They’re the most widely grown
vegetable in the world (1) and the fourth most commonly eaten fresh vegetable
in America (2). They’re consumed raw, cooked, as juice, as sauce, as soup, and
as one of the world’s most popular condiments. Tomatoes are not only delicious
– they also provide a wide array of health benefits thanks to their rich
antioxidant and vitamin content.
Protects
the Prostate
Raw tomatoes are an excellent source
of phytochemicals such as carotenoids and polyphenols (2). A major carotenoid
found in tomatoes is lycopene, a powerful
antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
The Physicians’ Health Study found
that men with prostate cancer had significantly lower levels of lycopene in
their plasma samples, especially in aggressive cases and for those who were not
taking a beta-carotene supplement (2). In the Health Professionals Follow-Up
Study, it was discovered that consuming at least two servings of tomato
products per week decreased prostate cancer risk (2).
Prevents
Cardiovascular Disease
High plasma lycopene levels have
been linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as well. According to
the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, men who underwent a
coronary event had lower levels of plasma lycopene than those who did not (2).
Likewise, the European Multicenter Case-Control Study on Antioxidants,
Myocardial Infarction and Breast Cancer Study found that lycopene protects
against CVD (2).
Keeps
Stroke at Bay
Lycopene in tomatoes have also been
found to reduce the risk of stroke. A Finnish study that followed more than a
thousand middle-aged men for 12 years discovered that those with the highest
levels of lycopene in their blood had a 55 percent lower chance of having any
kind of stroke and a 59 percent lower chance of having a stroke due to blood
clots (3). It was suggested that this is due to lycopene’s ability to fight
free radicals, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and cholesterol
levels, and prevent blood clots (3).
Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the
Harvard School of Public Health recommends a daily lycopene intake of 10,000
micrograms or more from food and not from supplements. “You may be getting the
wrong form of lycopene in a supplement. There are also a lot of compounds in
food that aren’t lycopene but that are similar, and some of those molecules may
be part of what makes lycopene so beneficial (3),” he says.
Aside from lycopene, tomatoes are a
great source of folic acid, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E (2).
Source:
naturalnews
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