Role of lycopene from tomato on cardiovascular risk: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention studies

Abstract

This umbrella review assessed evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) on the effects of tomato-derived lycopene on cardiovascular risk factors. A comprehensive search was conducted on April 8, 2025, across PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceOn. Eligible studies were SR/MAs of intervention studies involving adult participants consuming tomatoes and/or naturally occurring lycopene and reported cardiovascular outcomes. SR/MA quality and evidence certainty were assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Data synthesis results were expressed as standardized mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. A total of nine SRs were included, seven of which involved MAs. Five moderate-to-high-quality MAs were included in the quantitative synthesis after quality assessment. These demonstrated significant improvements in blood pressure, but lipid profile results were inconsistent. GRADE assessments confirmed high certainty for blood pressure but very low certainty for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol due to heterogeneity. Tomato-derived lycopene consumption lowers blood pressure and modestly improves cardiovascular risk. Daily intake of 5–30 mg lycopene, equivalent to one or two raw tomatoes, appears beneficial.