Nothing spices up a dinner like fresh tomatoes, whether you slice them onto a burger that has just come off the grill, toss them into a salad to add some color and texture, or sauté them with garlic for a hearty pasta dish.

This juicy fruit (yes, it's truly a fruit) is huge not only in flavor but also in possible health advantages, especially when they're in season—between May and October. To be fair, not everyone enjoys tomatoes. They are among the most prevalent food allergies. Some people may experience unpleasant stomach symptoms as a result of them. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are also loaded with several other vital vitamins and nutrients and are antioxidant powerhouses.

In light of this, here are some unexpected effects that consuming fresh tomatoes may have on your body. Continue reading for more information on healthy eating, and be sure to check out Secret Side Effects of Eating Watermelon, Says Science.

You might feel better.

In the long run, tomatoes might also improve your mood in addition to enhancing the flavor of your food.

According to a 2013 study published in The Journal of Affective Disorders, participants who ate tomatoes two to six times per week were 46% less likely than those who ate them less frequently to report having mild or severe depressive symptoms. Notably, this effect was not produced by the other vegetables employed in the study.

According to Paravantes, "researchers don't know which nutrients generate that effect, but they think it may be the antioxidants—including lycopene."

Your body could be able to absorb iron more easily.

Did you know that some foods really improve the way other nutrients are absorbed by your body? According to Blanca Garcia, RDN, a nutritionist at Health Canal, tomatoes are one of these foods. They may specifically aid in the absorption of iron, a mineral essential for the production of hemoglobin, and myoglobin, two proteins that assist the transport of oxygen to the body's muscles and organs.

Tomatoes, according to Garcia, can do this due to their high vitamin C content: One cup of food provides 27% of the daily required amount.

Your wounds might mend more quickly.

Collagen, a protein present in connective tissues that aids in wound healing, is made possible by vitamin C, according to Garcia. "When you cut yourself, are recovering from surgery, or have a pressure wound from being bedridden, having a consistent intake of vitamin C can help your body heal faster."

In fact, a 2016 research of hospital patients published in the International Journal of Surgery discovered that when participants took vitamin C supplements containing 1,000 milligrams, their "extensive and convoluted" wounds "dramatically" healed more quickly and better.