Know the Health Benefits Of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are low in calories but nutrient-rich powerhouses, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They provide important nutrients like vitamin A, B, C, K, potassium, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium, chromium, choline, zinc, and phosphorus.

These nutrients are involved in proper blood clotting, bone health, immune function, blood pressure, protein metabolism, digestion, and skin health. Tomatoes are a great source of insoluble fiber that can help clean your digestive tract, improve digestion/absorption of nutrients, and promote healthy bowel movements.

Tomatoes contain a very powerful antioxidant called lycopene, which helps to improve heart health, reduce risk of certain cancers, and inflammation throughout the body. Tomatoes may also improve eye health, digestive health, and reduce diabetes and risk of osteoporosis.

Tomatoes are grown in a wide range of varieties such as plum tomatoes, tom berries, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, and grape tomatoes in various regions across the world with temperate climates in numerous colors, ranging from red, yellow, black, and pink to purple, white, brown, and orange. Of course, red is the most common variety worldwide. Tomatoes are used as an ingredient in the form of raw, cooked, or canned in a variety of dishes. Frequent intake of tomatoes can provide a great lift to wellbeing, along with improving the flavor of food

1. Tomatoes help prevent cancer: According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, an antioxidant called lycopene in tomatoes is fount to disrupt linking process ofcancer cells and thereby prevent their further growth. Eating tomato sauce, juice, or salad can enhance the cancer-fighting potential and lower risk of breast, lung, colon, oral, and cervical cancers.
2. Tomatoes regulate blood pressure: Tomatoes are also rich in lycopene, vitamin C, and potassium play a role in improving the functioning of blood vessels in general, which can help reduce blood pressure. The more intake of potassium leads to the more loss of sodium through urine, thus helping maintain low sodium levels in the body. Apart from this, potassium eases the tension in the walls of your blood vessels – further reducing blood pressure
3. Tomatoes aid weight loss: Tomato juice can significantly reduce body weight, body fat, and waist circumference and cholesterol. They are great source of antioxidants, fiber and low in calories. They promote satiety and even reduce calorie intake, thereby helping with weight loss.
4. Tomatoes improve skin and hair health: The antioxidants in tomatoes, lycopene, fight cellular damage, skin inflammation and help cure large pores, acne, soothe sunburn, and revive dull skin and improve facial texture. The vitamin C in tomatoes can also improve hair health. Mix the juices of fresh tomatoes and cucumber. Using a cotton ball, apply the juice to your face regularly.
5. Tomatoes are good during pregnancy: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vitamin C in tomatoes helps protect both the woman and the baby. Vitamin C aids the formation of healthy bones, teeth, and gums and lycopene in tomatoes offers protection against cell damage. This vitamin also assists in the proper absorption of iron in the body during pregnancy.
6. Tomatoes reduce cholesterol and promote heart health: Including lycopene-rich tomatoes regularly in your diet for a few weeks can cut down your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) levels by about 10%. You need to take at least 25 mg of lycopene a day. This could be about half a cup of tomato sauce or 100 grams of tomato puree will give 21.8 mg of lycopene. Lycopene is fat-soluble, so it is recommended to consume it with a little fat, as the body will better absorb it
   Other benefits of tomatoes:

• Tomatoes counter the effects of cigarette smoke throughtheir Vitamin C and lycopene that help reduces production of free radicals in the body that can result in heart disease and cancer.
• Tomatoes improve vision: through Vitamin A and lycopene that are excellent for maintaining eye health by countering free radical damage, lowering risk of macular degeneration and sun damage.
• Tomatoes enhance digestive health As their chloride content is an essential component of digestive juices, lycopene plays huge role in preventing gastritis and gastric cancer and fiber in promoting gut health (100g tomatoes have 2g of fiber (both soluble and insoluble fiber).
• Tomatoes help manage diabetes because they are rich in iron and vitamins C and E – all of which help relieve diabetic symptoms.
• Tomatoes may prevent urinary stone formation and gallstones since consumption of fresh tomato or juice might help.
• Tomatoes strengthen bones through beta-carotene. This nutrient, when ingested, turns into vitamin A – this vitamin is essential for bone growth and maintenance. Just one glass of tomato juice a day can strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis. The vitamin C in tomatoes is also crucial for bone formation and the synthesis of connective tissue. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin K, which, along with vitamin D, plays a pivotal role in bone metabolism. It also increases bone mineral density, thereby reducing the likelihood of fractures.
• Tomatoes enhance your immune system by promoting white blood cells that sustain damage from free radicals.
• Tomatoes reduce inflammation through its antioxidants called zeta-carotene, phytofluene, and phytoene – which are found together in most brightly colored fruits and veggies. These antioxidants help fight inflammation and the associated diseases like cancer and arthritis. Consuming tomato juice is equally beneficial in fighting inflammation.
• Tomatoes boost men’s health especially fertility by reducing the number of abnormal sperms and also improves sperm movement and reduces the damage to it through its lycopene.
• Tomatoes enhance brainpower through lycopene and beta-carotene and other antioxidants by enhancing high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids that are particularly vulnerable to damage by free radicals. Tomatoes, when taken with oil, can have better effects because the carotenoids in tomatoes are dissolved in fat and are easily absorbed by the blood. The lycopene in tomatoes also helps prevent grave diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s and also aid in cognitive function and concentration

Tomatoes promote liver health through their lycopene that scavenges the DNA-damaging agents. Tomatoes also contain certain B-complex vitamins that sustain liver health through natural regeneration. Tomatoes protect the liver and help in liver detoxification, lowered risk of liver cancer and prevent alcoholic liver disease as well.

Authors: Madhumati Tyagi, Assoc. Director of Agriculture, Kalaburagi, Karnataka and Geetha Patil, Public Health Professional, Cambridge, MA