Food of The Week: Tomatoes

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato...

As I sat in my nutrition lectures this morning, I became very aware of people sniffling loudly next to me, behind me, and in fact right around me and I immediately hunch over and sigh. The plague of the common cold has once again taken over! In fear of becoming a victim, I attempt to boost my immune system and this I have discovered, can be helped by eating lots of anti-oxidant rich tomatoes. Thus, tomatoes are the word of the day and the Food of the Week!

Whats so cool about tomatoes?

• Tomatoes are available all year round.



• They can be red, yellow, orange, green, purple or brown in colour. There is also a tomato species which is striped!


• Tomatoes are vegetables, as voted by the Supreme Court in the States in 1893! However that remains very controversial, as most consider it to be a fruit nowadays!
  
• Tomatoes originally came from the Andes region in South America and they were brought to Europe by Spanish explorers. They were either thought to be poisonous and or an aphrodisiac and were thus met with some resistance! They only gained popularity in the 1900s and are still incredibly popular today.
  
• Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, which includes belladona, tobacco, chillies, eggplants and potatoes.


• China, the United States (particularly California) and Turkey are the main producers of tomatoes.
  
• The term "tomato" in Italian is "poma amoris", which in English means "love-apple".

Reasons to Eat Tomatoes:

There are various reasons why the average Joe should eat a tomato nearly every day; the main reason being due to the health benefits. These benefits are widely known and scientifically acknowleged.

1. Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin A and C, which are carotenoids and anti-oxidants.


2. They are a good source of fibre, which lowers cholesterol levels and helps prevent constipation.


3. Tomatoes also help prevent heart disease and reduce the body's abilities to make blood clots, thus improving the health of blood vessels. Current studies are also showing that this helps in preventing diabetes.


4. Tomato juice is a natural anti-inflammatory. Inflammation and oxidative stress have been linked to many chronic diseases of lifestyle such as cancer, diabetes, artherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.


5. Tomatoes are also good sources of Vitamin K, which is necessary for bone health and helps prevent bone demineralisation.


6. Tomatoes contain large amounts of lycopene, an powerful anti-oxidant and carotenoid.

What is an anti-oxidant?

This is a compound which prevents against oxygen damage by neutralizing free radicals (chemicals), which normally cause damage to the cells of the body as well as cell membranes.

What is a carotenoid?

A carotenoid is a fat-soluble compound in plants usually used in photosynthesis. They provide plants with their bright colours (hence the bright red of the tomato), anti-oxidant activity as well as a source of Vitamin A.

Lycopene, as an antioxidant is said to flush out free radicals in the body in large amounts. Our bodies don't make lycopene naturally, so we need it from tomatoes and other vegetables. Tomatoes have the highest amounts of lycopene and there is a controversy around whether or not organic toamtoes have more lycopene than conventionally grown ones. Lycopene is fat-soluble and is thus best utilized in foods containing good forms of fat. The action of lycopene is also enhanced when it is cooked and to get the most lycopene, you should eat the whole tomato!

Let's Not Call The Whole Thing Off....

Seeing as it was Valentines Day a little while ago, one would think you would need to look after your heart and keep it strong. Recent studies have shown that lycopene in tomatoes has significant effects in preventing cardiovascular disease, ensuring your heart is healthy and strong. As they are anti-oxidant rich, tomatoes significantly lowers LDL, the "bad" form of cholesterol, by interfering with its synthesis. High cholesterol is one of the major factors in causing heart attacks, strokes and other forms of heart disease. Antioxidants will also prevent further atherosclerosis, because they effectively help stop the oxidation of cells (especially those in the cardiovascular system). So if you want to help protect your heart for next Valentines Day, you need to reap the benefits of tomatoes!

Lycopene is known to help prevent various cancers such as breast, endometrial, prostate, colon, lung and pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one to note, as it is a very serious form of cancer and often goes undetected, until it has spread throughout the body. Lycopene protects against cancer by activating cancer-preventative phase II enzymes. Lycopene also reacts with and enhances other phyto-nutrients in tomatoes, which also helps protect against these cancers.

You say "Tomato", but I say however you happen to pronounce "Tomato" is immaterial, the important thing is to eat as much of this nutrient-packed "love-apple" as possible! You can have it sliced in sandwiches or salads; use it as a base for a pasta sauce or casserole or you can eat them as is! You will soon see the effects of these anti-oxidants and carotenoids upon your health as well as have the peace of mind that your cancer risk will be lowered! So the very next time, you hear a sniffle, a cough or a WHACHOOO! (sneeze), think anti-oxidants and tomatoes!