Is eating tomato skin and seeds poisonous?

Many people think that tomatoes should not be cooked with skin and seeds because they can easily cause poisoning. Is this true or false? (Linh, 30 years old, Hanoi)

Reply:

Tomatoes contain many nutritional values, especially vitamins A, C, and B6. Tomato peels contain many powerful antioxidants, which help prevent cancer cells and fight blood clots in blood vessel walls. You can completely use the peel without having to throw it away.

In essence, tomato peels are not toxic enough to cause poisoning when eaten. However, eating the peel can cause poisoning in some cases, when tomatoes contain residual preservatives, and people who eat them raw or without washing them can easily be poisoned by chemicals.

There is currently no scientific evidence that tomato seeds cause poisoning. In fact, people have always cooked the skin and seeds to eat, without any unusual phenomenon. However, tomato seeds do not have much nutritional value, when entering the digestive system, they are difficult to decompose, and often mixed with waste that is excreted.

In terms of nutrition, eating raw tomatoes is better than cooked tomatoes. However, this fruit has a high risk of chemical contamination, so you should consider eating it raw. In addition, many people harvest tomatoes when they are still green, let them ripen, but when cut open, the inside is still slightly green. This type of tomato should not be eaten raw, there is a risk of poisoning. It is best to buy tomatoes from reputable places, wash them, and cook them before eating.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh
Nguyen, Officer, Institute of Biotechnology and Food, Hanoi University of Science and Technology

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