"Super Foods": Tomatoes and tomato products...

Tomatoes are such a common food most people don’t think about them as Super Foods and how healthy and good for you they actually are.  And the health benefits of tomatoes are not only from fresh tomatoes, but also from stewed tomatoes (even tinned), tomato sauce, tomato paste and even ketchup and barbeque sauce!  (Of course, ketchup and barbeque sauce have other things in them like additives, preservatives etc. that take away a bit from the health benefits of tomatoes.)

So what exactly is it that makes tomatoes "Super Foods"? 

There are many healthy vitamins and minerals found in tomatoes, but one of the most important health benefits of tomatoes that makes them Super Foods is caused by the phytochemical lycopene, which is responsible for the red colour of tomatoes.  Lycopene is a very powerful antioxidant that has been getting a lot of positive press lately with more and more research finding its amazing health-giving properties.

And interestingly enough, research has found that processed tomato products like tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato paste, etc. have even more health benefits than fresh tomatoes.  The reason is because in fresh tomatoes, lycopene is bound into the fibre.  Processing the tomatoes releases the lycopene to be easier absorbed into the body.  Processed tomato products have up to 8 times more available lycopene than fresh tomatoes.

The approximate recommended amount of lycopene you should take in daily is around 20 milligrams.  It is absorbed better if it is eaten with a small amount of healthy fat.  This could be achieved by eating a small amount of nuts with a fresh tomato, or adding vegetables to tomato sauces that have been quickly stir-fried in olive oil.  Also, olive oil vinaigrettes on a salad including tomatoes would work well.  (People that follow diets that are very low in fat often have low levels of lycopene.) 

The following gives some easy ways to increase your daily intake of lycopene…

• one cup of tomato juice gives 22 grams,
• ½ cup of tomato sauce gives 18.5 grams,
• ½ cup tomato puree gives 27 grams
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste gives 9.2 grams
• ½ cup tinned stewed tomatoes gives 5.1 grams
• fresh tomato – 3.2 grams
• watermelon is also a good source of lycopene giving 7 grams per 1 cup

The following is just a short list of the many health benefits you get from eating these Super Foods:

• tomatoes have many different vitamins and nutrients including vitamin C, potassium and lycopene

• tomatoes are also high in beta-carotene, lutein, and polyphenols

• some research suggests that lycopene supports immune system function

• lycopene helps to decrease the risk of heart disease

• lycopene decreases the risk of age-related macular degeneration

• it also decreases cataracts

• it may improve asthma caused by exercising

• studies have shown that lycopene can improve the motility and concentration of sperm in infertile men

• tomatoes contain two carotenoids phytoene and phytofluene, which have been found to be powerful antioxidants and anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer)

• lycopene is a very effective anti-oxidant that fights free-radical production

• lycopene has been found to inhibit cancer cell growth.  It is thought that the reason for this is because lycopene improves cellular communication (cancer is caused by a breakdown in cellular communication).  In particular, studies have shown a reduction in the risk of the following cancers:

  • lycopene can increase the SPF of your skin, protecting you from ultraviolet rays and reducing the risk of skin cancer

  • lycopene has been found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer

  • studies have shown that eating lycopene weekly reduces the risk of esophageal and digestive tract cancer by 40%

  • another study showed that eating 7 or more servings of tomato products per week resulted in a 50% reduction of gastric cancer

  • another study showed a decreased risk of colon cancer when eating tomato products daily rather than weekly

  • studies with rats showed that they developed fewer breast tumours

So as you can see, eating tomatoes has many health benefits, so why not increase your intake today ... and here's just one simple recipe idea ...

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