A pizza with tomato and mozzarella is fattening, but it does yield considerable benefits, especially if you add plenty of fresh, lightly cooked vegetables. Tomatoes are good for everyone in a number of ways. Lycopene is one of the chief anti-oxidants thought to counter heart disease. Eating plenty of tomatoes has been found to lower the risk of digestive tract cancers. Studies indicate that lycopene protects against cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, stomach, colon, rectum and cervix.
Tomatoes have no cholesterol and no saturated fat.
They're also a good source of fibre and a medium tomato contains 360 milligrams of potassium. Since lycopene is not destroyed by heat or processing, its benefits are abundant in pizzas, tomato ketchup, tomato puree and tinned tomatoes.