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• The carotenoid called lycopene is the key player in tomato health benefits with its powerful antioxidant properties.
• Tomato is native to South America and it was actually once considered unfit to eat in Britain and North America and was believed to be poisonous – leaves and stems contain poisonous glycoalkaloids but the fruit is safe.
• Despite being considered poisonous 200 years ago, USA is one of the biggest producers of tomatoes in the world along with China and Turkey.
• It was once known to be an aphrodisiac and was named ‘love apple’.
• In the late 19th century, US Supreme Court ruled that tomato is not a fruit but a vegetable.
• Cooked or processed tomatoes are better for you as they have much higher concentrations of lycopene than uncooked tomatoes, while other vegetables use their nutritional value when cooked.
• Lycopene is one of the most powerful antioxidants and intake of tomatoes are shown to be linked with a decreased risk of different types of cancer and heart disease, which are the main causes of death in the West and about half of all cancers have been attributed to diet.
• Lycopene in tomatoes as an antioxidant prevents free radicals from disrupting the balance of new bone formation. Tomatoes can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• Low levels of lycopene were linked with signs of infertility and regular tomato consumption may help improve male fertility.
• Antioxidants like lycopene may provide protection from sunburn and UV skin damage.
• Smell the tomatoes when you buy them and check if they have a rich tomato aroma.
• Do not store tomatoes in the fridge, let them ripen in room temperature. Refrigeration destroys the flavor.
• You can freeze excess tomatoes to use later, nutritional value won’t diminish and taste will just be the same.
• Tomato health benefits and nutrition are pretty good in canned tomatoes as the lycopene concentration is much higher. You can store the unused canned tomatoes in a glass container in the fridge.
• Tomatoes are a great ingredient for salads, sandwiches, soups and sauces.
References:
Erhardt JG, Meisner C, Bode JC, Bode C. Lycopene, beta-carotene, and colorectal adenomas. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Dec;78(6):1219-24. 2003.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York 1996.
Levy J,. Lycopene research presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. (www.aacr.org ), March 27-31, 2004, Orlando, FL 2004.
Trichopoulos D, Willett WC. Nutrition and cancer. Cancer Causes Control 1996;7:3-4.
Williams GM, Williams CL, Weisburger JH. Diet and cancer prevention: the fiber first diet. Toxicol Sci 1999;52(Suppl):72-86.
homecooking.about.com/od/foodstorage/a/tomatostorage.htm
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