Ten great reasons to eat tomatoes more often

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

There's nothing like the taste of a ripe tomato! That is actually enough reason to put tomatoes on the table more often. In addition, tomatoes have many health benefits. In this blog “Ten reasons to eat tomatoes more often” we discover what makes tomatoes so healthy. And also why we should eat them even more often! tomato recipes

1. Rich source of vitamins and minerals

Tomatoes contain many different vitamins and minerals. Especially vitamin C can be found in large amounts in this vegetable. For example, with a single tomato you get about 20 percent of the amount of vitamin C that you need at least every day to stay healthy. Vitamin A can be found in the form of beta-carotene in tomatoes. Our body still has to convert this substance into vitamin A in order to use it. Vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and bleeding control, can also be found in decent amounts in tomatoes. With one tomato you get more than 8 percent of the minimum daily amount.

2. For good vision

Carrots are good for your eyes, but so are tomatoes. They contain many substances that support the health of your eyes. Think of lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene. Lycopene is fat-soluble and only becomes active after heating. So make a delicious recipe below cod fillet with ratatouille to take advantage of this substance.

Ten reasons to eat tomatoes more often 3. Healthy skin

Tomatoes contribute to the prevention of skin damage caused by harmful UV radiation. This is due to their high content of the carotenoid lycopene. This powerful antioxidant fights free radicals that form in the skin under the influence of harmful UV radiation. In people who took lycopene for 10 to 12 weeks, researchers saw that their skin was less likely to be burned by UV radiation. So you are doing a lot for your skin if you put the Mediterranean ratatouille below on the menu. tomato recipes

4. Good for your heart

Most tomatoes have a red color. Some even have a heart shape. Tomatoes love your heart. They provide this important organ with many healthy nutrients. Think potassium for healthy blood pressure and lycopene for healthy arteries. Make your heart happy with the tomato stew below.

5. Protect the cells

Due to their high lycopene content – ​​and possibly other beneficial ingredients as well – tomatoes have a protective effect on our cells. Especially the cells in the prostate, lungs and stomach benefit from this effect. There is some evidence that tomatoes have a similar effect on cells in the pancreas, colon, rectum, esophagus, oral cavity, chest and cervix, among others. It is therefore a good idea to bring this vegetable into your home more often. For example, make the skewers below with zucchini, mozzarella and tomato. tomato recipes

6. Strong resistance

Tomatoes contain quite a bit of vitamin C and provitamin A. The resistance vitamins par excellence. In addition, the resistance mineral copper is abundantly present in tomatoes. You will also find small amounts of other resistance vitamins and minerals in this healthy vegetable. 

It concerns the following resistance vitamins and minerals: zinc, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and folate (the natural form of folic acid). All these substances contribute to a healthy immune system. 

Vitamin C only decreases when heated, so in this case it is better to eat tomatoes raw. For example, make the delicious tomato salad with feta below. tomato recipes

Ten reasons to eat tomatoes more often 7. Help with digestion

The fiber in tomatoes makes you feel full and contributes to a healthy digestion. They also stimulate natural bowel movement, which makes tomatoes also good for bowel movements. The high moisture content in this vegetable also helps with that.

8. Hydrating

Tomatoes contain a large amount of moisture, which they use to hydrate our body and replenish the fluid balance. Take advantage of that with this delicious tomato salad.

9. Helpful With Diabetes

Research shows that the substance lycopene can help relieve symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes. Think, for example, of gum disease. 

There is even evidence that this antioxidant, which is abundant in tomatoes, can be helpful in both the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Make this delicious low carb burger with tomato. This way you provide your body with a large amount of lycopene.

Ten reasons to eat tomatoes more often, the very last reason:

Ten reasons to eat tomatoes more often 10. Good for your weight

The high amount of moisture in combination with a lot of fiber and few calories, and natural sugars makes tomatoes perfect for gaining and maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition, tomatoes provide many nutrients in the form of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Every calorie in this vegetable provides a lot of nutritional value. That's exactly what you need if you're trying to maintain a healthy weight. All in all: you can eat tomatoes in abundance! Even if you are losing weight. Enjoy it with fantastic chicken in tomato sauce.

Delicious Happen is a multi-media company, so you can also find me on various social media. follow me on Facebook, Pinterest en Instagram under @delicioushappen. If you make this recipe I would love it if you tagged me #delicioushappen. A comment below in the comments is also nice of course!

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This blog is composed by Annemiek from Nutribites. She researched all the benefits for you and linked them to these delicious recipes from my blog. She also told us everything about healthy salads before and wrote there this blog about. Finally, thanks for this nice roundup.

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_^Sources:

_{^{NEVO online, RIVM. Story, EN et al. (2010). An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene. Annual Review of Food Science and Technology;1:10.1146/annurev.food.102308.124120.Stahl,W. et al. (2006). Lycopene-rich products and dietary photoprotection. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences; 2.Rissanen., TH et al. (2003). Serum lycopene concentrations and carotid atherosclerosis: the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;77(1):133-8.Giovannucci, E. (1999). Tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene, and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature. Journal of the National Cancer Institute;91(4):317-31. Unlu NZ, Bohn T, Francis DM, Nagaraja HN, Clinton SK, Schwartz SJ. Lycopene from heat-induced cis-isomer-rich tomato sauce is more bioavailable than from all-trans-rich tomato sauce in human subjects. The British journal of nutrition. 2007; 98(1):140-6. Effect of supplementation with tomato juice, vitamin E, and vitamin C on LDL oxidation and products of inflammatory activity in type 2 diabetes. Imran,M. et al. (2020). Lycopene as a Natural Antioxidant Used to Prevent Human Health Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel); 9(8): 706. Veerendra, P. et al. (2015). Systemic lycopene as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in chronic periodontitis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry;5(1): S25–S31.}}