Facts About Tomatoes
Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? The tomato is a tasty, commonly red,
edible fruit, along with the plant that bears it. Native to South
America, the fruit was spread all over the world after the
colonization of the Americas by the Spanish, and its scores of
varieties have become widely cultivated, usually in greenhouses in
colder environments.
The tomato is eaten in many different ways, including uncooked, as
an essential ingredient in various dishes as well as sauces, and in
juices. Even though it is a fruit, it has been deemed a vegetable
for cooking purposes, which has triggered some confusion. The tomato
is abundant with lycopene, which have valuable health benefits.
The tomato is one of the members in nightshade family. It usually
grows to around 1-3 meters (3-10 feet) tall and contains a weak stem
that usually sprawls on the soil and vines over some other plants.
The tomato is a perennial within its indigenous habitat, even though
frequently grown in temperate environments as an annual.
Health Benefits of Tomatoes
- Tomatoes have a substantial level of lycopene, a compound utilized
in certain more expensive facial cleansers available for sale
over-the-counter. In case you wish to try out tomatoes for natural
skin care, you have to begin with around 8 to 12 tomato fruits. Peel
the tomatoes followed by putting the skin onto your face with
interior of the fruit coming in contact with your skin.
- Many studies that have been done show that the substantial amounts
of lycopene in tomatoes functions to lower your risks of getting
prostate, stomach and colorectal cancer.
- Tomatoes have a significant amount of vitamin K and calcium. These
nutrients are very important in strengthening and doing minor fixes
on the bones and the bone tissue.
- Apart from the tomato health benefits mentioned above, the fruit has
a lot of Vitamin A and C. Both these vitamins act as antioxidants to
neutralize hazardous free radicals in your body.
- The presence of potassium and vitamin B in tomatoes are helpful in
lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Consequently, adding
tomatoes to your common diet help prevent strokes, heart
attacks and some other heart related conditions that could threaten
your health.
- The vitamin A found in tomatoes works wonderfully to maintain strong
and shiny hair. Moreover, it does miracles to your eyes, skin, teeth
and bones.
- Putting tomatoes minus the seeds to your meals has been confirmed in
some scientific studies to lower the chance of kidney stones.
- The presence of vitamin A in tomatoes is wonderful for enhancing
your eyesight. Additionally, tomatoes are among the greatest foods
to enjoy in preventing night blindness.
- Tomato health benefits do not stop here. The fruit is rich in
mineral called chromium. It functions effectively to aid diabetics
keep their glucose levels under control.
- Health benefits of tomato juice are abundant. Fresh tomato juice
boosts the appetite and help digestion. Having tomato juice blended
with spinach juice help activate liver and also help ease and avoid
constipation.
Tomato Calories:
Tomatoes are low in calories.
- 1 cherry tomato: 5 calories
- 1 small tomato: 25 calories
- 1 medium tomato: 35 calories
- 1 large tomato: 50 calories
- 1 large beef tomato: 60 calories
How to Choose and Buy Tomatoes?
- Do not bother about tomatoes with unusual shapes. Even those with
cracked skin are alright, but leaking of juice and having soft spots
are definitely not.
- Pick tomatoes that are heavy for their size.
- Tomatoes should always smell earthy and never musty.
How to Store Tomatoes?
- Handle tomatoes carefully. Heirloom tomato varieties, specifically,
are usually very fragile. Therefore do not pack the tomatoes in a
bag in which their weight may squash one another.
- Do not ever refrigerate tomatoes. Conditions below 50°F turn
tomatoes mealy and mushy.
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