Tomato
nutrition facts
Tomato,
one of the wonderful
vegetable, has drawn the attention of
millions of vegetable lovers worldwide for its incredible health
promoting properties. Interestingly, it has much more health benefiting
qualities than apple!
Botanically, this veggie belongs to Solanaceae or nightshade family,
which also
includes tobacco, chili peppers, potato,
and eggplant...etc and
named
scientifically as Lycopersicon
esculentum.
Thousands of
cultivar
varieties with
different type and
size, either organic, hybrid or genetically modified are
being in the use. Most cultivates produce red fruit; but a number of
cultivates with yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or white colors
are also available.
|
|
| Tomatoes-
Red skin variety
|
Fresh tomatoes in a market
|
Heirloom
variety of tomatoes
are becoming increasingly popular,
particularly among organic producers, since they tend to produce more
natural and flavorful fruits. Tomatoes are now grown worldwide as front
line vegetable like onions, potato..etc.
Health
benefits of Tomato
-
Very
low in calories and
fats; but rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins; recommended
in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
-
The
antioxidants present
in tomatoes are found
to be protective against many cancers including colon,
prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
-
Phytochemicals
present in
tomatoes like Lycopene
and carotenoids have the ability to help protect cells and other
structures in the body from oxygen free radicals. Red varieties of
tomatoes are especially rich in the most powerful flavonoid antioxidant
lycopene. Studies have shown that lycopene
protects skin damage from UV rays and from prostate cancer.
-
This
veggie contains very
good levels of vitamin A, and
flvonoid anti-oxidants such as alpha and beta carotenes,
xanthin
and
lutein. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and
are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining
healthy
mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits
rich in
flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
-
They
are good source of
antioxidant vitamin-C;
consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance
against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
-
Fresh
tomato is very rich
in potassium.
Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids, helps
controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
-
They
are also good source
of
folate, iron, calcium,
manganese and other minerals.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), raw,
Nutrition value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient
Value |
Percentage
of
RDA |
| Energy |
18 Kcal |
1% |
| Carbohydrates |
3.9 g |
3% |
| Protein |
0.9 g |
1.6% |
| Total Fat |
0.2 g |
0.7% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary
Fiber |
1.2 g |
3% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
15 mcg |
4% |
| Niacin |
0.594 mg |
4% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.080 mg |
6% |
| Thiamin |
0.037 mg |
3% |
| Vitamin A |
833 IU |
28% |
| Vitamin C |
13 mg |
21.5% |
| Vitamin E |
0.54 mg |
4% |
| Vitamin K |
7.9 mcg |
6.5% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
5 mg |
0% |
| Potassium |
237 mg |
5% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
10 mg |
1% |
| Iron |
0.3 mg |
4% |
| Magnesium |
11 mg |
3% |
| Manganese |
0.15 mg |
6.5% |
| Phosphorus |
24mg |
3% |
| Zinc |
0.17 mg |
1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene--ß |
449 mcg |
-- |
| Carotene-alpha |
101 mcg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
123 mcg |
-- |
| Lycopene |
2573 mcg |
-- |
Selection and storage
Fresh
ripe fruits have
attractively bright red color and rich flavor.
In the store, avoid those with wrinkling, discolored spots, cuts and
too
soft.
Once at home, place them at room temperature in cool, dark place. Over
ripened ones can be stored in the refrigerator. Eat them while they are
fresh to obtain full benefits of vitamins and antioxidants. Unripe
tomatoes are being used to make "chutney" in Indian subcontinent
cuisine.
Preparation and
serving methods
Pests
are common in tomatoes. Hybrid varieties are usually
subjected to insecticide spray. Therefore, wash them thoroughly in the
water in order to remove dust, soil and any residual insecticides.
Tomatoes are usually cut in to small cubes after discarding stem and
top end.
Here are some serving tips:
- They are
used extensively in cooking
especially in Mediterranean cuisine, Italian, south east Asian and East
European cuisine.
- Raw ones
have extra acidic taste, but when
mixed with other ingredients while cooking gives wonderful flavor and
rich taste.
- Sliced raw
tomato being used in salad
preparations.
- Fresh
tomato juice and soups becoming popular
drinks all across the world. Organic varieties contain 3 times as much lycopene
as non-organic.
Safety profile
Allergic
Reactions may sometimes occur
with symptoms like skin and
itching eyes, runny nose, gastrointestinal disturbances like pain abdomen,
vomiting and diarrhea.
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