Did you know that tomatoes are healthy for our whole body? That's why you should eat a tomato more often and that's good for your health!
Yellow, red, green, dark red, striped, mini-sized or as big as a hand - they all have something in common: their many health benefits.
That tomatoes are healthy, you may have guessed. But how healthy not. The small fruits are true multi-talents. They contain high-quality ingredients that are good for our entire body.
On top of that, there are few calories, delicious taste and plenty of ways to prepare them - ranging from salads to sauces to grilled tomatoes.
Why tomatoes are healthy
The plump fruits are not only mega appetizing. They are very healthy and should be regularly on your menu. A tomato is bursting with minerals and vitamins.
- Tomatoes protect the cells
- A tomato lowers blood pressure
- They nourish the skin and strengthen the immune system
- Tomatoes healthy for strong nerves and cells
- They make slim
- Tomatoes can protect against sunburn
- The vegetable contains 50 vital substances
Would you have guessed that you can grow tomatoes yourself so easily?
1. the tomato protects our cells
Now we know that tomatoes are healthy because they contain many vitamins and minerals. But there is much more in the small red fruits.
Have you ever heard of lycopene? It's a secondary plant compound with antioxidant properties. Lycopene protects our cell membranes.
It is found in very large quantities in the skin of the tomato: So instead of peeling tomatoes, better eat with the skin.
The redder the tomatoes are, the more lycopene they contain.
This plant substance is fat-soluble. So for your body to absorb it, it needs at least a few drops of oil. Lycopene is best released when tomatoes are heated. That's why there's much more of it in tomato sauces than in a tomato salad.
- 100 grams of raw tomatoes contain 9.3 mg lycopene
- 100 grams of tomato sauce contain 19 mg lycopene
- 100 grams of tomato paste contain 56 mg lycopene
After only two minutes of cooking, the amount of lycopene in tomatoes increases by a third!
But beware: Many convenience products contain mainly sugar and flavor enhancers. You can hardly benefit from the lycopene content. So, as always, the healthiest way is to make it yourself.
Mmhh delicious: lentil bolognese with lots of tomatoes *vegan*.
2. tomatoes healthy for blood pressure
High blood pressure is very dangerous. It is also called a silent killer. It destroys the blood vessels unnoticed and damages the organs.
If you have high blood pressure, tomatoes are healthy because of their high potassium content. 100 grams of tomatoes contain 300 mg of potassium.
It has the task of controlling our blood pressure and thus prevents cardiovascular diseases.
If we have been sick for a longer period of time, e.g. had the flu, we often suffer from potassium deficiency. If you simply add a few tomatoes to your diet afterwards, you provide your body with important potassium and of course vitamin C.
But other ingredients in tomatoes also regulate our blood pressure. The combination of potassium, lycopene, folic acid and vitamin C breaks down toxins and cholesterol. This protects the blood vessels from deposits.
Even a glass of tomato juice or 200 grams of tomatoes per day have a positive effect on blood pressure.
Yumme: Quick tomato soup with rice!
3. tomatoes provide beautiful skin
100 grams of tomatoes contain 25 mg of vitamin C.
Most people know that vitamin C is enormously important for our immune system. It keeps us fit and is involved in many processes in the body.
But it can do even more: vitamin C makes our skin beautiful. The vitamin reduces the effects of UV radiation and builds collagen, which tightens our skin.
If you eat one medium tomato, you have already covered 30% of your daily vitamin C requirement.
By the way, you get the most vitamin C from tomatoes when you eat them unprocessed. Vitamin C is very sensitive to heat. As soon as the tomatoes are heated, not much of it is left.
4. tomatoes for strong nerves and cells
Did you know that B vitamins can help our concentration? They help us learn and strengthen our memory. Tomatoes contain a lot of vitamins B1, B6 and B12, all of which ensure that our nerve cells function properly.
Together with vitamin B6 and B12, folic acid - also known as vitamin B9 - protects our heart, which makes tomatoes healthy. This trio breaks down the harmful substance homocysteine in the body. And thus prevents hardening of the arteries.
Folic acid is important for tissue formation and cell function. Therefore, the vitamin is very important especially for pregnant women.
These 61 foods are bursting with folic acid!
5. tomatoes healthy for the figure
Whether cocktail tomatoes, beef tomatoes or pear-shaped fruits - they all consist of 95 percent water. That's why 100 grams of tomatoes contain just 20 calories.
Tomatoes also have a dehydrating effect.
If you eat half a kilogram of tomatoes, you have just 100 calories. The kilos will fall off all by themselves.
That's why a tomato is the perfect snack for in between: Hardly any calories and lots of vitamins and minerals.
Nevertheless, tomatoes make you full for a long time due to their large amount of fiber and water.
This vegetable is particularly low in calories!
6. you can protect from sunburn
Tired of sunburns? Then try it with tomatoes. Do not cream - but eat of course :)
Researchers at the University of Düsseldorf were able to find out that lycopene can protect us from sunburn.
It renders the oxygen compounds that are produced by UV radiation harmless. However, you can't do without sunscreen. If you eat a lot of tomatoes, you get a sun protection factor of 5 to 6.
7. 50 vital substances in one fruit
Hardly any other vegetable contains so many vital substances at once, which makes tomatoes healthy. Just two tomatoes a day make you fit all over.
It is true that they consist mostly of water. But the 5% that are not water contain 50 different vital substances.
Wow! This spaghetti sauce with extra tomatoes comes without meat!
Why tomatoes sometimes can also not be healthy
As with all foods, the dose makes the poison. So just because tomatoes are healthy, it doesn't mean you should eat 2 kg of them every day.
There are people who are very sensitive when they eat a tomato. What is the reason for this? The plants belong to the nightshade family. The genus naturally contains toxins that can affect the stomach.
All solanaceous plants contain Alkaloids. This is a toxic plant substance that is found in tomatoes, tobacco plants and belladonna cherries, among others. However, the dose in tomatoes is of course much lower than in belladonna.
In the plump fruits you will also find Solanine. Too much of it can cause cramps and muscle stiffness. Muscle contractions and stiffness are also possible. In the worst case, solanine can destroy the cell walls of the intestinal wall.
What makes tomatoes healthy and unhealthy at the same time is Calcitrol. Our body needs this to control calcium absorption in the body. Too much nightshade, however, leads to more calcium being absorbed through the intestines and ending up in the blood. The calcium is stored in the body and can lead to arthritis.
But now do not be afraid of the vegetable. There's no question that tomatoes are healthy. You just shouldn't overdo it with them.
How to store tomatoes properly so that they remain healthy
The healthiest tomatoes are always picked fresh and then eaten directly. During storage, vitamins and nutrients are lost. So if you have a small balcony or the possibility to grow some vegetables in the garden, then you really benefit from the health benefits.
If you don't have the possibility, then make sure that you buy vegetables from the region. This saves long transports and storage. And you will also notice a very big difference in taste.
- Tomatoes never belong in the refrigerator. They are sensitive to cold and lose flavor if stored too cold. Store them at room temperature and in a dark place. Then you can enjoy the full flavor.
- You should always store tomatoes separately. At least not together with cucumbers. The red fruits emit ethylene, which makes cucumbers quickly become soft.
- The tomatoes are not really ripe? Then put them in the sun or together with apples. Apples also produce ethylene, which can promote the ripening of green tomatoes.
- Consume fresh tomatoes as soon as possible. With each day of storage, light and heat nutrients are lost.
Our conclusion
Why tomatoes are healthy? Well, they are simply true multi-talents. From nerves, skin to immune system, they contain many important nutrients that make and keep us fit all around.
Put them regularly on your menu and you will soon be able to benefit from the red power fruit!
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