Study Links Daily Tomato Consumption to Lower Liver Fat Marker in MASLD - Video

Can a simple tomato a day help your liver shed fat? A new study suggests it just might.

Eating tomatoes every day may help reduce fat buildup in the liver, according to a new exploratory randomized controlled trial published in Nutrients. The findings suggest that adding tomatoes to the diet could support liver health in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), even without significant weight loss.

MASLD is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide and is closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic disorders. While current treatment mainly focuses on weight loss and healthy eating patterns, researchers wanted to know whether one specific food-tomatoes-could directly improve liver fat.

To investigate this, scientists in Italy enrolled 79 adults with MASLD and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or lower. Participants were randomly assigned to either consume 200 grams of raw tomatoes plus 50 grams of tomato sauce daily or follow a tomato-free diet for six weeks while maintaining their usual lifestyle.

Researchers assessed liver fat using the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), a non-invasive ultrasound-based technique that estimates fat accumulation in the liver.

Both groups showed some reduction in liver fat, but the improvement was significantly greater among those eating tomatoes. The tomato group recorded a median CAP reduction of 35 dB/m, compared with 18 dB/m in the control group.

Interestingly, the benefits occurred without major changes in body weight, BMI, body fat, blood sugar, cholesterol, liver enzymes, or inflammatory markers.

Researchers believe tomatoes' rich supply of lycopene and other antioxidant compounds may help reduce oxidative stress and influence liver fat metabolism.

However, because the study was relatively small, lasted only six weeks, and assessed liver fat indirectly, the findings are considered preliminary. Larger, longer-term clinical trials are needed to determine whether regular tomato consumption can provide lasting and clinically meaningful benefits for people with MASLD.

REFERENCE: Tatoli, R., et al. (2026). Effect of Tomato Consumption on Liver Steatosis in MASLD: A Randomized Controlled Trial (POMOSANO Study). Nutrients, 18(15), 2476. DOI: 10.3390/nu18152476