Tomatoes are loaded with many, many health benefits. In fact, they are incredibly versatile and can be prepared in a seemingly endless number of dishes, as well as being great to eat alone. Keep reading to find out why you need to stop neglecting tomatoes as a part of your regular balanced diet.
Tomato is considered both, a fruit and a vegetable and forms an integral part of cuisines across the globe, especially in the Mediterranean region.
Daily consumption of tomatoes provides a great boost to the health, along with improving the flavor of food. You can find them in different foods like pasta, pizzas, ketchup, and various beverages.
They are relatively easy to cultivate and grow very quickly, making them a great food source, which is a big reason why tomatoes are a staple food for many nations.
Tomatoes Nutrition Facts
The health benefits of tomatoes can be attributed to their wealth of nutrients and vitamins, including an impressive amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, as well as significant amounts of vitamin B6, folate, and thiamine. They are also a good source of potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper. They have dietary fiber and protein, as well as a number of organic compounds like lycopene that contribute to their health benefits.
Research suggests that processing and cooking tomatoes can increase their nutritional value, in particular, their antioxidant activity and lycopene compounds.
The health benefits of tomatoes include eye care, good stomach health, and a reduced blood pressure. They provide relief from diabetes, skin problems, and urinary tract infections too. Furthermore, they improve digestion, stimulate blood circulation, reduce cholesterol levels, improve fluid balance, protect the kidneys, detoxify the body, prevent premature aging, and reduce inflammation. Tomatoes consist of a large number of antioxidants that have been proven to fight different forms of cancer. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals and exert a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases.
Health Benefits of Tomatoes
The health benefits of tomatoes have been known to mankind since ancient times. They are rich sources of antioxidants that have been proven to be effective against many forms of cancer. Let’s discuss the benefits in detail.
Protect the Heart
The lycopene in tomatoes prevents serum lipid oxidation, thus exerting a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. A regular consumption of tomatoes has been proven to decrease the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. These lipids are the key culprits in cardiovascular diseases and lead to the deposition of fats in the blood vessels.
Help reduce menopausal symptoms
A 2015 study by the Nutrition Journal found that tomato juice intake did help alleviate some menopausal symptoms such as anxiety, resting energy expenditure and heart rate. This study was carried out on 95 women aged 40-60 years old and they had to consume 200ml of unsalted tomato juice, twice daily, for eight weeks. While this was a small trial, the results are encouraging and warrant further research into this area.
Counter the Effect of Smoking Cigarette
The coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, in tomatoes, fight against nitrosamines, which are the main carcinogens found in cigarettes. The presence of vitamin A in high quantities has been shown to reduce the effects of carcinogens and can protect you against lung cancer.
Aid in Digestion
Tomatoes keep the digestive system healthy by preventing both constipation and diarrhea. They also prevent jaundice and effectively remove toxins from the body. Furthermore, they have a large amount of fiber, which can bulk the bowels and reduce symptoms of constipation. [4] A healthy amount of fiber helps stimulate peristaltic motion in the smooth digestive muscles and release gastric and digestive juices. This can regulate your bowel movements, thereby improving your overall digestive health and helping you avoid conditions like colorectal cancer.
Rich Source of Vitamins and Minerals
A single tomato can provide about 40% of the daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant which prevents cancer-causing free radicals from damaging the body’s systems. It also contains abundant vitamin A and potassium, as well as iron. Potassium plays a vital role in maintaining nerve health and iron is essential for maintaining normal blood circulation. Vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and controlling bleeding, is also abundant in tomatoes.
Skin Care
Tomatoes aid in maintaining healthy teeth, bones, hair, and skin. Topical application of tomato juice is even known to cure severe sunburns. Daily consumption protects the skin against UV-induced erythema. They rank high in the preparation of anti-aging products.
Improve Vision
Vitamin A, present in tomatoes, aids in improving vision and preventing night-blindness and macular degeneration. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that can be formed from an excess of beta-carotene in the body. A lot of vision problems occur due to the negative effects of free radicals and vitamin A, being a powerful antioxidant, can help prevent them.
Good for your kidneys
Adding tomatoes without seeds to your diet has been proven in some studies to reduce the risk of kidney stones.
Prevent Gallstones
Regular consumption of tomatoes can provide relief from gallstones. There have been various studies to prove their efficacy against many chronic diseases and varieties of cancer. The antioxidant properties of tomatoes can also be derived from processed foods like ketchup and purees. Daily consumption of tomatoes fulfills the requirement of vitamins and minerals and exerts an overall protective effect on the body.
Lower Hypertension
Consuming a tomato daily reduces the risk of developing hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. This is partially due to the impressive levels of potassium found in tomatoes. Potassium is a vasodilator, meaning that it reduces the tension in blood vessels and arteries, thereby increasing circulation and lowering the stress on the heart by eliminating hypertension.
Antioxidant Agent
Tomato contains a large amount of lycopene, an antioxidant that is highly effective in scavenging cancer-causing free radicals. This benefit can even be obtained from heat-processed tomato products like ketchup.
The lycopene in tomatoes defends against cancer and has been shown to be effective in fighting prostate cancer, cervical cancer, cancer of the stomach and rectum as well as pharynx and esophageal cancers. It also protects against breast and mouth cancer, according to studies published by the Harvard School of Public Health.
Good for your hair
The Vitamin A in tomatoes works perfectly to keep your hair shiny and strong. In addition, it also does wonders for your eyes, skin, bones and teeth.
Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Tomato intake reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections, as well as bladder cancer. This is because tomatoes are high in water content, which can stimulate urination; hence, they are a diuretic. This increases the elimination of toxins from the body, as well as excess water, salts, uric acid, and some fats as well!
Help maintain strong bones
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 as well as the bone tissue.
Help with blood clotting and wound healing
Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin K which is necessary for blood clotting and wound healing, with 100g of tomatoes containing 6 mcg of vitamin K. There is also increasing evidence that vitamin K may be of benefit in bone and cardiovascular health too.
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