What are the Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Whether it’s about making soup for a cold evening or a sauce for any kind of snack, we end up thinking that tomato can be a great option. You might be surprised to know that in some cultures, tomato is known as a fruit while in other parts of the world, it is considered as a vegetable. Scientists also have a controversial viewpoint on it.

Nonetheless, a tomato must be a part of your daily diet be it in the form of a fruit or a vegetable. There are loads of health benefits associated with tomatoes, many of which are associated with providing for some of the most vital functions of the human body as well.

The tomato soup is very delicious.

High Plant Compound Content

Scientists have concluded that tomatoes provide the healthiest nutrients to the human body with plant compounds. This includes Lycopene, Beta Carotene, and Naringenin. Lycopene is an antioxidant that provides improved heart health and lowers the risk of several different forms of cancer as well.

Beta Carotene is another antioxidant but is mainly responsible for fulfilling the requirements of Vitamin A within the human body which helps in an improved immune system and the general wellbeing of a person. Lastly, the Naringin plant compound is usually found in the skin of tomatoes and is considered as a key element in fighting towards the viral diseases that one is facing.

Tomatoes also come with chlorogenic acid. Despite the fact that this may not be beneficial for a healthy person, it is helpful for those who are facing any high blood pressure problems.

However, you should know that an average yellowish tomato will be having a little low content of the above-mentioned plant compounds while a fully red and ready tomato will be having a high content of plant compounds.

The redder the tomato, the healthier it is.

Essential Nutritional Components

Just like many other fruits and vegetables, tomatoes are filled with multivitamins and essential minerals that are helpful for your body. Just one tomato can fulfill your 40% requirement of Vitamin C per day. This shows how healthy it is to consume the tomato in a suitable amount.

In addition to that, tomatoes have Vitamin A and Vitamin K that prove useful for your bones. Potassium helps in improved functioning of the different types of body organs as well as improving muscle contractions.

Tomatoes also contain high sugar and good carbs content.

Skin Health

Tomatoes are not directly improving your skin health, but they are definitely protecting it from all the different UV rays and overexposure to the sun which may cause sunburn. This is yet another benefit of the different types of plant compounds that are found in tomatoes. Studies showed that people who took about 40 grams of tomato every day for 10 weeks had 40% lesser sunburns.

Vision Improvement

You might have heard that carrots are very beneficial for eyesight, but tomatoes are no less than that. With a high level of lycopene, there is a significant improvement in the vision of any person. In addition to that, it also protects a person from facing different types of eye problems such as macular degeneration. Overall, it is quite beneficial for eyesight eye specialists to recommend tomatoes to their patients.

Recommended for Diabetes Control

Since people with diabetes have a special diet control, they are suggested to take tomatoes as a part of the regular diet. Few studies showed that people who ate cooked tomatoes for 30 days consistently experienced a reduced lipid peroxidation. This is vital for patients with diabetes because it reduces any further problems including heart diseases.

It also provides essentially required sugar but in an organic way.

Digestive Health Improvement

Tomatoes are quite helpful in improving the digestive health and gastrointestinal functions of the human body. For people who face constipation or related bowel diseases, they should increase their intake of tomatoes as this will help them in easing out from all such problems.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one tomato has 6 ounces of fluid along with 1.5 grams of fiber which can help you with several bowel problems. Nonetheless, it is not recommended to consume tomatoes in an excess mainly because of the fact that an overdose is often allergic.

Lung Health

Lung health is one of the most important ones in the human body because it is directly related to oxygen supply within the entire body. It has been found out that people facing particular breathing problems and the asthmatic conditions have been suggested to increase tomatoes in their diet.

Tomatoes also prevent any emphysema which is a condition where the air sacs of the lungs are damaged. In times of COVID-19 when breathing issues and lung infections are on the rise, one should increase the consumption of tomatoes so that they have better lung health.

One can easily add tomatoes to their everyday diet starting from breakfast.

Beware of Tomatoes

Despite many benefits that we mentioned above, tomatoes can be dangerous too, in very rare cases. People face allergic reactions to eating tomatoes only if they are allergic to grass pollen. This condition is called the pollen-food allergy syndrome where the immune system reacts negatively to fruits or vegetables which are similar in their chemical properties like pollen.

Symptoms of such an allergy include itching in the mouth, scratchy throat, or even a swelling if the case gets worse. It was also found out that those who face latex allergy have their body negatively reacted to the tomatoes.

Although, this is not common, and tomatoes are generally well treated by the human body. However, if you do face any similar issue, we recommend that you stop taking tomatoes any further and immediately consult a physician.

 

Tomato pastes are used in Pizzas.

 

Conclusion

Most of us do eat tomatoes in one way or the other almost daily but knowing the health benefits, we are sure you will consume them more for their vital health benefits. However, the problem of allergic reactions has to be considered by the people who face this problem. The products we mentioned above are some of the best ways to add tomato to your daily diet.

In case you ever wonder about why dates are considered so special in some cultures; you might find your answers on this page – Health Benefits of Date Palm.

Another important item that can be used for general wellbeing is the Maca Root. We have a complete guide on the following page. – Maca Root – A Comprehensive Guide