The health benefits of tomatoes include eye care, reduced blood pressure and good stomach health. They also provide relief from diabetes, skin problems, and urinary tract infections. Furthermore, they help to improve digestion, stimulate blood circulation, reduce cholesterol levels, improve fluid balance, protect the kidneys, detoxify the body, prevent premature ageing, and reduce inflammation and many more.
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), both a fruit and a vegetable is a prominent ingredient in our daily meals, be it breakfast, lunch or supper. Tomatoes are produced all over the world. There are very many cultivars and varieties that give unique health benefits.
Nutrition Facts about Tomatoes
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 74 kJ (18 kcal) | |
|
Carbohydrates
|
3.9 g
|
|
| Sugars | 2.6 g | |
| Dietary fibre | 1.2 g | |
|
Fat
|
0.2 g
|
|
|
Protein
|
0.9 g
|
|
| Vitamins | Quantity | %DV† |
| Vitamin A equiv.
beta-Carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
| 42 μg
449 μg
123 μg
|
5%
4%
|
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.037 mg |
3%
|
| Niacin (B3) | 0.594 mg |
4%
|
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 mg |
6%
|
| Vitamin C | 14 mg |
17%
|
| Vitamin E | 0.54 mg |
4%
|
| Vitamin K | 7.9 μg |
8%
|
| Minerals | Quantity | %DV† |
| Magnesium | 11 mg |
3%
|
| Manganese | 0.114 mg |
5%
|
| Phosphorus | 24 mg |
3%
|
| Potassium | 237 mg |
5%
|
| Other constituents | Quantity | |
| Water | 94.5 g | |
| Lycopene | 2573 µg | |
|
Units μg = micrograms, mg = milligrams, IU = International units | ||
| Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Now let us look the health benefits of tomatoes in details.
1. Blood Circulation and Nerve Health
Tomato also contains a lot of vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and iron. Potassium plays an important role in maintaining nerve health. Iron is essential for maintaining normal blood circulation. Vitamin K is also important for blood clotting and controlling bleeding.
Read also: Complete Guide to Successful Tomato Production in Ghana
2. Reduces Risk of Cancer
Tomato contains large amounts of lycopene. This is an antioxidant that destroys free radicals that cause cancer. You can get this benefit from heat-processed tomato products like ketchup. The antioxidant, lycopene in tomatoes is also effective against prostate cancer according to Dr Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health. It also protects against breast, cervical cancer, cancer of the stomach and rectum as well as pharynx, oesophagal and mouth cancer.
Also, tomato provides up to about 40% of the daily Vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C helps to prevent cancer-causing free radicals from damaging the body’s systems.
3. Reduces the Effect of Smoking Cigarette
Tomato contains coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid. These acids fight against the main carcinogens, nitrosamines, in cigarettes. Vitamin A is also known to reduce the effects of carcinogens and protect against lung cancer.
Read also: Greenhouse Vegetable Farming: Ideal for Vegetable Production in Ghana
4. Improvement in Vision
Vitamin A, in tomatoes, is a very effective antioxidant that helps to improve vision and prevent night-blindness and muscular degeneration.
5. Protect the Heart
When you consume tomatoes regularly, the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood reduces. These lipids are the causes of cardiovascular diseases. They also lead to the deposition of fats in the blood vessels.
6. Help in Digestion
Tomatoes help to prevent constipation and diarrhoea. Tomatoes have large amounts of fibre which can bulk the bowels and reduce symptoms of constipation. A healthy amount of fibre helps stimulate peristaltic motion in the smooth digestive muscles and release gastric and digestive juices. This can regulate your bowel movements, thereby improving your overall digestive health and helping you avoid conditions like colorectal cancer.
Read also: 18 Most Incredible Health Benefits of Guava Leaves
7. Helps Lower Hypertension
One of the health benefits of tomatoes is that it reduces the risk of developing hypertension or high blood pressure. This is partially due to the impressive levels of potassium found in tomatoes. Potassium is a vasodilator, meaning that it reduces the tension in blood vessels and arteries, and so increases circulation and lowers the stress on the heart by eliminating hypertension.
8. Detoxification of the body
Tomatoes also help prevent jaundice and help to detoxify the body.
9. Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Also, tomato is effective in reducing the incidence of urinary tract infections and bladder cancer. This is due to the high water content in tomatoes. This can stimulate urination, and so are diuretic. This helps to remove toxins from the body as well as excess water, salts, uric acid and some fats.
10. Healthy Teeth, Bones, Hair, and Skin
Maintaining healthy teeth, bones, hair, and skin are also one of the health benefits of tomatoes. Topical application of tomato juice is even known to cure severe sunburns. Daily consumption protects the skin against UV-induced erythema. Tomatoes are used in the preparation of anti-ageing products.
Read also: Turkey Berries Recipes for Healthy, Delicious and Easy-to-Prepare Meals
11. Helps Manage Diabetes
According to a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the regular consumption of tomatoes helps to reduce the oxidative stress of type 2 diabetes.
In summary
As much as tomatoes are very beneficial to the body, be sure the tomatoes you consume are healthy to eat.
Reference
11 Impressive Benefits Of Tomatoes – (organicfacts.net)
