8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
You may want to replace a one-day-old apple with another fruit: tomatoes. Studies have shown that this versatile fruit – yes, it is a fruit, technically a fruit – is packed with health benefits. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average tomato contains only 22 calories and contains more than 1 gram of fiber, as well as potassium, vitamin A and the antioxidant lycopene.
The tomato is also the fruit with the highest water content, with 94 percent water, more than a tomato, according to UCLA Health.
The fact that tomatoes can be found in fresh, canned products or in products such as sauces and sauces makes it easy to be on the menu every week and is suitable for most budgets. Jennifer Christman (RDN), director of clinical nutrition at Optavia, says tomato paste actually contains more nutrients than raw or canned tomatoes, but cooking fresh tomatoes in pasta sauces, for example, can provide that by boiling off moisture. . similar. , previous studies have shown..
Here are eight more ways to add more tomatoes to your diet.
Tomatoes help double your sun protection According to
Lycopene has been shown to protect against oxidative stress, including ultraviolet (UV) damage from the sun. More importantly, if you eat enough of this fruit, some previous research has shown that it can act as an internal sunscreen, protect against sunburn, and prevent cancer.
A healthy tomato diet can reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
The lycopene in tomatoes (found mostly in the skin, Christman says) may not just prevent skin diseases. Studies have shown that people who eat tomatoes have a lower risk of breast, prostate, and lung cancer, possibly because the lycopene in tomatoes can prevent cancer, cancer, and immune control.
Free radicals are associated with diseases and aging, so tomatoes can play an important role in disease prevention.
Lycopene may be higher in tomato sauce than ketchup, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid fresh fruit that’s “still plenty,” Christman said.
One more caveat: Research published in the March 2021 issue of the journal Antioxidants found that the key to best protection from lycopene is to eat tomatoes with healthy fat, because carotenoids must be properly absorbed by the body.
Tomatoes are a clean drink that can protect your eye health
Tomatoes contain lycopene as well as carotenoids and zesantine lutein, which helps protect eye health. and has been found to prevent age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
According to the Michigan State University Extension Center, the vitamin A in tomatoes is another important nutrient for eye health and may also reduce the risk of macular degeneration and help prevent night blindness.
Tomatoes are about 94 percent water, which makes them super moisturizing, says Rachel Jones, RDN, vice president and food director at GNC. They also contain potassium (292 milligrams [mg] for a medium-sized tomato), a nutrient that promotes hydration by helping maintain fluid balance in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in antioxidant vitamin C
. According to the USDA, a bowl of chopped tomatoes provides about 27 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports the immune system, bacteria, and collagen production, which reduces inflammation and helps prevent its release. Radical damage and aging that can cause disease, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Vitamin C also improves iron absorption,” says Christman, “so by combining tomatoes with protein-rich foods like beans, lentils, tofu, chicken and chicken liniments, and oils like olive oil, nuts, and seeds,” and you. Tomatoes do wonders for the stomach According to a review published in 8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Biology (Basel) February 2022, a healthy diet containing Tomatoes can help make the gut microbiota more diverse, leading to better digestion and better nutrition. Experiments on tomato powder have shown that diet supplemented with tomato powder increases the diversity and richness of the gut microbiota of mice and reduces the response, suggesting that tomato is effective in the treatment of Chinese medicine colon cancer.
A healthy, diverse microbiome has been associated with many health benefits, including improved immunity and resistance to diseases such as cancer and inflammatory diseases, through the mediation of nasty diseases.
Antioxidants in Tomatoes Are Good for the Heart
Eating more tomatoes may lower your risk of heart disease and death from heart disease, according to research published March 2022 in Frontiers in Nutrition. One important reason: The antioxidants and other nutrients (especially lycopene) in tomatoes have been associated with a lower risk of heart disease, according to previous analyzes. A previous study showed that tomato juice containing olive oil reduced cholesterol and biomarkers of inflammation.
Tomatoes Can Help You Manage Your Weight Fresh tomatoes are a low-calorie food rich in fiber and water, with only about 20 calories in one medium fruit. Jones. Canned tomatoes have similar properties if processed without added sugar and sodium (check the food label to make sure it’s safe).
8 Potential Health Benefits of Tomatoes
A small previous study found significant weight loss with tomato juice supplements, but more research is needed to support these results. But Christman, who recommends the general rule of filling half your plate with flourless vegetables or fruit like tomatoes, says that including tomatoes in your diet can be part of a healthy diet.