Red Tomatoes Are Nutritional Powerhouse
Tomatoes are sweet, tasty, and extremely
versatile in the kitchen, and to an extent, this already makes them
attractive enough. However, there are many other reasons why you should
consume them more often. As many of you may know, these red fruits are
packed with vitamin C, are low in calories, and are fat-free - but
that's not all! Here are 10 even better things tomatoes do for your
health:
1. They're full of everything you need for
good health
One serving of red, ripe, raw tomatoes is packed with rich sources of
vitamins A, C, K, folate, and potassium. Their amount of sodium,
saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories are very low. They are loaded
with thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper,
which are all essential for our health. In a single serving, tomatoes
can provide you with 2 grams of fiber, which is 7% of the daily
recommended amount.
2. Promote skin health
Like carrots and sweet potatoes, tomatoes contain beta-carotene, which
contributes to our skin's protection against the sun and its damage.
They also contain lycopene, which helps to reduce our skin's sensitivity
to UV light - one of the main contributors to fine lines and wrinkles
on our skin.
3. Strengthen the bones
With their rich vitamin K and calcium content, tomatoes provide the
boost you need for your bones' health, as these minerals help to
strengthen and repair bones. Lycopene (red pigment), found in tomatoes,
as well as carrots and watermelons, is said to greatly improve bone mass
and serves as an excellent natural way to fight osteoporosis.
4. Fight cancer
Tomatoes are natural cancer-fighting agents, and probably one of the
most delicious ones you could ever eat. Their concentration of lycopene
(again) helps to reduce the risk of various cancers, including prostate,
mouth, throat, pharynx, cervical, stomach, esophagus, rectal, colon,
and ovarian. This is due to their antioxidant (vitamins A and C)
content, which helps fight the free radicals that cause cell damage.
5. Balance blood sugar
If you thought eating sweet foods won't help your sugar levels, you
haven't heard of this benefit yet. Because of their great source of
chromium, tomatoes are outstanding blood sugar regulators. So if you're
willing to balance the sugar level in your blood, don't forget to add
more of them to your diet (read more on how you can do this below).
6. Improve vision
You can also reap terrific benefits for your eyes and vision by
including more red goodness in your dishes. One of the nutrients found
in tomatoes, vitamin A, is known to bring great improvements in vision
and night blindness. According to recent studies, tomatoes have also
been found to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, which is a
serious and irreversible eye condition.
7. Boost hair health
Apart from being beneficial for the eyes, the vitamin A found in
tomatoes can even boost your hair's health. It might not offer solutions
for thinning hair, but it surely helps to strengthen your hair and add
more shine to it.
8. Prevent kidney stones and gallstones
Kidney stones and gallstones are common health problems that may be
prevented by eating tomatoes. They're said to reduce the risk of these
problems arising, especially if they are eaten without the seeds.
9. Alleviate chronic pain
Did you know tomatoes can also fight pain? If you are suffering from
mild to moderate chronic pain, such as arthritis, chronic inflammation
or back pain, you may want to consider tomatoes as a natural remedy.
Since they are high in bioflavonoids and carotenoids (both
anti-inflammatory agents), eating tomatoes can significantly lessen your
pain.
10. Help in weight loss
Tomatoes are packed with water and fiber, making them excellent filling
foods to stock up on if you are trying to lose weight. They can make
great between-meal snacks instead of apples, and they're also the
perfect ingredient to use with your salads, casseroles or sandwiches, to
make them more filling. Eating tomatoes will not only leave you
satiated and give you lots of health benefits, it does all this without
adding any extra calories or fat to your diet.
TIPS: Ways to include tomatoes in your food
Add slices of tomatoes to your sandwiches, whether they have meat, fish, or are vegetarian
Make a tomato sandwich, by adding some mustard or mayonnaise as a dressing
Add chopped tomatoes to any salad (at room temperature, if possible)
Make pasta sauce out of tomato pulp (canned, cooked or homemade), instead of creams
Drink tomato juices or make tomato smoothies
Add chopped tomatoes to your morning scrambled eggs or omelets
Eat them raw as a mid-afternoon snack
Add them to stews and soups
Serve them stewed over baked potatoes or mashed potatoes
Make tomato salsa to serve with fish, meats, and even salads