The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), is a crucial part of a healthy diet. It is a South American fruit from the nightshade family that is high in nutrients.These tomatoes are available in different shapes, tastes, and hues, including yellow, orange, green, and purple. They are juicy and sweet, loaded with antioxidants, and may help treats many ailments.Although it is technically a fruit, it is frequently treated as a vegetable and eaten as such. The vibrant color of tomatoes is due to lycopene and chlorophyll, two carotenoids.Chlorophyll (green) is lost as the fruit ripens, and carotenoids (red), are generated in its place.
The primary dietary source of the antioxidant termed “lycopene,” which gives tomatoes their vivid red color and aids in shielding them from the sun’s UV radiation, is tomato products.Numerous health advantages have been linked to it, including better heart health, cancer prevention, UV protection, and resistance to cell damage.Carotenoids found in tomatoes, such as lutein and lycopene, are vital for our bodies. Eating tomatoes regularly will ensure that you get an array of nutrients that will help in the better functioning of your body.
Nutritional Facts:
The main plant compounds in tomatoes are:
Lycopene: A red pigment and antioxidant.
Beta carotene: An antioxidant that often gives foods a yellow or orange hue, beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in your body.
Naringenin: Found in tomato skin.
Chlorogenic acid: A potent antioxidant that decreases blood pressure in those with high levels.
Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Heart health:
Cardiovascular disease risk is decreased by lycopene. Additionally, lycopene reduces blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
High blood pressure, excessive blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and excess body fat around the waist are all symptoms of metabolic syndrome. Beta-carotene can stop it.
Tomato phytonutrients can also aid in lowering excessive platelet clumping, resulting in unintended clotting and blood vessel obstructions.
Tomatoes are good at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol because they contain potassium and Vitamin B.
Therefore, you may successfully prevent heart attacks, strokes, and many other heart-related issues that could endanger your life by having tomatoes in your daily, balanced diet.
Immunity:
A potent antioxidant is a lycopene. It combats substances known as free radicals, which can harm your cells and compromise your immune system. Your immunity is boosted by drinking fresh tomato juice.
The abundance of vitamin C in tomatoes helps keep your body healthy and invigorated while reducing the production of stress chemicals.
Antioxidant power:
Though most of the phytonutrients and vitamins in tomatoes have potent antioxidant properties, lycopene is a standout. Tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
It is primarily because these vitamins and beta-carotene work as antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals in the blood, which could lead to cell damage.
Strong bones:
Lycopene promotes bone health and help prevent the development of osteoporosis.
Eyesight:
Tomatoes contain both vitamin A and beta-carotene, which can become vitamin A when digested. Vitamin A, found in tomatoes, is fantastic for improving your vision.
It is required to keep the retina working correctly and for low-light and color or night vision. It also plays a role in eye development.
Tomatoes have substances called lutein and zeaxanthin that supports the vision and protect against eye conditions, including cataracts and macular degeneration.
Activates Digestion:
The high fiber content of tomatoes aids in maintaining colorectal health, enabling easy digestion, good stool volume, and regularity, which lowers the risk of hemorrhoids and diverticulitis (small, painful pouches on the colon).
Controls Blood Sugar:
Tomatoes are packed full of the valuable mineral known as chromium, which works effectively by keeping blood sugar levels in check.
Blood Vessels:
Getting more tomatoes into your diet may make you less likely to have a stroke, which is when blood flow gets cut off to a part of your brain.
Lycopene decreases stroke risk by the ease of inflammation, boosts the immune system, lower cholesterol levels, and by preventing blood clot.
Cognition:
Tomatoes’ beta-carotene may offer some defense against cognitive deterioration. Potassium, a mineral that facilitates nerve and muscle communication and helps move nutrients into and waste products out of cells, is abundant in tomatoes.
Tomato-rich diets were associated with a lower incidence of neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Asthma:
Asthma patients benefit from tomatoes’ lycopene content. Lung inflammation was decreased by tomato extract.
Because antioxidants like lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin combat the toxic components in cigarette smoke, it also helps to prevent emphysema (a disorder that gradually affects the air sacs in your lungs).
Cancer prevention:
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that spread beyond their normal boundaries, often invading other parts of the body.
Lycopene is a natural antioxidant that works effectively to slow the growth of cancerous cells.
The high concentrations of carotenoids found in high amounts of lycopene in tomatoes help to reduce your chances of developing prostate, colorectal, lung, pancreas, esophagus, oral cavity, breast, cervix, and stomach cancer.
Tomatoes contain a considerable amount of calcium and Vitamin K. Both of these nutrients are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on the bones and it’s tissue.
Repair damages caused from smoking:
Tomatoes contain “coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid” that helps to protect the body from carcinogens, produced from cigarette smoke.
Kidneys:
Adding tomatoes without seeds to your diet reduces the risk of kidney stones.
Oral Health:
Lycopene helps with the gum diseases gingivitis and periodontitis prevent cancer, by fighting free radicals.
Burns Fat:
Tomatoes encourage the production of the amino acid called Carnitine, which enhances the body’s fat burning process.
Skin and Hair:
Tomatoes are beneficial for skin health. They have a high concentration of lycopene, an ingredient commonly found in face cleansers.
Vitamin C, which is required for “collagen formation” and is present in tomatoes, provides the skin with its structure and maintains its firmness and freshness.
Additionally, it promotes wound healing and contains vitamin A (a component of retinoids) used in anti-aging skin care products. Beta-carotene aids in sunburn prevention.
Use the tomato skin as a face mask after peeling the fruit. After letting the tomatoes stay on your face for at least 10 minutes, wash them. Your skin will appear glossy and clean. Your skin is cleansed and revitalized by it.
Tomatoes’ vitamin A shields your hair from environmental harm.
How to Eat It!
There are several health advantages of eating tomatoes. They are fantastic to eat alone and are highly adaptable, as they may be served in an almost infinite variety of cuisines.
You may include tomatoes in your diet in several ways, including fresh, dried, sauce, salsa, paste.
The fruit’s skin offers the most advantages. Salad is the most popular choice. Eat fresh tomatoes or add fresh tomatoes to omelets and salads.
Sliced tomatoes are also delicious when served with a balsamic glaze, fresh basil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper.
Sundried tomato pesto, can be used to top fish that has been grilled or to dress fresh greens or steamed vegetables.
The richest dietary sources of lycopene include tomato products such ketchup, tomato juice, tomato paste, and tomato sauces.
In comparison to fresh tomatoes, processed tomato products frequently contain substantially more lycopene. Both may benefit you, but in various ways.
Compared to fresh tomatoes, canned tomato products may be better for your body to absorb and utilise nutrients like lycopene.
But some of the vitamin C and other nutrients may be lost during the heating process. Due to this reason, it is advisable to consume fresh, whole tomatoes.