Tomatoes are one of the best dietary sources of lycopene, which has been shown to have anti-cancerous activity, and may reduce your risk of stroke.
Cooked tomatoes (such as in tomato sauce or tomato paste) not only increases the lycopene content that can be absorbed by your body, but also increases the total antioxidant activity. Consume your tomatoes, whether raw or cooked, with some type of fat, such as olive oil, since lycopene is a fat-soluble nutrient.
Choose organic varieties, whether whole tomatoes or tomato paste, ketchup, or sauce. Organic ketchup has been found to contain 57 percent more lycopene than conventional national brands.
Avoid anything that comes in a can, since the acidity of the tomatoes will increase toxic BPA release from the liner.