Health benefits of Tomato.

Hello friends.
How's your week going?

This week we'll look at something quite common and also interesting.
We will be discussing about tomatoes. Yes tomatoes and what we stand to gain when we consume that plant.
Enjoy!

History of the Tomato Plant.

The tomato is believed to have originated from the South Americas from where it was taken by people to other parts of the world.

Tomato belongs to a family of plants known as the Nightshades which are believed to be very toxic to humans.
As a result when tomatoes was first introduced in Europe it was not widely accepted, in fact in the USA and Germany it was way into the 20th century before it became accepted and added to their cuisines.
Today tomato is a globally accepted vegetable and present in almost all kinds of dishes we prepare.



Nutritional Contents of Tomato.
The tomato fruit, which is what we consume when ripe is red in colour, though there are variations. The color of this fruit is as a result of the abundant nutrients contained there in. They are as follows;

- Water content which is about 95%.

- Carbohydrates about 4%.

- Fibre about 1%.

- A rich source of Alpha and Beta carotene, used by the body to produce Vitamin A.

- Rich source of Potassium. It is said that a cup of tomato juice contains about 543g of potassium.

- Rich source of Vitamin C and K.

- A source of Folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid.

- Contains Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are flavonoids that act as antioxidants.

- Lastly it is believed to be major source of the component known as Lycopene. This is what is responsible for the red colouration of the fruit. And tomato has an abundant supply of it. Lycopene has been extensively studied and found to have such  tremendous health benefits which we shall see below.



Health Benefits of Tomato.

1. Tomatoes are believed to help lower risk of cardiovascular diseases especially because of their rich supply of potassium. They also help in reducing incidences of atherosclerosis. So patient with high blood pressure may find some relief from consumption of tomatoes.
A note of caution though is this;  for those on medications for HBP, who take beta blockers, it is advisable that their tomato consumption is regulated so as not to cause an overload of potassium in the blood as the drugs themselves help retain potassium and tomato too is a rich source of the mineral.
This is because an overload of potassium can affect the normal functions of the kidneys.

2. Bowel movement and relief of constipation;
The tomato as we know contains fibre as well. This fibre helps in proper bowel movements and as such can be a source of relief for those who suffer from constipation.

3. Helps maintain a healthy skin:
The tomato is a rich source of vitamin C which is major requirement for the production of collagen which is an essential component of the skin, hair and nails.
So regular consumption of this fruit will always provide the Vitamin C needed to build new and healthier skin.

4. Tomato is a rich source of folate which is required by pregnant women or women trying to conceive so as to provide the required folic acid required for the proper development of the brain and nervous system of the fetus in utero.

5. Anti-cancer property:
The flavonoid called Lycopene in tomato that we said gives it the red color, is believed to posses some form of anticancer property. One of the reasons for this belief is because lycopene has antioxidant properties and as such can rid the body of free radicals which are sometimes the markers and triggers of cancerous growths in the body.

A recent study in University of Montreal revealed that men who had high blood levels of lycopene from consuming tomatoes and tomato products showed a 31% reduction in risk of coming down with pancreatic cancer.

Also another study done in Japan also revealed that beta carotene consumption reduced the risk of colon cancer.
Another studies also shows its ability to reduce both colon, stomach and prostate cancer ( some good news for men there.😁)

6. Anti-Diabetic Effect;
The American Diabetes Association recommends consuming 25g of fibre for women and about 38g for men.
And the tomato is known to contain fibre. It is said that a cup of tomato juice can contain about 2g of fibre.
This means that if you consume a lot of tomato you as a diabetic it has a chance of lowering your blood sugar.

Nutrition experts have advised that to access maximally these nutrients especially the antioxidants, the tomato should be processed either as purees, cooked or stewed. This way your body gets access to most of the nutrients buried in this wonder fruit.

So it's time to go get your tomatoes, eat and grow healthy.


Credits:
www:healthline.com
www. WebMD.com
Effect of water extract of Tomato Leaves on the Rabbit Ileum: A project written by Patience Joseph Mamman.
Photo: livingstrong.com