The “tomato trick” is an advertised tomato-based recipe that ads say will help your prostate. No independent source tested it on an enlarged prostate (BPH). The lycopene research behind it is about prostate cancer risk, and the results conflict. Tomatoes are a fine food, but they are not an established treatment, and no evidence here shows that they shrink the prostate.
| What the ad claims | A daily tomato-based drink supports or improves the prostate |
| Does it shrink an enlarged prostate? | No source tested this. The lycopene studies measured prostate cancer, not prostate size. |
| Lycopene and prostate cancer | Mixed. One large food-questionnaire study linked higher intake to lower risk of lethal cancer. A large blood-level study found no protection. |
| Lycopene supplements | Harvard Health says there is no good evidence yet that they prevent prostate cancer |
| Safety of the recipe | It is ordinary food. Tomatoes are on Cleveland Clinic’s list of foods that may suit a BPH diet. Check the salt in the paste you use. |
| What treats BPH | Symptom check-ups, lifestyle changes, medication, and procedures or surgery when needed |
| Can BPH be cured? | No cure. Treatment relieves symptoms, and mild symptoms sometimes settle on their own. |
| See a clinician if | You have trouble peeing, blood in your urine, pain, fever, or you cannot pee at all |
This page contains no purchase or affiliate links. No independent source connects the tomato trick to a named doctor, scientist or institution. If an ad names one, ask for the original source before you believe it.
What is the tomato trick, and how do you make it?
Ads attach claims to it such as prostate support, fewer night-time bathroom trips and better urine flow.
Nothing in the medical sources tests this drink or promises those results. If you like it, treat it as a tomato-and-olive-oil snack. Two practical points:
- Cleveland Clinic lists tomatoes among foods that may benefit prostate health as part of a Mediterranean-style diet, and lists sodium among things to limit with BPH. Many tomato pastes contain added salt, so read the label.
- Do not expect the drink to change how often you pee at night. The proven changes for night-time urination are in the lifestyle section below.
What is in tomatoes that helps with the prostate?
The compound ads point to is lycopene, a pigment in red fruits such as tomatoes and watermelon, according to Harvard Health. Researchers writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute describe it as a carotenoid found abundantly in tomato, tomato-based products, pink grapefruit and watermelon (reported by The ASCO Post).
What studies found is about cancer risk, not enlargement. Here is how the main studies compare:
| Study | Who and how | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Health Professionals Follow-up Study (2014, reported by The ASCO Post) | 49,898 male health professionals, food questionnaires | Highest vs lowest lycopene intake: about 28% lower risk of lethal prostate cancer (hazard ratio 0.72). Tumours showed less new blood-vessel growth. It is an observational study, so it shows an association, not cause. |
| PLCO screening trial (2007, AACR release) | Over 28,000 men aged 55 to 74, blood lycopene measured | No significant difference in blood lycopene between men who developed prostate cancer and men who did not. The lead author said, “Our results do not offer support for the benefits of lycopene against prostate cancer.” |
Harvard Health summarises the position: eating tomato sauce and other lycopene foods regularly is associated with lower prostate cancer risk, but there is no good evidence yet that lycopene supplements prevent it. The CBC reported that when tomato processors lobbied the FDA for a health claim, the agency allowed only wording that “very limited and preliminary research” suggested half a cup to a cup of tomatoes or tomato sauce each week might reduce risk. The FDA’s own letters of denial page also lists a 2005 lycopene and prostate cancer petition.
For a plain-language guide to why food studies like these cannot prove a drink works, see what preliminary findings mean (our research library).
Can lycopene shrink the prostate?
No study in the medical sources tests lycopene, from food or capsules, for shrinking an enlarged prostate. The lycopene research counted cancer cases. The medicines that do shrink the prostate are described below.
How much lycopene should you take daily, and who should avoid it?
No source gives a daily lycopene dose that benefits the prostate, so any figure an ad quotes has no support here. The only quantity in the sources is the FDA-allowed wording above: half to one cup of tomatoes or tomato sauce a week, with limited and preliminary support.
The sources do not list who should avoid lycopene. Food amounts of tomato are ordinary eating. For capsules, Cleveland Clinic advises you to talk to your healthcare provider before taking any new supplement, because supplements can react with other supplements or medicines you take. Also be careful with other antioxidant pills. The PLCO researchers noted an association between beta-carotene and aggressive prostate cancer and advised caution with beta-carotene supplements, especially at high doses. Harvard Health reports that in the SELECT trial, vitamin E supplements did not prevent prostate cancer and men taking them had a higher risk than men on placebo, and selenium did not prevent it either.
Is raw tomato good for the prostate? Which tomato sauce is best?
No source compares raw tomatoes with cooked ones, or ranks tomato sauce brands. The Harvard Health summary mentions tomato sauce and other lycopene foods eaten regularly. Choose a sauce you will actually eat regularly, and check the label for added sugar and salt, both of which Cleveland Clinic suggests limiting with BPH.
What foods are highest in lycopene?
| Food | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes and tomato products (sauce, paste) | Named as abundant lycopene sources in the JNCI study report |
| Pink grapefruit | Named in the same report |
| Watermelon | Named by both Harvard Health and the JNCI report. See our page on the watermelon trick for blood pressure for another food-based ad claim. |
The sources do not give amounts per serving, so they cannot say which of these is highest.
What is an enlarged prostate, and can it go back to normal?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a non-cancerous growth of the prostate. The gland surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine, so growth can squeeze it. Cleveland Clinic says about half of men have some signs of BPH by 60 and about 90% by 85, and about half of those with BPH develop symptoms that need treatment. Common symptoms are a slow or dribbling stream, difficulty starting, urgency, getting up at night, and not fully emptying your bladder.
Researchers are not sure what causes it. Hormone changes with age, including dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the testosterone-to-oestrogen balance, are the leading theories (Cleveland Clinic, NHS inform).
Cleveland Clinic says there is no cure for BPH, though in some people with mild BPH symptoms went away without treatment. A Harvard Health article (July 2026) describes BPH as progressive and notes that the prostate keeps growing as men age. So “back to normal” is not a realistic promise from any food or drink. Symptoms can improve or settle, and treatment can shrink the gland, but the tendency to grow remains.
What is the first-line treatment, and can you live with BPH untreated?
Treatment depends on how much your symptoms bother you. A German clinical review in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International says watchful waiting is an option for mild distress, with advice on lifestyle and diet changes. Drug therapy is considered when symptoms need it or watchful waiting has not helped. NHS inform describes the same pattern: check-ups and lifestyle changes for mild to moderate symptoms, medication for moderate to severe ones, and surgery usually only when medication has failed.
You can live with mild BPH without treatment, as long as you are monitored. Cleveland Clinic warns that untreated BPH can worsen and lead to urinary tract infections, bladder stones, blood in the urine and kidney damage. Harvard’s Dr. Heidi Rayala notes that long-term obstruction can strain and damage the bladder and that earlier treatment may prevent that.
What actually shrinks an enlarged prostate, and how fast?
The medicines that reduce prostate size are not fast. Finasteride and dutasteride block DHT. NHS inform says you need at least six months for the maximum benefit. The German review says it takes months for them to take effect, so they suit long-term therapy for men with a prostate volume above 40 mL. Most other BPH medicines ease symptoms by relaxing muscle, rather than shrinking the gland.
| Option | What it does | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Watchful waiting and lifestyle changes | Monitors mild symptoms; reduces irritants | Often the starting point for mild symptoms |
| Alpha-blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin, doxazosin, terazosin, silodosin) | Relax prostate and bladder-outlet muscle, so urine flows more easily | Quick effect, but do not reduce the risk of retention or progression. Dizziness, fainting and ejaculation changes are possible. Tell your eye surgeon if you need cataract surgery. |
| 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) | Lower DHT and shrink the gland | Slow, best for larger prostates. Possible lower libido, erectile problems, ejaculation changes. NHS inform advises condoms because of a risk of birth defects if a partner becomes pregnant. |
| Tadalafil 5 mg daily | Relaxes smooth muscle in the prostate and bladder | The only PDE5 inhibitor approved for BPH in the German review. Not safe with nitrates or after a recent heart attack or stroke. |
| Office procedures (Rezum, UroLift) and Aquablation | Shrink or reposition tissue, or remove it with water jets | Often preserve ejaculation. Long-term data are thinner, and Harvard says office procedures may not last as long as bigger operations. |
| TURP and laser procedures (HoLEP, GreenLight) | Remove blocking tissue | Longest-lasting relief. Harvard says most men who have TURP develop retrograde (“dry”) ejaculation. |
Cleveland Clinic says TURP is the most effective treatment for most cases, though for adults 65 and older medicines and minimally invasive treatments are preferable because of surgical complications. Choosing is a conversation with a urologist about your prostate size, health and priorities, including sexual side effects.
How do you shrink an enlarged prostate without surgery?
Medicines, as in the table, and lifestyle changes. BPH is often managed first without surgery. NHS inform and the German review list these lifestyle steps for BPH symptoms:
- Cut back or stop alcohol and caffeine; they can irritate the bladder.
- Avoid drinking liquids for one to two hours before bed to reduce night-time trips.
- Walk or exercise regularly. NHS inform says moderate exercise such as 30 to 60 minutes of walking a day can improve symptoms. Cleveland Clinic suggests at least 30 minutes a day.
- Ask your clinician whether the timing of other medicines, especially diuretics, can be adjusted.
- Try bladder training with medical supervision if offered.
What is the best drink or home remedy for the prostate?
No drink treats BPH. The best-supported “home remedies” are the lifestyle steps above. Tomato juice is not on any of those lists. The drinks that do have a documented effect are the ones to limit: alcohol and caffeine.
On herbal products, the German review says the European Association of Urology has made no recommendation because clear evidence of effectiveness is lacking. Cleveland Clinic says beta-sitosterol, pygeum africanum, flaxseed and pumpkin seed oil may help reduce risk or shrink the prostate, and tells you to check with your provider first. See ingredient evidence versus marketing claims (our research library) for how to read supplement promises.
What is the best supplement to shrink the prostate?
None is proven to. The prescription 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are the medicines with measured prostate shrinkage. Among supplements, the sources only say “may help” (Cleveland Clinic) or “no recommendation” (the German review). Lycopene is not on Cleveland Clinic’s list of supplements for BPH.
What is the number one food for the prostate, and which foods are worst?
No single food leads. Cleveland Clinic suggests a Mediterranean-style diet and lists berries, broccoli, citrus, nuts, tomatoes and turmeric. Harvard Health describes a study of about 4,500 men with early prostate cancer: those who ate more vegetable fats (avocado, walnuts, olive and canola oil) instead of animal fats and refined carbohydrates were less likely to develop the lethal form of the disease. That was an observational study and cannot prove cause. Harvard adds that what is good for the heart seems to be good for the prostate.
Sources do not produce a “ten worst foods” list. Cleveland Clinic advises avoiding processed foods, sugars and large amounts of carbohydrates, as well as alcohol, caffeine, dairy, red meat and salt. Harvard Health says to limit animal fat and red and processed meat.
The “Japanese method” and ejaculation: do they help?
The BPH guidance lists no Japanese method for shrinking the prostate. If an ad uses the phrase, ask what it actually is and what study supports it.
Frequent ejaculation is not named as a BPH treatment in any source here. Ejaculation is something BPH and its treatments change. Cleveland Clinic notes an enlarged prostate can affect how ejaculate leaves the body. Alpha-blockers, finasteride, TURP and similar procedures can cause reduced or “dry” ejaculation. If you are worried about this, raise it before choosing a treatment. See also our page on other men’s health tricks.
When should you see a clinician?
BPH and prostate cancer can look alike. Cleveland Clinic says BPH does not raise your cancer risk, but you can have both at once, and it recommends annual prostate screening between ages 55 and 69, starting at 40 if you are Black or have a family history. NHS inform says any blood in your urine must be investigated. A doctor will usually ask you to fill in a symptom questionnaire, test your urine and may check PSA and examine the prostate.
Call your clinician right away for pain in the lower abdomen or genitals when peeing, difficulty peeing, fever or chills with urination, or blood in your urine. Sudden inability to pass urine with severe lower abdominal pain is a medical emergency (NHS inform says to phone 999 in the UK); seek emergency care.
Before you try the tomato trick
- Ask the ad for its source. If it cites cancer studies, remember they do not show shrinkage of an enlarged prostate.
- Check the salt, sugar and added ingredients on your tomato paste or sauce.
- Ask your clinician before taking lycopene capsules, beta-carotene or vitamin E, especially if you take other medicines.
- Get urinary symptoms checked and track them. A tomato drink should never replace a diagnosis or prescribed treatment.
- Do not stop or change a medicine because of an ad; talk to your clinician first.
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By MeridianMedicalCentre.com Health Research Team