About Tomatoes and Its Health Benefits

               About Tomatoes and Its Health Benefits
Tomatoes are nutrient-dense edible fruits that are always
red in colour, classified as both fruit and vegetable
belonging to the nightshade family.
It originated from West Southern America and today
tomatoes are everywhere including Nigeria located in the
Western Part of Africa.

         Tomatoes contain some basic important nutrients such
as carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and
others with whole lots of nutritional benefits which are
not limited to the ones highlighted as follows:


   1.Tomatoes are rich in dietary fibre, vitamin C,
potassium and chlorine which help in
performing several different functions in the
body system and in the general maintaining of a
healthy heart.

  2. There exist organic compounds called lycopene
which is the major carotenoid in the human
body and a stronger antioxidant that protect the
system from oxidative damages as well as
preventing free radicals that are prone to cause
any type of cancer in the body.

   3. Regular consumption of tomatoes can prevent
certain eye problems, and issues relating to
vision and vitamin A deficiency due to the
presence of vitamin A, lycopene, lutein, and
beta-carotene in the tomatoes.

     4. Iron is one of the nutritional elements contained
in tomatoes which help in the production of red
blood cells and is also the part of haemoglobin
binding with oxygen to facilitate its movement
from the lungs through the arteries.

    5. Tomatoes have high water content. They serve
as diuretics that help in urine production in good
quantity so as to flush out toxins from the body.


    6. Studies show that tomatoes contain some
laxative properties that loosen stool and
improve bowel movements because of the level
of water content and the presence of fibre.

    7. It is a good source of natural folate which is the
same as folic acid which is a synthetic form of
folate required for protection against neural tube
defection in pregnant mothers.


            Tomatoes are intensely nutritious fruit and vegetable food
plant rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains about 40%
of daily vitamin C requirement, abundant vitamin A for
eye health and vitamin K for blood clotting and healing of
wounds.

They contain beneficial nutrients such as alpha-lipoic
acid, folate (folic acid), lycopene, choline, beta-carotene,
lutein which can be gotten when eaten raw or used for
culinary purposes.