A Tomato a Day...
We all know that old saying about an "apple a day keeping the doctor away" but we might not know that the same can be said of a tomato!
Research is now telling us that tomatoes are worth their weight in health benefits.
Here are the top ten health benefits from including tomatoes in your diet
1. Just one standard-sized tomato fruit (or seven cherry tomatoes) counts as one portion of the suggested daily requirement of five fruits and vegetables.
2. Cooking tomatoes will actually increase their nutritional value while serving with a fat (for example extra virgin olive oil) makes it easier for your digestive system to absorb those nutrients.
3. Leaving the skins of tomatoes intact is best as most of the nutrients are found there.
4. One large tomato comes with ten percent of your daily potassium requirement, helping to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.
5. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene - an antioxidant that helps to improve your heart health.
6. That same lycopene will help to protect the eyes from the blue light emanating from the screens of those electronic devices we all use.
7. Lycopene will also assist in reducing headaches caused by eye strain.
8. Along with lutein and beta-carotene found in tomatoes, the lycopene can help to protect against age-related macular degeneration.
9. Diets that are rich in carotenoids (such as the lycopene found in tomatoes) are generally associated with a decreased risk of some types of cancers.
10. Another vital nutrient found in tomatoes is Vitamin K which is important to aid in blood clotting.
Please don't store your tomatoes in the refrigerator!
Instead, keep them in a bowl on the kitchen counter.
- They will retain their flavor better and...
- You will remember to keep eating and serving them!
SOURCES:
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.