The benefits of tomato juice stem from the tomato’s rich vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content. Of these, lycopene in particular deserves special attention. A powerful antioxidant, it has been found to promote good general health. It has also been linked to the prevention of a range of diseases, including cancer. Lycopene can only be found in greater quantities in a fruit called gac, which is as rare outside Asia as it is unappealing sounding. Unusually, the processing of tomatoes actually increases the concentration of bioavailable lycopene (by up to four times), meaning that tomato juice is a far better dietary source of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.