Do tomatoes provide health benefits? Beta-carotene, lycopene, and vitamin C are antioxidants that guard against cell damage and may be found in tomatoes. Tomato nutrients may lower your risk of heart disease, neurological disease, and type 2 diabetes, according to research.
The Incredible 9 Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Because of their flavour, versatility in meals, and nutritional value, tomatoes are often regarded as a vegetable for culinary and nutritional reasons.Given the botanical definition of a fruit, which is the fleshy portions of a plant that surround the seeds, tomatoes are considered to be a fruit.
There are several varieties of tomatoes, such as Roma, cherry, and grape tomatoes, as well as hues like red, yellow, and green. Continue reading to find out more about tomatoes’ nutritional value and potential advantages.
Aid Immune Function
Antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamin C, which boost immunity, may be found in tomato juice. Tomato juice has been shown in studies to dramatically raise immune cell counts, particularly “natural killer cells,” which fight off infections.
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Have Been Shown To Lower Cancer Risk
Two other antioxidants found in tomatoes, beta-carotene and lycopene, may have anticancer effects. Antioxidants guard against the kind of DNA damage that may cause cancer cells to die off and grow into cancer.
Men who consume large amounts of tomatoes, especially cooked tomatoes, seem to have a lower risk of prostate cancer, according to many studies.Additionally, studies have connected non-starchy veggies like tomatoes to a lower risk of colorectal, lung, stomach, and upper aerodigestive tract (i.e., mouth, throat, and nasal sinuses) cancers as well as estrogen-receptor-negative breast tumours.
Help Improve Heart Health
Eating a diet high in tomatoes may lower your risk of heart disease, which is the main cause of adult mortality in the United States.According to an analysis published in, there was a 14% reduction in the risk of heart disease with a high lycopene consumption and high blood levels of the antioxidant.
One research examined the impact of a single serving of raw tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato sauce + olive oil on heart disease risk assessments in individuals in good health. This study was part of the evaluation.
All three dosages increased levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol and anti-inflammatory compounds while lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides, a kind of blood fat. The combination of tomato sauce and olive oil had the greatest results, most likely because olive oil increases lycopene absorption.
May Increase Male Fertility
In a published research, the benefits of giving infertile men seven ounces (oz) of tomato juice daily were compared to those of an antioxidant pill or a placebo during a 12-week period.
Tomato juice dramatically increased sperm motility and blood lycopene levels in comparison to the placebo control group. Sperm motility serves as a fertility indication. But the antioxidant pill didn’t demonstrate any appreciable results.
May Prevent Constipation
Constipation may be brought on by a diet low in fibre and fluids.Both nutrients are found in tomatoes; a full tomato has 1.5g of fibre and almost 4 oz of water.
Soluble and insoluble fibre may be found in tomatoes. During digestion, soluble fibre holds onto water to produce a gel-like substance. Your stool gains volume from insoluble fibre.
These two modifications result in trash that is simple to pass.Tomatoes include fibres called cellulose, hemicelluloses, and pectin that aid in the formation of good stool and are resistant to digestion in the large intestine.
Might Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Approximately 15% of adult Americans suffer with diabetes. Higher-than-normal blood sugar, or prediabetes, affects another 38% of individuals.Based on some data, lycopene may prevent type 2 diabetes by lowering inflammation and shielding cells from harm.Tomato fibre may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Protect Against Metabolic Syndrome
A collection of medical disorders known as metabolic syndrome raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other illnesses. Metabolic syndrome patients exhibit three or more of the following symptoms:
- Abdominal obesity
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol
In the United States, metabolic syndrome affects around one in three persons.The quantity of lycopene in your blood, or your lycopene status, may lower your chance of developing metabolic syndrome, according to some research.
A published research examined the effects of 15 participants consuming tomato juice once day, four times per week for two months. Despite not receiving a consistent amount of juice, the group showed improvements in fasting insulin levels, increases in HDL cholesterol, and substantial reductions in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
Support Brain Health
In the United States, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a kind of dementia that impairs behaviour, memory, and thought processes, affects more than six million persons 65 years of age and older. AD has no known treatment and just becomes worse with time.
Antioxidants found in tomatoes, such lycopene, may provide protection against AD, according to some research. For instance, studies have shown that individuals 70 years of age and older who consume more lycopene than others have a slower loss in cognitive function.To learn more about the potential defences against AD that tomatoes may provide, further studies on humans are required, particularly on people 60–65 years of age.
Support Exercise Recovery
Your body’s proteins may be harmed by exercise, but tomatoes’ antioxidants may counteract that damage. A research that examined athletes who drank 3.5 ounces of tomato juice for two months after exercise was included in the evaluation. The tomato juice, according to the researchers, aided in the athletes’ faster recuperation.
In a another research, fifteen non-athletic, healthy individuals rode a bicycle for twenty minutes after consuming five ounces of tomato juice for five weeks. This was followed by five weeks without tomato juice and five weeks with the juice. After participants drank tomato juice, blood tests revealed considerably fewer blood markers associated with exercise-induced damage.
Nutrition of Tomatoes
The following nutrients are available in a single raw tomato:
- Calories:Â 22.5
- Fat:Â 0.25 grams (g)
- Sodium:Â 6.25 milligrams (mg)
- Carbohydrates:Â 4.86g
- Fiber:Â 1.5g
- Added sugars:Â 0g
- Protein:Â 1.1g
Risks of Tomatoes
Before eating raw tomatoes, make sure you wash them well or prepare them. Raw tomatoes may harbour bacteria that lead to foodborne diseases including Salmonella and Listeria, much like other fresh foods. A higher risk of foodborne disease exists for persons who:
- Are aged 65 and older or 5 and younger
- Are pregnant
- Possess underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, and renal and liver disease.
- Consume drugs that impair the body’s defences against disease and germs
Additionally, chronic migraine and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may become worse after eating tomatoes.If you have any questions about whether you should avoid tomatoes, see a healthcare professional.
Tips for Consuming Tomatoes
Consume tomatoes on a regular basis in all of its forms raw and cooked to get the most advantages. These are a few methods to include tomatoes in your diet:
- Add raw tomatoes to salads, avocado toast, and omelets, among other dishes.
- Savour tomatoes in a range of recipes, including tacos, spaghetti, soups, and chili. You may also use them as paste, sauce, and salsa. For a fresh pico de gallo, use tomatoes.
- Grill or oven-roast raw tomatoes.
- Tomato juice may be consumed straight or as the foundation for gazpacho.
- Place hummus, olive tapenade, or greens seasoned with vinaigrette inside fresh tomatoes.
Lycopene is the compound that gives tomatoes many of their health advantages. Studies have shown that tomatoes cultivated outdoors have greater lycopene concentrations than tomatoes grown inside.
Tomatoes that have been cooked also contain more lycopene. Consuming tomatoes together with a healthy fat like avocado or extra virgin olive oil increases the amount of lycopene that enters your circulation from your stomach.
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Conclusion : Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Numerous advantages of tomatoes, supported by studies, include defence of the heart, brain, and digestive systems. The fruit, which some people classify as a vegetable, contains antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C.
Depending on your health, there may be some hazards related eating tomatoes. However, as long as they have a balanced diet, most individuals can consume both raw and cooked tomatoes. Consult a medical professional to see whether tomatoes and their nutrients like lycopene can benefit from a particular ailment.