140 mg or less per serving
Reduced sodium At least 25% less sodium than the regular product
No salt added / unsalted No salt added during processing, but the product may still contain some sodium
  • Check the milligrams, not just the claim. Look at sodium per serving and the %DV. 5% DV or less counts as low.
  • Read the ingredients. Ideally it’s just tomatoes, perhaps with added vitamin C.
  • Watch the serving size. Bottles often contain more than one serving.
  • Be careful with blends. Vegetable juice blends and cocktail mixes can have different sodium and sugar levels.

How Much Tomato Juice Is Reasonable?

There’s no official daily amount. In the Japanese study, most people drank about 200 ml a day. If you drink it regularly, choose an unsalted version, and remember it adds to your daily potassium and, for salted juice, sodium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it good to drink tomato juice every day?

For most healthy adults, a glass of unsalted tomato juice a day can fit into a balanced diet. People with kidney disease, frequent heartburn, or a doctor-advised sodium or potassium limit should check with their care team first.

Does tomato juice lower blood pressure?

One year-long study in Japan found small drops in blood pressure among people with untreated high or borderline blood pressure who drank unsalted tomato juice. It had no comparison group, so the evidence is limited, and tomato juice shouldn’t replace prescribed treatment.

Is tomato juice good for weight loss?

It’s low in calories, about 41 per cup, so it can replace higher-calorie drinks. But it has little fiber, so it won’t keep you full, and no single drink causes weight loss.

Is tomato juice good for diabetics?

Unsweetened tomato juice is relatively low in carbohydrate, with about 8.6 g per cup. Count it in your carbohydrate total, avoid versions with added sugar, and ask your care team how it fits your plan.

What’s the difference between “low sodium” and “no salt added”?

“Low sodium” means 140 mg or less per serving. “No salt added” means no salt was added during processing, but the juice may still contain some natural sodium, so check the milligrams on the label.

Is canned tomato juice as healthy as fresh?

It can be. Heat processing may make lycopene easier to absorb, while vitamin C varies by product. The bigger difference is usually salt, so compare labels.

The Bottom Line

Tomato juice can be a healthy, low-calorie drink that provides potassium and lycopene. Choose an unsalted or low-sodium version, drink it alongside a balanced diet, and skip it or check with your doctor if you have kidney disease, a potassium or sodium limit, or tomato-triggered heartburn.

Sources

Sources accessed September 28, 2026. This article is general information and isn’t a substitute for advice from your doctor or a registered dietitian.