Go Red with Tomatoes and Stay Fit

So numerous are the benefits associated with tomatoes that one is often forced to think if it is simply a fruit or a miraculous panacea. The health benefits of tomatoes are becoming more and more recognized every day as we learn new uses of this amazing fruit.

Tomatoes are an excellent source for the percentage of daily value that their serving provides for each body essential nutrient that the body requires. Themedguru enquires into the secrets of this red fruit.

A Rich Source of Vitamins

When consumed in the raw form, tomatoes are a rich source of vitamin E, which is essential to maintain good looking and healthy skin and hair, plus vitamin K that prevents hemorrhages. When cooked and consumed in the form of canned tomatoes, ketchup or sauce, it acts as a good source of vitamin C, which assists the body in fighting diseases and also that of vitamin A that gives us good vision and fights nervous disorders.

Cooked tomatoes are not just taste enhancers, but also contain more lycopene than the raw variety. Cooking breaks down the cell walls, releasing and concentrating carotenoids. Tomatoes when eaten along with a small amount of fat, it facilitates better absorption of lycopene.

A cup of fresh tomatoes alone is capable of providing you with 57.3 percent of the daily value for vitamin C requirement and about 22.4% of the vitamin A requirement.

What is Lycopene

Lycopene refers to the red pigment present in tomatoes that gives them the red color. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects against certain types of cancers, prevents risks against strokes, improves memory and betters urinary tract health.

An Excellent Source of Minerals

Tomatoes are also rich in minerals such as iron and potassium. Tomatoes alone can account for as much as 8 percent daily value of potassium, and 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for women and 10 percent RDA for men.

A Fiber-rich Source

In addition, tomatoes are a very good source of fiber. This property of tomatoes appears in their ability to lower high cholesterol levels. One cup of tomatoes caters for about 7.9 percent of your body’s daily requirement for fiber. Fiber also helps in promoting proper digestion of food and assists weight reduction.

Other Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Besides all the above mentioned qualities, tomatoes are associated with some additional benefits:
• Tomatoes are ace blood purifiers
• Tomato juice helps reducing blood clotting tendencies
• Tomatoes are natural antiseptics
• Coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid present in tomatoes are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines
• Tomatoes also keep blood sugar levels from getting too high
• The problem of congestion of liver can be solved by ensuring daily consumption of tomatoes.

How Much Tomatoes Should One Consume?

It is estimated that a person should have about 13.5 ounces of tomato juice every day. While this could be quite a challenging task, you could device newer ways of incorporating more and more tomatoes in your daily diet.

You could have a glass of tomato juice during breakfast followed by some hot tomato soup with a dash of tomato ketchup and pepper during lunch and some Bloody Mary or Virgin Mary (the non alcoholic version of Bloody Mary) just before dinner.

However, the formula of ‘the more the better’ might not work in case of tomatoes. Tomatoes being a rich source of potassium and calcium may enhance the process of stone formation in your body if you are prone to the ailment. So, as a caution do not consume too much of it.

Did you know that the Italians, who call tomatoes ‘poma amoris’, meaning ‘love apple’, find the fruit indispensable. Perhaps that explains why the Italians look the way they do.