The benefits of tomatoes

The benefits of tomatoes

There are a group of health benefits of tomatoes that are divided according to their nutritional content, and other benefits according to the degree of their effectiveness in pathological conditions, as follows:

• Its content of nutrients Vitamin C: Tomatoes provide the body with vitamin C; Which is important for healing wounds, building strong bones and teeth, and maintaining the function of the immune system. This vitamin also helps increase iron absorption.

• Carotenoids: Tomatoes provide the four main types of carotenoids, which work together to provide the body with health benefits, in addition to the potential benefits of each of them separately, and these types are: alpha-carotene (in English: α-Carotene), 

• and beta-carotene (in English: β). -Carotene), lutein, and lycopene, and lycopene is an antioxidant, and it is available in large quantities in red and pink fruits, and among its benefits is that it has a hypotensive effect, and food rich in it is associated with By reducing the risk of some types of cancer, in addition to that, lycopene and beta-carotene help protect the skin from damage, and reduce its sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation.

• It should be noted that the presence of lycopene, vitamin K, and calcium in tomatoes is useful in strengthening and repairing bones. , and improve its mass.

• Dietary fiber: Tomatoes are high in their content of dietary fiber and water, as fiber constitutes most of the carbohydrates in them, which reduce constipation by increasing the volume of stool, but the laxative properties of tomatoes need more research to confirm them. On the other hand, it was shown that removing fiber from the diet also has a positive effect on constipation.

Studies on the benefits of tomatoes A study published by The Journal of Nutrition in 2001 indicated that tomato products rich in lycopene can reduce sunburn, and the formation of erythema (in English: erythema), represented by redness of the skin resulting from ultraviolet radiation; Evidence that tomatoes are beneficial for skin health, as the results of this study showed that people who consumed 40 grams of tomato paste, which provides 16 milligrams of lycopene, with olive oil daily for 10 weeks, were 40% less likely to develop erythema.

The benefits of tomatoes according to the degree of effectiveness

• There is insufficient evidence of its effectiveness. Reducing high blood pressure: Eating tomatoes can contribute to controlling blood pressure, and this may be due to the antioxidants they contain. Such as lycopene, beta-carotene, and vitamin E, in addition to potassium associated with improving blood pressure. A study published in Food Science & Nutrition in 2019, including 260 participants with or at risk of developing blood pressure, showed; Drinking unsalted tomato juice significantly reduced blood pressure in the participants.

• Reducing the risk of cataracts: tomatoes are a rich source of powerful antioxidants; Such as lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene, which reduce the risk of developing cataracts, light-induced damage, and age-related macular degeneration.

• Improving the conditions of people with asthma: Eating tomatoes can benefit people who suffer from asthma, and may help prevent emphysema. It is a condition in which damage to the air sacs in the lungs occurs slowly, and smoking is the main cause of it, as the antioxidants present in tomatoes; Such as lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin (in English: Zeaxanthin) can reduce harmful substances resulting from tobacco smoking, and a preliminary study published in the Allergy magazine in 2000 indicated that daily intake of the antioxidant lycopene reduces the risk of exercise-induced asthma in some people. The patients.

• Reducing the common cold: Vitamin C in tomatoes helps boost the immune system, but it does not reduce the risk of catching a cold but may contribute to reducing the duration of infection when taken in large doses, but this has not been fully proven, and it should be noted that vitamin C It can benefit people who do vigorous physical activity for short periods.

• Reducing digestive disorders: Lycopene found in tomatoes can help reduce cell damage, and it also has the properties of vital aids, or what is known as probiotics (in English: Probiotic); Which enhances the activity of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, and a preliminary study published in the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2013 showed that tomatoes can act as prebiotics that can improve gut health.

• Reducing the risk of heart disease: Consuming tomatoes can enhance the health of the heart and blood vessels, as it can reduce the risk of blood clotting, and a study published in Therapeutic Medicine in 2012 showed that tomatoes can contribute to reducing platelet aggregation and protecting the endothelium. (in English: Endothelium) for blood vessels, in addition to that increasing the consumption of tomatoes in the diet can help reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, reduce blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood clotting, and thus help reduce the risk of stroke, as a study showed. Published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006, tomato products may contribute to lowering biomarkers of oxidative stress and carcinogenesis, due to the action of lycopene and other nutrients in tomatoes.

• Reducing the risk of stomach cancer: Tomato extract can reduce the risk of stomach cancer, as a preliminary study published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology in 2017 was conducted on two types of tomatoes. The results showed that consuming them can reduce the risk of cancer cells growing in the stomach, in addition to inhibiting their malignant properties and reducing their spread to surrounding tissues. It should be noted that this effect is not related to the antioxidants or lycopene found in tomatoes, but to the tomato in general

• Reducing the risk of prostate cancer

• Eating tomatoes alongside broccoli can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, as a laboratory study showed that consuming tomato powder and broccoli powder together slowed the growth of prostate tumors in mice, compared to consuming them separately, or taking lycopene supplements alone.

• Reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer: Some studies indicate that eating raw tomatoes and increasing their consumption in general, is linked to a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer, but despite this, there is a large-scale study that did not show any relationship between tomatoes and their products and a reduced risk of this cancer.

• Reducing the risk of ovarian cancer: A study published in The International Journal of Cancer in 2001 indicated that eating vegetables, fruits, and foods rich in carotene and lycopene, such as tomato sauce and carrots, can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, as carotene Linked to a reduced risk of ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women, and lycopene is linked to a reduced risk of this type of cancer in premenopausal women.

• Reducing the risk of lung cancer: Some research indicates that eating tomatoes or their products can help reduce the risk of lung cancer, but it does not include smoking. On the other hand, some studies did not show a relationship between consuming tomato products and the risk of developing this cancer.

• Reducing the risk of cervical cancer: Preliminary evidence shows that eating tomatoes in large amounts in the diet can reduce the risk of cervical cancer, and this may be due to the antioxidant activity of lycopene, which stimulates cells to produce enzymes that reduce free radicals, in addition to its activity. anticancer; Which removes abnormal cells, or what is known as programmed cell death (in English: Apoptosis), and stops the cell cycle, or induces its death in the first growth phase (in English: G1 phase), and affects the growth factors of cancer cells, and their vital pathways, in addition to reducing These cells migrate and invade other tissues.

• Reducing the risk of colorectal cancer: Some studies show that eating tomatoes or their products can help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but other studies deny the existence of a relationship between them.

• Other benefits: There is not enough evidence to prove the effectiveness of tomatoes in alleviating some health conditions such as arthritis (in English: Arthritis), twitching, or what is known as chills (in English: Chills).

Possibly Ineffective: It is possible that the consumption of tomatoes is not effective in alleviating some conditions such as: reducing the risk of developing diabetes and reducing the risk of both breast cancer and bladder cancer.

The benefits of tomatoes for the liver

Tomatoes are distinguished by their rich content of many nutrients beneficial to health, the most important of which is the antioxidant lycopene, and it has been observed that this compound reduces the risk of many diseases, including fatty liver disease (in English: Fatty liver disease), and this was mentioned in a review published in the journal Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine 2018.

A study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2017 indicated that consuming tomato juice daily for 12 weeks may improve sperm motility in infertile men who suffer from poor sperm concentration, and this may be due to the high concentration of lycopene present in They are found naturally in tomato juice, and therefore tomato juice can enhance fertility.

The nutritional value of tomatoes

The following table shows the nutrients contained in one cup, or the equivalent of 180 grams, of ripe, raw red tomatoes:

1. Nutrient nutritional value
2. Calories 32.4 calories
3. 170 milliliters of water
4. Protein 1.58 grams
5. Fat 0.36 gr
6. Carbohydrates 7 grams
7. Fiber 2.16 grams
8. sugar 4.73 grams
9. Calcium 18 milligrams
10. Iron 0.486 milligrams
11. Magnesium 19.8 milligrams
12. Phosphorus 43.2 milligrams
13. Potassium 427 milligrams
14. Sodium 9 milligrams
15. Zinc 0.306 milligrams
16. Vitamin C 24.7 milligrams
17. Vitamin B1 0.067 mg
18. Vitamin B2 0.034 mg
19. Vitamin B3 1.07 milligrams
20. Vitamin B5 0.16 mg
21. Vitamin B6 0.144 mg
22. Folate 27 micrograms
23. Vitamin A 1500 IU
24. Vitamin E 0.972 milligrams
25. Vitamin K 14.2 micrograms
26. Lycopene 4630 micrograms
27. Alpha-carotene 182 micrograms
28. beta-carotene 808 micrograms

Tomato juice, its benefits, harms, and nutritional value

Tomato juice is one of the common drinks, which provides many benefits for health, because it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, in addition to the compound lycopene.

Tomato juice can be obtained alone, or mixed with various other vegetable juices, and despite its multiple benefits, however, it is considered high in sodium, and some of its ready-made types may contain salt and added sugar:

1. Nutrient nutritional value
2. Calories 17 calories
3. Water is 94.24 milliliters
4. Protein 0.85 gr
5. Fat 0.29 gr
6. Carbohydrates 3.53 grams
7. fiber 0.4 gr
8. sugar 2.58 gr
9. Calcium 10 milligrams
10. Iron 0.39 milligrams
11. Magnesium 11 milligrams
12. Phosphorus 19 milligrams
13. Potassium 217 milligrams
14. Sodium 253 milligrams
15. Zinc 0.11 milligrams
16. Vitamin C 70.1 milligrams
17. Vitamin B1 0.1 mg
18. Vitamin B2 0.078 mg
19. Vitamin B3 0.673 milligrams
20. Folate 20 micrograms
21. Vitamin E 0.32 milligrams
22. Vitamin K 2.3 mcg
23. Lycopene 9037 micrograms

in addition to being low in fiber compared to whole tomatoes, and therefore it is recommended when buying tomato juice to search for natural types that do not contain added salts or sugars, and it is also worth noting People who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux warn against drinking tomato juice, because it may worsen their conditions. The following table shows the nutrients available in 100 grams of 100% natural tomato juice.