HEALTH BENEFITS OF TOMATOES

Whether you love sliced beef tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, or tomato sauce on your linguine pasta – eating tomatoes regularly is good for your heath, as well as your palate.

Here we look at the different health benefits of tomatoes.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

• The glossy red fruits (which actually come in all kinds of colours, including yellow and deep purple) are packed full of vitamins – including vitamins A, C and E which are great for the eyes and boost immunity.
• They also contain flavonoids (natural anti-inflammatories), potassium and other mineral salts.
• Tomatoes contain a high volume of water, and they’re refreshing in salads on hot days. They’re low in calories too, with around 14 kilocalories per 100g – approximately one and a half classic tomatoes, or five to six cherry tomatoes.
• Tomato also contains a cancer fighting anti-oxidant  known as lycopene.
• Tomatoes can also be used directly on the skin, as an astringent to reduce facial oil and also for brighter skin.

Cooked or heat processed tomatoes contain more lycopene, because cooking helps to release lycopene from the tomato cells. Lycopene is fat soluble, so it helps to cook it in oil, such as olive oil. Though cooking reduces vitamin C, however, it is been suggested that we eat a range of fresh and cooked tomatoes.