Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes can Increase the Health Value of Dishes

Tomatoes, which are said to offer many health benefits, are an ingredient in many Indian dishes.  This common, yet a fruit / vegetable rich in medicinal properties is available throughout the year.  India, America and China are among the largest producers of tomatoes. Come, let's take a peek at the health benefits of tomatoes.

A Snapshot of the Tomatoes Health Benefits

Tomatoes have a lot of water. One hundred grams of a tomato has 94.52 grams of water. This vegetable is a good source of:

- Carbohydrate
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K

Lycopene, a phytochemical in tomatoes, plays a stellar role in reducing or preventing the risk of some diseases. It is the same phytochemical that also gives the red color to tomatoes.

How does lycopene work? It works as an anti-oxidant and removes harmful oxidizing agents, if any, from living organisms.  Oxidizing agents can, among others, cause diseases

Prostate Cancer

Tomatoes reduce the risk of prostate cancer.  In a study, researchers found that men, who ate more than ten servings of tomatoes daily, were able to reduce the risk of getting prostate cancer than those who ate the least amount of tomatoes.

Lung Cancer

The risk of developing cancers like lung cancer may be reduced by including tomatoes in the diet.

Heart Illnesses

Heart diseases may be kept away, because of the greater consumption of tomatoes rich in lycopene.

Blood Pressure

For people with mildly-high to moderately-high blood pressure, eating tomatoes might help control it. 

Grow Tomatoes in a Pot

You can grow tomatoes in a pot easily. What benefits do tomatoes grown in your backyard or in a pot give? The advantages include fresh, organic tomatoes and cost savings.

How much yield do you get from this vegetable plant?  A tomato plant yields plenty of tomatoes. You may have to use organic manure to keep the plant in good health and make it give more tomatoes.

Tomatoes in Indian Dishes

From the Indian vegetarian food view, tomatoes are used in dishes like raitas, sambars, curries and rasams.  In fact, some cuisines like tomato chutney and tomato rasam have only tomato as the main vegetable.

Tomatoes give taste and color to a cuisine.

In the market, you will see at least two types of tomatoes.  The first variety will be round in shape and, generally, has a sour taste.  The second type will be elliptical and, usually, tastes sweet.

What food made from tomatoes has the highest amount of lycopene?  Processed food like tomato sauce and ketchup scores higher, than the raw tomatoes, on the lycopene scale.

TIP

Bright-red tomatoes indicate they are rich in lycopene.  So, be sure to buy such tomatoes to gain from them.

Tomato Recipes

Here are the links to recipes, at southindianvegrecipes.com, with tomato as the main vegetable:

Tomato Rice

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/rice_recipes/how_to_prepare_tomato_rice.html 

Tomato Chutney

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/chutney_recipes/how_to_make_tomato_chutney.html

Tomato Curry

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/curry_recipes/tomato_curry_recipe.html

Tomato Thokku

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/pickles_&_pappads/tomato_thokku.html

Tomato Rasam

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/rasam_recipes/tomato_rasam.html


Ref:

US National Nutrient Database, ndb.nal.usda.gov; USDA Agricultural Research Service, ars.usda.gov.