6 Reasons to Eat Tomatoes 7 Days a Week
You must eat more tomatoes. This fruit has an intense red or yellow hue and might be oval, rounded, thick or thin skinned, or small or large. They may also be small or large but all are quite tasty. The best part is the regular consumption of any of them is good for you and you can add them to all kinds of dishes. Do you want more reasons to eat tomatoes?
The daily but balanced consumption of tomatoes not only improves your health, but also the quality of your dishes. The best thing is you can find them at any time of the year. Let’s look at the health properties of tomatoes in more detail.
1. A highly nutritious and recommended food for the entire family
Sometimes we are not aware of all that certain foods can do for us, for example, tomatoes. We will not see its nutrients at first sight, but your organism will thank you if you regularly offer it all this fruit can provide.
According to information published in Proceedings of The Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, this food provides us with nutrients such as:
- Vitamins A, C, K, B6, folic acid, and thiamine
- Vitamin E
- Minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper
- Flavonoids.
Phytosterols.
What more can you ask for?
Read this article too: How to Grow Tomatoes at Home
2. Eat tomatoes, they’re good for your heart
Tomatoes contain a lot of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and choline (a type of vitamin B). All these elements can reduce the risk of having cardiovascular diseases.
- Potassium, for example, is ideal for regulating blood pressure and avoiding the danger associated with ischemic diseases, as detailed in this study published in the British Medical Journal.
- Furthermore, as shown in a publication in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, the lycopene present in tomatoes regulates the levels of the so-called “bad cholesterol” or LDL and triglycerides in the blood.
We mustn’t forget that these kind of fats are to blame for the main cardiovascular diseases, as they lead to slow but progressive deposits of fats in our blood vessels.
3. Tomatoes can counteract the effects of smoking
Do you smoke? Do you work or live in an environment where there are smokers? If so, it’s advisable to eat one or two tomatoes a day.
- Firstly, two of the most important components of this fabulous food are coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid
- In addition, according to research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these elements help counteract the nitrosamines produced in the body.
- Finally, the nitrosamines are the main carcinogenic agents present in cigarette smoke
Read about the 9 Reasons to Drink Cucumber Water Every Day
4. The regular consumption of tomatoes can improve your digestive health
The regular consumption of tomatoes helps you to prevent both constipation and diarrhea. Thanks to their fiber content, this fruit stimulates the peristaltic movement of the digestive muscles and also the release of gastric juices. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that tomatoes have a protective effect on the digestive tract.
5. Tomatoes are good for your vision
The vitamin A found in tomatoes helps to care for your vision, according to information published in Community Eye Health Journal . Also, it’s very good for preventing macular degeneration.
Moreover, vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that fights the negative effects of free radicals and looks after the health of your tissues.
6. Eat tomatoes for a healthier skin
Both consumption and external application of tomatoes can be good for your skin. In fact, the lycopene contained in tomatoes helps protect it against UV rays, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
Furthermore, this food contains vitamin E, vitamin C, water and other important elements to keep the skin hydrated and young. How about trying a mask with tomato paste? It’s ideal if you have oily skin, in fact.
In short, eat more tomatoes
Tomatoes are a wholesome food you can eat every day of the week. Be aware that it isn’t a cure for diseases or ailments in itself. In fact, you must make it a part of a healthy diet to benefit from it. Finally, eat more tomatoes by adding them to your regular dishes.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Beecher, G. R. (1998). Nutrient content of tomatoes and tomato products. In Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (Vol. 218, pp. 98–100). https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-218-44282a
- Aburto, N. J., Hanson, S., Gutierrez, H., Hooper, L., Elliott, P., & Cappuccio, F. P. (2013). Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease: Systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ (Online), 346(7903). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f1378
- Alda, L. M., Gogoa, I., Bordean, D., Gergen, I., Alda, S., Moldovan, C., & Ni, L. (2009). Lycopene content of tomatoes and tomato products. Journal of Agroalimentary Process and Technologies, 15(4), 540–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0963-9969(99)00053-8
- Palozza, P., Catalano, A., Simone, R. E., Mele, M. C., & Cittadini, A. (2012, October). Effect of lycopene and tomato products on cholesterol metabolism. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1159/000342077
- Rundlöf, T., Olsson, E., Wiernik, A., Back, S., Aune, M., Johansson, L., & Wahlberg, I. (2000). Potential nitrite scavengers as inhibitors of the formation of N-nitrosamines in solution and tobacco matrix systems. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 48(9), 4381–4388. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf000147
- Agarwal S, Rao AV. Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and chronic diseases. CMAJ. 2000;163(6):739–744.
- Gilbert C. What is vitamin A and why do we need it?. Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):65.
- Cooperstone JL, Tober KL, Riedl KM, et al. Tomatoes protect against development of UV-induced keratinocyte carcinoma via metabolomic alterations. Sci Rep. 2017;7(1):5106. Published 2017 Jul 11. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05568-7
