Undoubtedly one of the more popular fruits around the word – yes apparently a fruit and not actually a vegetable as it is often considered is the humble tomato – what are the benefits of eating tomatoes? As many will know, tomatoes can come in various types and are for instance regularly used in pizzas and for spaghetti sauce etc.. It is claimed that their consumption has benefit to the heart as well as other organs. They have carotene lycopene and it is reported that cooking is good to get the most of the nutrient – however, it has also been said that lycopene is an abundant nutrient also and that in any case tomatoes can be blended to receive greater nutrition than simply eating them raw. In relation to the benefits that could be associated with tomato ingestion these include less danger for breast, head and neck cancers as well as protection against neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it has been stated that tomatoes help to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms.
In relation to the actual benefit of lycopene, it has been said to be able to assist the skin to defend against dangerous UV rays. Moreover, due to genetic variation, there have also been many other genes that make carotene, anthocyanin and additional antioxidants. Some varieties such as “Doublerich” have twice normal vitamin C. It is also asserted to be possible to have 40x vitamin A levels and greater anthocyanin which gives a blue colour, as well as 2-4 times the amount of lycopene. It is stated that if bought unripe, they can be stored at room temperature out of direct sunlight until they become ripe. Furthermore, it is said that they can remain fresh for 3 to 4 days and that when ripe ought to be consumed from 1-2 days. Moreover, it is recommended to only refrigerate ripe tomatoes.
In relation to trying to get the benefits of tomatoes, there are various ways to consume a tomato such as a juice, either cooked, in a salad or on its own. As a sidenote, some people who focus on “food combining” recommend that tomatoes should be consumed in combination carefully/on their own.
(reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato)
