Tomatoes are in season, and more than that, they pack a nutritional punch! Many studies have looked at the health benefits of tomatoes, and shown that they can benefit many systems of the body. The main nutritional benefits stem from their vitamin and mineral content including, lycopene, vitamin E, vitamin C (40% of daily value), folate, beta carotene, potassium (8% of daily value), vitamin k, iron (7% of recommended daily value), vitamin A (15% of daily value)and flavonoids. These nutrients found in tomatoes and tomatoes themselves have been shown to decrease inflammation and are have a significant amount of antioxidants. The health promoting effects of tomatoes are vast and include:
- Decreases LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Decreases homocysteine (marker of risk of cardiovascular event)
- Decreases platelet aggregation
- Decreases blood pressure
- Increases antioxidants
- Aids with detoxification
- Increases skin cell replacement
- Regulates blood sugar
It is also ironic that tomatoes have a similar shape and appearance to a heart, because tomatoes are cardio-protective (protect your heart). Tomatoes can also decrease the risk of harm to other organ systems such as those listed below. Decreases risk of:
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer
- Cervical
- Lung
- Prostate
- Breast
- Stomach
- Colorectal
- Esophageal
- Pancreatic
- Oral
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cell damage
- Ultraviolet skin damage
- Cognitive decline
Because of all of the beneficial properties of tomatoes, they may show benefit for the following conditions or states:
- Atherosclerosis
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cancer
- Increased homocysteine levels
- Detoxification
- Osteoporosis
- Dialysis
- Increases energy and helps with rejuvenating the health of patients on dialysis
- Post – workout
- Sunburns
- Migraines
- Immune system insufficiency
- Acidosis
- Lead toxicity
- Can help older people stay active for longer
- Macular degeneration
Special considerations about tomatoes involve how they are processed. When tomatoes are cooked, it increases the bioavailability of the antioxidants. In other words, cooking tomatoes increases the nutritional impact. In addition, when tomatoes are consume with olive oil, it helps to increase the absorption lycopene.
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Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.
Sources:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408690390826437#.VdNASMvbLmI