Tomatoes - eating health benefits & Medicinal benefits

Tomatoes eating health benefits & Medicinal benefits

Tomato is a nutrient-dense superfood that offers benefit to a range of bodily systems. Its nutritional content supports healthful skin, weight loss, and heart health.

Including tomatoes in the diet can help protect against cancer, maintain healthy blood pressure, and reduce blood glucose in people with diabetes.

Tomatoes contain key carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene. These can protect the eye against light-induced damage.  Eat more tomatoes by adding them to wraps or sandwiches, sauces, or salsas. Alternatively, eat them cooked or stewed, as these preparation methods can boost the availability of key nutrients.

The health benefits can vary between types. For example, cherry tomatoes have higher beta-carotene content than regular tomatoes.

High fruit and vegetable intake is also linked to healthy skin and hair, increased energy, and lower weight. Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables significantly decreases the risk of obesity (A disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems) and overall mortality.

Reduce Cancer

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and other antioxidants. With these components, tomatoes can help combat the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are known to cause cancer.  

A recent study in the journal Molecular Cancer Research linked the intake of high levels of beta-carotene to the prevention of tumor development in prostate cancer.

Tomatoes also contain lycopene. Lycopene is a polyphenol, or plant compound, that has been linked with one type of prostate cancer prevention. It also gives tomatoes their characteristic red color.

Fiber intake from fruits and vegetables is associated with a lowered risk of colorectal cancer.

Diets rich in beta-carotene may play a protective role against prostate cancer.

Control Blood pressure

Maintaining a low sodium intake helps to maintain healthful blood pressure. However, increasing potassium intake may be just as important due to its widening effects on the arteries.

Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), fewer than 2 percent of U.S. adults meet the recommended daily potassium intake of 4,700 milligrams (mg).

High potassium and low sodium intake are also associated with a 20 percent reduced risk of dying from all causes.

Boost Heart health

The fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and choline content in tomatoes all support heart health.

An increase in potassium intake, along with a decrease in sodium intake, is the most important dietary change the average person can make to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tomatoes also contain folate. This helps to balance homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid that results from protein breakdown. It is said to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The management of homocysteine levels by folate reduces one of the risk factors for heart disease.

Control Diabetes

Studies have shown that people with type 1 diabetes who consume high-fiber diets have lower blood glucose levels, while people with type 2 diabetes may have improved blood sugar, lipids, and insulin levels. One cup of cherry tomatoes provides about 2 grams (g) of fiber.

The American Diabetes Association recommends consuming around 25 g of fiber per day for women and an estimated 38 g per day for men.

Reduce Constipation

Eating tomatoes that are high in water content and fiber, help hydration and support normal bowel movements. Tomatoes are described as a laxative fruit.

Fiber adds bulk to stool and is helpful for reducing constipation. However, removing fiber from the diet has also demonstrated a positive impact on constipation.

Boost Eye health

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene. These are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to protect the eyes against light-induced damage, the development of cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found eating tomatoes people with high dietary intake of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, both present in tomatoes, had a 35 percent reduced in the risk of neovascular AMD.

Protect Skin health

Collagen is an essential component of the skin, hair, nails, and connective tissue. The production of collagen in the body is reliant on vitamin C.  Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy.  As vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, a low intake is associated with increased damage from sunlight, pollution, and smoke.

Vitamin C deficiency can lead to wrinkles, sagging skin, blemishes, and other adverse health effects of the skin.

Benefits for Pregnancy

Adequate folate intake is essential before and during pregnancy to protect against neural tube defects in infants.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. It is available in supplements but can also be boosted through dietary measures.

While it is recommended that women who are pregnant take a folic acid supplement, tomatoes are a great source of naturally-occurring folate.

Tomatoes are packed with nutrients.  One cup of chopped or sliced raw tomatoes contains: 32 calories (kcal), 170.14 g of water, 1.58 g of protein, 2.2 g of fiber, 5.8 g of carbohydrate, 0 g cholesterol.

Tomatoes also have a wealth of vitamin and mineral content, including: 18 mg of calcium, 427 mg of potassium, 43 mg of phosphorus, 24.7 mg of vitamin C, 1499 international units (IU) of vitamin A.

Tomatoes also contain a wide storage of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, including: alpha-lipoic acid, lycopene, choline, folic acid, beta-carotene, lutein.

The cooking of tomatoes appears to increase the availability of key nutrients, such as the carotenoids lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Stewed tomatoes provide more lutein and zeaxanthin than sun-dried tomatoes and raw cherry tomatoes.

Diet

Be sure to store fresh tomatoes at room temperature and avoid refrigeration, as this causes tomatoes to lose their flavor.

Incorporate more tomatoes into the diet using the following tips: Dip grape or cherry tomatoes in hummus or plain yogurt dip and consume them as a side or a snack.

Add sliced tomato to sandwiches and wraps.

Add diced, low-sodium canned tomatoes to homemade or jarred marinara sauces when making pasta.

Used canned, diced, or stewed tomatoes in soups.

Eat a piece of toast with avocado and tomato slices.

Make a quick salsa with diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime.

Dice fresh tomatoes and add them to rice and beans, quesadillas, or tacos. Add them to omelets or scrambles for breakfast.

Drizzle freshly sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella with balsamic vinegar, and top with chopped basil.

Risks

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) compiles a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide residue. These foods are known as the Dirty Dozen.

Buying organic minimizes pesticide exposure, though this has not been definitively proven to prevent disease.