Tomatoes Don’t Just Taste Good – Prevent Cancer and Sunburn, 7 Reasons to Love Tomatoes

Nothing says ‘summer’ to me any more than plucking a juicy plump red tomato off the vine in my garden. Just the image of a tomato in my mind conjures up happy memories of back yard barbecues, and crisp luncheon salads. Where ever there is party food, you can be sure to find the tomato.

The tomato is one of the most popular and widely consumed fruit (vegetable?) in the world, and for good reason. It adds pizzazz to pizza, a zing to soups, it is the center of focus for salsa and brings a vegetable tray alive with color and juicy flavor.

Tomatoes aren’t just pretty. They are also pretty healthy. In fact, the scientific research on the tomato has shown that people who consume tomatoes regularly are doing their body good. Here are reasons to add tomatoes to your diet more than twice a week.

1. Eye health- There is research that shows that lycopene and other carotenids (the pigments that make the fruit red) can help prevent against macular degeneration… one of the biggest causes of adult vision loss.
2. Cholesterol- Research has shown that components of this fruit block the production of "bad" cholesterol.
3. Circulation and Heart Health- Recent studies have shown that the GEL that surrounds the seeds can improve blood flow and circulation in the small blood vessels. Components of the entire fruit have also been shown to dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease.
4. Skin- Oh yes, even your skin benefits when you eat marinara sauce. Lycopene has been scientifically proven to help protect your skin from sun damage. Not only that but people who eat the most were shown to have 33% more protection from sunburns.
5. Colds and Flu- The high content of vitamin C means that you have added protection against viruses. Vitamin C is also an essential component in healing of cuts and injuries.
6. Breathing disorders- A new study found that asthma brought on by exercise was reduced in people who eat ‘red’.
7. Cancer- Everyone knows someone who has been touched by cancer. Wouldn’t it be great if you could reduce the risk by eating more of something that tastes good? Oh yes you can. Science has proven that people who consume more red sauces and juices reduced their risk of most cancers. (hint: Combined with broccoli, this dynamic duo was found to protect against prostate cancer MORE than if you consumed them alone)

Aside from all the health benefits, the Tomato has umami. Umami is the fifth taste, often referred to as ‘savory’. Umami is the flavor most missed by vegetarians, because it is most often contributed by meats. It’s that finishing "mouth fullness" that gives a soup ‘body’. Only a few vegetables have umami and the tomato is one of them. That’s why we love red sauces.

How do you get the most out of your tomato? Lightly cooked, and consumed with just a touch of fat seems to be the consensus for getting the most out of your meal. This seems to be one of the few instances when the nutritional profile of a food is actually enhanced by cooking. Don’t over do the fat though. A tablespoon of olive oil in a pot of sauce should do the trick.

Eat tomatoes and stay healthy.

Shelley Penney is a retired registered nurse with a continued, insatiable thirst for health and wellness information. Although Shelley hails from traditional medical training, she is always searching for ways in which the natural world of healing herbs, foods and supplements can intersect with traditional medicine and benefit us all.

Visit Shelley on the web www.ShelleyPenney.com

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