Health benefits of tomato

14 October, 2012

Tomato is loaded with multiple health benefits. Tomato is a highly beneficial food item, and also imparts great taste to your food, so there is no reason to exclude it from your diet.

MOST OF us are confused, whether tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, botanically speaking it is a true fruit developed from the ovary. But is known as a vegetable because it is used in curries rather than sweets. So you can say that tomato is technically a fruit but is used as a vegetable.

Tomatoes are basically the native of South America, and this glossy red fruit is packed up with nutrients. They contain more amount of water and are also low in calories. There are numerous health benefits of tomatoes such as helping in skin ailments and diabetes, treating urinary tract infections, lowering hypertension and they are good for gut health and eyesight. Tomato is good for your health if you consume it on a daily basis.

The most interesting thing in tomatoes is lycopene, the antioxidant. Lycopene helps in removing the free radicals from the body and prevents the body from developing cancer. Lycopene boosts the skin's ability to protect itself from UV rays. It is also good to reduce bad cholesterol level and improves the good cholesterol level. A study conducted by dermatology department at Charite University, in Berlin, said that there is a link between lycopene-based supplements and smoothing agents for the skin.

To get the full benefit of tomato, a whole tomato should be eaten, says Dr Thomas Stuttaford, an expert in prostate cancer. The red and ripe tomatoes contain more amount of lycopene than the paler ones. Lycopene is the constituent that gives the red colour to the fruit. The cooked tomatoes contains more amount of lycopene because heating the tomato helps to release lycopene from the tomato cells.

The benefits of tomatoes include:

Tomatoes consumed in large amounts helps in improving the texture and colour of the skin.

Tomatoes are good blood purifiers.

They protect the liver from cirrhosis and also dissolves the gallstones in the gallbladder.

They act as natural antiseptic and prevents us from infections.

Tomatoes consists of vitamin K, which is helpful in preventing hemorrhages.

It reduces the risk of developing hypertension.

Vitamin A present in tomatoes helps in improving your vision.