Not only does the tomato present itself in a red that could hardly be more beautiful, it also has a very vitamin-rich inner life. We reveal what ingredients are in tomatoes and why regular consumption can protect against atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Lycopene is thought to protect cell membranes
Tomatoes are thought to protect against coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. The reason for this is the substance lycopene, a special carotenoid with antioxidant properties. This secondary plant substance, which is said to protect cell membranes and which for a time was also said to change pre-damaged cells into cancer cells, is found primarily in red fruits and vegetables, for example not only in tomatoes, but also in watermelons, pink grapefruit and guavas. Carotenoids are so important for our organism because they help to fight the so-called “free radicals”, which in the long run can lead to cardiovascular diseases. Since carotenoids are fat-soluble, this should be taken into account accordingly when preparing food. A few drops of olive oil can already be sufficient here.
Lycopene in tomato products
By the way, the daily dose of lycopene recommended by experts is 6 mg. It is interesting that lycopene from tomato puree or tomato juice is absorbed by the body several times better than from fresh tomatoes. This is not a paradox, but can be explained by the fact that the relatively heat-resistant lycopene only fully develops at higher temperatures (which are reached during the production of juice or puree) and can then be absorbed by the body much better. The following table shows the content of lycopene in various tomato products:
| Tomato product | Lycopene content (in mg per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Tomato (raw) | 9,3 |
| Tomato juice | 10,8 |
| Tomato puree | 16,7 |
| Ketchup | 17,2 |
| Tomato sauce | 18,0 |
| Tomato paste | 55,5 |
However, the health effect of the substance is not yet proven beyond doubt. However, it is undisputed that tomatoes are extremely healthy in their entirety.
Tomatoes: Healthy and low in calories
Tomatoes are not only very healthy, however, but also particularly low in calories, with 75 kilojoules (kJ) and 18 kilocalories (kcal) per 100 grams, respectively. In addition to lycopene, they have a high proportion of healthy ingredients such as vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C and vitamin E. In addition, there are minerals, for example potassium, calcium and magnesium, as well as important trace elements. The rest is water – and 95 percent of it. Of course, tomatoes that have ripened on the vine taste best – if you have your own garden, consider yourself lucky. Surely each of us has already made the acquaintance of watery tomatoes, picked green or post-ripened in greenhouses.
Unripe tomatoes are poisonous
Incidentally, unripe green tomatoes should not be eaten raw or unprocessed because they contain the toxic alkaloid tomatidine (equivalent to solanine in potatoes). This can cause headaches, nausea, gastritis or cramps. In very high doses, solanine can be fatal. But again, “the dose alone makes a thing not a poison”. 4 facts about tomatoes – rawpixel
4 Tips for proper storage of tomatoes
When storing tomatoes, keep the following tips in mind:
- Tomatoes are sensitive to cold and therefore do not belong in the refrigerator, not even in the crisper. They should be stored at room temperature, preferably in a dark place. So they develop their full flavor.
- Do not store tomatoes together with other ripe vegetables such as cucumbers. The red fruits give off a natural ripening gas (ethylene), which makes cucumbers easily soften.
- Apples, which also produce ethylene, conversely provide for the post-ripening of tomatoes. It also helps to put them in the sunlight.
- Use up fresh fruit within four to five days. Light, heat and oxygen otherwise reduce the content of nutrients.
Tomato, golden apple, candy apple.
Cultivated the nightshade plant was originally in South America, where it was also used as a medicinal plant by the Aztecs in Mexico.We owe the cultivation of the tomato in our latitudes to the Spanish conquistadors, who brought it to Europe with the potato. Not only their species, but also their names are numerous: their discoverers, the Native Americans, called them “tumatle”. In Italy, because of its original yellow color, it is called “pomodoro”, which auspiciously means “golden apple”. But also “love apple”, “paradise apple” and “tomato” are names that have already earned the fruit advance praise. Through centuries of breeding, the estimated 2,500 different varieties of tomatoes have evolved into fine red fruits and a versatile favorite vegetable in almost every kitchen in the world.