Top ten health benefits of tomatoes

culled from:tescohealthandwellbeing.com

We have previously waxed lyrical about the benefits of exotic foods like sweet potato and superfoods in general. As it’s now Summer, let’s look a little closer to home at one of our favourite seasonal foods, the multi-talented and much-underestimated tomato. You may wonder, what’s so special about this commonplace salad item? Well, read on and we’ll tell you all you need to know about the health benefits of tomatoes.

Tomato trivia

• Did you know that a tomato isn’t a vegetable at all? It’s actually a fruit, along with its salad partner, the cucumber.
• The tomato is a member of the Nightshade family and, for a long time, was thought to be poisonous. Talk about a bad rap!
• The tomato is native to South America, but was imported to Europe in the 1500’s. Today, tomatoes are grown and eaten almost everywhere in the world.
• When it first arrived in Europe, the French christened it the 'Love apple' while the Germans called it the 'Apple of paradise'.
• The name 'tomato' actually comes from the Aztec word 'Xitomatl' which means 'plump thing with a navel'!

Health benefits of tomatoes

1. Heart healthy: Tomatoes contain a high level of anti-oxidants which help to prevent the build up of fatty plaques in the arteries and lower the risk of heart attack. (The Singapore Medical Journal)
2. Lovely lycopene: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which is an anti-oxidant that protects the body from ‘free radicals’, which cause cell damage. Tomatoes not only contain high levels of this lycopene, but they release more of it during the cooking process. By making your own pasta and pizza sauce or adding tomatoes to your curries or casseroles, you can up your lycopene intake for a real health boost.
3. Cholesterol crusher: By including tomatoes in your diet on a regular basis, you can decrease bad LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and this may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
4. Weight loss wonder: Tomatoes contain only 14 calories per 100g (4oz) and are high in fibre and water, which can help you to feel fuller for longer. Eaten as part of a healthy diet, they can help to keep you slim and trim.
5. Bladder booster: Because tomatoes contain a high volume of water, they can have a diuretic effect, helping to remove toxins from the body and ward off urinary tract infections.
6. Sight saver: Carrots aren’t the only food that is good for your eyes. Tomatoes contain high levels of vitamin A which may help to improve eyesight, combat night-blindness and reduce the risk of degenerative eye diseases like cataracts.
7. Prostate protector: Studies in the US have shown that eating tomatoes regularly could help men decrease their risk of prostate cancer. In fact, tomatoes, being high in the anti-oxidant Lycopene, may help to reduce the risk of cancer in many parts of the body. (Harvard school of public health)
8. Immune-booster: Research suggests that a single tomato can provide about 40% of your daily vitamin C requirement. This can help boost the immune system and protect against illness.
9. Skin soother: Eating tomatoes can help to keep you looking young. (Yes, really.) By eating them regularly, you can protect your skin from UV damage. You can even apply tomatoes to your skin to ease sunburn!
10. Fibre provider: Tomatoes are high in fibre, which is essential for a healthy diet, weight loss and optimum digestive health.

Every year, people gather in the aptly named town of Tomatina in Spain to throw truckloads of tomatoes at each other. We recommend eating them instead.

Tomatoes – a budget-friendly food

Tomatoes are plentiful, versatile and low in price so they can be enjoyed by everyone. Not just for their taste, but for their health benefits too. When cooking, tinned tomatoes are a budget-friendly choice. The canning process releases more lycopene so you are still getting all the health benefits.

Grow your own

While tomatoes are available in supermarkets all year round, there is nothing to beat biting into a homegrown tomato, freshly picked from the vine and warm from the sun. Tomatoes are easily grown in a greenhouse or a sunny corner of a garden or balcony in grow-bags or pots. They range in size from the tiny ‘piccolo’ tomatoes (sweet, juicy and ideal for feeding kids!) to the robust ‘beef’ tomatoes. Tomatoes aren’t just red either. (Although red is best for their lycopene properties) They range in colour from the palest yellow (Sun Gold) right through to black. (Black Cherry) Include tomatoes in your daily diet for optimum health benefits and healthy weight loss.