Tomato: all the properties and benefits for health

Is the tomato a fruit?

many wonder if tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. What is clear is that the tomato is a vegetable but, although many believe that it is a vegetable, in reality it is a fruit. The essential characteristic of this fruit is that it has remarkable healthy properties that laboratories try to encapsulate them in pills.

The more the tomato is known, the more surprising it is. It is believed that 65 million years ago a meteorite crashed in the Yucatan peninsula and generated a cloud that hid the sunlight. As a consequence, a climate change occurred that wiped out the dinosaurs and 75% of the planet’s species.

But it could not with the tomato, born somewhere between Chile and Mexico, due to its incredible genetic diversity that allowed him to adapt to new conditions. According to the 300 scientists who managed to complete the sequence of the tomato genome in 2012, it has 35,000 genes, 7,000 more than humans, the result of mutations that tripled its DNA several times.

This does not mean that it is a more complex being than man, but that as a species it enjoys many resources to adapt to its environment.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) left America with the Spanish, who took it to Europe and Asia. The word derives from the Aztec xitomatl: “fruit with navel”.

Tomato properties

The tomato contains few calories. One hundred grams provide only 18, since most of its weight (95%) corresponds to water. Its sweet and sour flavor is due to a small amount of simple sugars and some organic acids, such as citric and malic, responsible for making it appetizing and digestive.

Compared to other fruits and vegetables, it has little fiber (1.8%) but the seeds, pulp and skin are enough to promote intestinal transit.

1. Provides antioxidant vitamins

It stands out for its content in the trio of antioxidant vitamins C, E and A, the latter in the form of the beta-carotene precursor.

Take 200 grams of tomato covers 80% of the daily requirement of vitamin C, 27% of vitamin A and 13% of vitamin E. The three vitamins prevent tissue degeneration, premature aging and collaborate with the immune system.

Highlight content in group B vitamins, higher than that of other vegetables, especially vitamins B1, B6 and above all folic acid (200 g cover 25% of needs). These nutrients favor obtaining energy from food and benefit the nervous system.

2. It is rich in minerals

Tomato has a good variety of minerals. The most abundant are potassium (300 mg/100g), phosphorus (27 mg) and magnesium (20 mg). iron is not negligible that contribute
(0.5 mg/100 g), so 200 grams cover 6% of the daily needs in adult women and 8% in men.

3. It has a lot of lycopene

One of the great virtues of tomato is its lycopene content (about 3,000mcg/100g), the well-known carotenoid pigment with antioxidant effects that gives it its attractive red color.

Tomato calories and nutritional value (per 100 g)

Calories: 18 calories (75kJ)Carbohydrates: 3.9gFats: 0.2gProteins: 0.9gVitamin A: 833 IUVitamin C: 12.7mgVitamin K: 7.9 mcgFolates: 15 mcgPotassium: 237mgIron: 0.3mgMagnesium: 11.0mg

Health benefits of tomato

According to several studies, individuals who consume more lycopene acquire a Extraordinary protection against cardiovascular diseases, reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, blindness, deafness and other disorders associated with premature aging.

1. Protects the bones

A study conducted in Canada has shown that lycopene contributes to good bone condition, especially in women after menopause.

2. Helps protect cells

It is attributed an important protective effect against cancer in relation to various organs, especially kidney, prostate, lung, intestine, stomach and lungs.

As an antioxidant, lycopene is more potent than vitamin E and its effect is multiplied by being accompanied by other carotenes such as phytoene, lutein and beta-carotene. The latter can be transformed into vitamin A when the body needs it to protect the skin, eyes or participate in the growth and regeneration of bones or in the formation of embryonic tissue.

Recent studies have shown that yellow and orange tomatoes contain less lycopene than red ones; however, he is in good shape tetra-cis-lycopene, which is more easily assimilated by the body.

3. Take care of the heart

The properties of lycopene have led scientists from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) to investigate the efficacy of taking a 7 mg pill daily (equivalent to two and a half tomatoes) in the treatment of heart conditions.

The study has shown that the compound remarkably improves the flexibility of blood vessels and consequently prevents relapses in patients.

The research confirmed the results of previous studies, such as that of the University of the East (Finland), which had followed the evolution of a thousand men between the ages of 46 and 65 for 12 years and had found that those with higher levels of lycopene in the blood they had a 60% less risk of having a heart attack.

Is tomato digestive?

In general, tomato is digestive and few people show adverse reactions. Only immature specimens can cause problems in sensitive stomachs.

But he has not always been viewed favorably. The tomato plant belongs to the Solanaceae family and like its relatives -aubergine, potato or pepper- contains leaves and fruits small amounts of toxic alkaloids They tend to disappear with maturation.

One of these alkaloids, alpha-tomatine, may partly explain its anticancer properties.

Another precaution comes from macrobiotics, the energy diet developed by the Japanese George Ohsawa. According to this, the tomato, being a extremely yin food, It can favor the appearance of some discomfort. However, in a healthy person, with a balanced diet, tomato is not associated with negative effects.

Better cooked than raw

The best sources of lycopene are cooked tomato based products, because lycopene is absorbed three times as efficiently after heat has ruptured cell membranes and allowed it to escape.

That is why the most abundant sources of lycopene are purees, and especially sauces or concentrates, and even more so if they are made at home with ripe seasonal tomatoes and olive oil, which favors its absorption.

How many varieties of tomato are there

In the world, more than 20,000 varieties with peculiar shapes, colors and aromas have been developed. Most are red, but there are also yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or even multicolored and striped ones.

Heston Blumenthal, one of the most prestigious chefs in the world, and a tomato enthusiast, launched an investigation to find out which were the molecules responsible for the great power that this fruit/vegetable has to provide flavor.

How to cook tomato

The scientists discovered that tomatoes contain high amounts of glutamic acid, an amino acid, especially in the seeds. These molecules are what make the tomato, along with mushrooms, spinach or cheese, one of the best umami flavor messengers in Mediterranean cuisine; as kombu seaweed or tamari are for oriental cuisine.

Umami, called the fifth flavor, offers a special taste experience, because it serves as a bridge between other flavors, and is capable of sensitizing the palate, making it more receptive. This may be another of the characteristics that make tomatoes awaken the taste buds and allow them to impregnate any dish with flavor.

Ways to use it in recipes

It gets along well with aubergines, garlic, onion, olives or celery. The Italians, who make great use of tomatoes, have a recipe that combines these ingredients in a single dish. This is the caponata, a Sicilian stew that can be taken cold or warm, but always seasoned with a good vinaigrette to enhance the tomato flavour.

Without going any further, in Spain, the salmorejo and the gazpacho, two cold soups, in which the tomato is the protagonist, compete to refresh the summer.

Potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, radishes or avocados are some of the foods that best take advantage of the cooling quality of tomato. These ingredients are good companions for this vegetable in summer salads, especially when seasoned with a drizzle of good olive oil.

In addition to eating it raw in cold soups, salads, spread on a slice of bread or in the form of juice, it can be cooked in many different ways: fried, steamed, stewed… But as it is a juicy food, it suits it especially well. roasting in the oven, because it concentrates its flavor better than any other method.

When it is prepared in the oven, it is preferable to use varieties such as San Marzano or pear varieties, which are less acidic.

Enhance its flavor with aromatics

When it comes to seasoning it, few foods are capable of combining with such a wide variety of herbs and spices. In addition to oregano, savory, thyme or basil, tomato is especially delicious with some fresh coriander leaves.

It does well with spicy flavors, and this is how it is usually prepared in the countries where it originates. That is why pepper or paprika are ideal to accompany it, but also the lemony and spicy flavor of ginger, which can be used to give character to a tomato sauce or juice.

Another interesting combination is with cloves, a spice used in ketchup recipes.

How to easily peel the tomato

The skin can leave a slight bitter taste, so in some cases it is convenient to peel them before cooking. To easily remove the skin, a superficial cut is first made at the base, in the shape of a cross, and then they are scalded in boiling water for 10 or 15 seconds. They are then drained, submerged in cold water and peeled with the help of a knife.

To reduce its acidity, in most of the sauces where tomato is the protagonist, sugar is usually used, but it is much healthier and a better result is obtained if apple concentrate or a little bit of cinnamon

If you want to extract the seeds, it is preferable to do it once it has been cooked, with the help of a Chinese strainer, so that you can take advantage of the great flavor they contain.

Purchase and conservation of tomato

It is preferable to choose local varieties and specimens with smooth, bump-free skin. Those with greenish or yellowish parts near the stem that do not correspond to their natural color must be discarded, as this is a sign that they have been stored in poor conditions.

Tomatoes lose their aroma quickly when refrigerated, so it’s best to store them at room temperature and protected from light. If you have bought or picked greens and you want to speed up their ripening, you can put them in a paper bag with a ripe apple.