No matter how you pronounce the name, tomatoes are the healthiest fruit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tomatoes, and yes, they are a fruit, not a vegetable, scored highest in a recent ranking of nutritionally powerful foods.

According to Women's Health, the overall winner in produce was watercress, which scored a perfect 100 points. But in the fruit category, tomatoes topped the list.

“Tomatoes are nutrient-dense and provide an excellent source of antioxidants, especially lycopene, which has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer,” says Scott Keatley, a registered dietitian and co-founder of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy. Keatley noted that lycopene is better absorbed when tomatoes are cooked in sauces, soups and pastes. This improves the balance of fiber and hydration that supports gut health.

Lycopene is a member of the carotenoid family, which are yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments found in fruits and vegetables that act as potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents in the body.

Lycopene-rich foods may help reduce inflammation as well as improve blood pressure, cardiovascular health, reduce cholesterol and ward off a variety of cancers, says Laura Iu,  a registered dietitian and founder of Laura Iu Nutrition.

Sun-dried tomatoes have a whopping 45.9 milligrams of lycopene per 100 grams. That compares to 3.0 milligrams for a similar portion of fresh tomatoes. Iu says that ideally we should consume eight to 21 milligrams of lycopene per day. Canned tomatoes and pureed tomatoes are also good sources.

Pairing tomatoes with healthy fats like olive oil boosts their nutritional excellence. “For those who enjoy them raw, adding tomatoes to salads or eating them as a snack still delivers plenty of vitamins and hydration,” says Keatley.  He recommends eating a medium-size tomato or a cup of cherry tomatoes daily for a great nutritional start. If you are not a fan of tomatoes, other fruits that the CDC ranked as being high in nutritional value include:

• Lemons

• Strawberries

• Oranges

• Limes

• Grapefruit