Such Healthy Tomatoes

Tomatoes are not only tasty, but also very useful. Find out how this berry saves from a number of serious diseases.

Tomatoes are not only tasty, but also very useful. Find out how this berry saves from a number of serious diseases.

The homeland of this useful fruit is South America, where you can still see wild tomato bushes. Due to the bright color of the tomato, for a long time people did not dare to eat it, considering tomatoes to be deadly poison. They even tried to poison the first US president, George Washington, with tomatoes. Entering into force in a conspiracy with the British colonists, the cook prepared a tomato-based roast. The cook was sure that after such a dinner the future president of the USA would inevitably die. Of course, nothing happened to the president, except that he experienced great pleasure from the new dish.

What is a tomato rich in?

Today it is known that the tomato is not only a tasty, but also a very healthy berry, as the tomato contains a number of substances useful for health:

• potassium - necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system;
• magnesium is also one of the "heart" microelements, in addition, magnesium helps in adaptation to low temperature;
• iron - necessary for the formation of hemoglobin;
• calcium and phosphorus - to strengthen bones;
• zinc is a trace element that participates in the growth of skin cells and the formation of sperm.

Vitamins in tomatoes include:

• vitamin A – necessary for visual function, and also participates in redox processes of the body;
• vitamins of group B - for the normal functioning of the nervous system, metabolism and a number of other physiological processes;
• vitamins C and E - natural antioxidants;
• vitamin K – necessary for normal blood clotting;
• beta-carotene is a precursor of vitamin A.

In addition, tomatoes contain a number of useful organic acids: malic, citric, oxalic and tartaric.

In the fight against cancer

Perhaps the most valuable component of tomatoes is the substance lycopene - a powerful antioxidant. It is noted that regular intake of lycopene in the body is a good prevention of cancer.

The mechanism of the miraculous effect of lycopene is not yet fully understood, but the results of more than 70 large-scale studies show that lycopene is able to restrain the growth of cancerous tumors. Lycopene is especially effective in the prevention of cervical, prostate, stomach and lung cancer.

Under the influence of temperature, lycopene is not destroyed, so the value of boiled or stewed tomatoes is not inferior to fresh ones. Lycopene is best absorbed together with fatty acids. In this regard, tomatoes are best consumed with sunflower oil, such as olive.

A blow to stress and excess weight

It turns out that tomato is also a way to fight stress. The fact is that tomatoes contain the substance hydroxy, which mimics the action of serotonin, the hormone of happiness.

Thus, the use of tomatoes raises the mood, and also helps to fight depression.

Good news for those who care about their figure is the fact that the tomato is a low-calorie product. 100 grams of berries contain only 22 kilocalories. Therefore, tomato is a component of many different diets.

When tomatoes cause damage

In addition to the fact that tomatoes are very useful, they can also cause harm. In particular, tomatoes can act as an allergen. Therefore, if you have a food intolerance to tomatoes, you need to exclude them from your diet.

Also, doctors do not advise people who suffer from arthritis, gout and kidney diseases to be fond of tomatoes. The fact is that oxalic acid, which is present in tomatoes, has a negative effect on the water-salt balance.