Tomato
nutrition facts
Tomato, a nutritious fruit commonly used as
vegetable, is
another wonderful
gift of Mayans. The vegetable has grabbed the attention of
millions health seekers for its incredible phyto-chemical properties.
Interestingly, it has much more health benefiting
qualities than that in an apple!
Botanically, the vegetable belongs to Solanaceae or nightshade family,
which also
includes chili peppers,
potato, eggplant...etc and
named
scientifically as Lycopersicon
esculentum. This
exotic vegetable of all seasons is native to central America and was
cultivated by the Aztecs centuries before the Spanish
explorers
introduced it to all over the world.
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| Tomatoes-
Red skin variety.
|
Fresh produce in a market.
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Many hundreds of
cultivar
varieties with
different type and
size, either organic, hybrid or genetically modified are
being in use. Most cultivates produce red fruit; but a number of
cultivates with yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or white colors
are also available.
Heirloom
tomatoes
are becoming increasingly popular,
particularly among organic producers. Heirloom varieties tend to
produce more
natural and flavorful fruits. Tomatoes are now grown worldwide as front
line vegetable like onions,
chili,
potato..etc.
Cherry
tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) are
small, round, cherry sized fruits of the same Solanaceae family. The
fruits are popular in Mediterranean regions.
Health
benefits of Tomato
-
Tomatoes are one of the
low calorie vegetables containing just 18 calories per 100 g. They are
also very low in any fat contents and have zero cholesterol levels.
Nonetheless, they are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber,
minerals, and vitamins. Because of their all-round qualities,
dieticians and nutritionists often recommend them to be included in
cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
-
The
antioxidants present
in tomatoes are scientifically found
to be protective against cancers including colon,
prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumors.
-
Lycopene, a flavonoid antioxidant, is
the unique phytochemical
present in
the tomatoes. Red varieties are especially concentrated in
this antioxidant. Together with carotenoids, it has the
ability to protect cells and other
structures in the body from harmful oxygen free radicals. Studies have
shown that lycopene
prevents skin damage from ultra-violet (UV) rays and offers
protection from skin cancer.
- Zeaxanthin is
another
flavonoid compuond present abundantly in this vegetable. Zeaxanthin
helps
protect eyes from "age related macular
disease" (ARMD) in the elderly persons by filtering harmful
ultra-violet rays.
-
The vegetable contains very
good levels of vitamin A, and
flvonoid anti-oxidants such as α and ß-carotenes,
xanthins
and
lutein. Altogether, these pigment compounds are found to have
antioxidant properties and
are take part in vision, maintain
healthy
mucus membranes and skin, and bone health. Consumption of natural
vegetables and fruits
rich in
flavonoids is known to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
-
In addition, they
are also good source of
antioxidant vitamin-C
(provide 21% of recommended daily levels per 100 g);
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.
100 g contain 237 mg of potassium and just 5 mg of sodium. Potassium is
an important component of cell and body fluids that helps
controlling heart rate and blood pressure caused by sodium.
-
They contain moderate amounts of many vital
B-complex vitamins such as folates, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin as well
some essential minerals like iron, calcium,
manganese and other trace elements.
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 µg |
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 µg |
6.5% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
5 mg |
>1% |
| 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 |
24 mg |
3% |
| Zinc |
0.17 mg |
1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-ß |
449 µg |
-- |
| Carotene-α |
101 µg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
123 µg |
-- |
| Lycopene |
2573 µg |
-- |
Selection and storage
Fresh
ripe fruits feature
attractively bright red color and have rich fruity flavor.
In the markets, buy fresh, firm, uniform sized fruits. Avoid
those with wrinkle surface, discolored spots, cuts and
too
soft and mushy.
Firm, yellow fruits can be placed in cool, dark place at room
temperature for 2-3 days. However, ripe tomatoes are one of the easily
perishable vegetables and should be stored in the refrigerator. Use
them while they are
fresh to obtain full benefits of vitamins and antioxidants.
Preparation and
serving methods
Pests
are common in tomatoes. Hybrid varieties are usually
subjected to insecticide spray. Therefore, wash them thoroughly in the
cold running water in order to remove dust, soil and any residual
insecticide/fungicides.
Tomatoes are generally cut in to small cubes after discarding stem and
top calyx end.
Here are some serving tips:
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Tomato-onion
cheese tart topped with basil.
Photo courtesy: Jennifer
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Cheeseburger
with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Photo courtesy: Sharon
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They are
used extensively in cooking
especially in Mediterranean, Greek, Italian, Southeast 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.
-
Regular as
well as cherry tomatoes are one of the popular items in salad
preparations.
-
Fresh tomato juices as well as its soup are
increasingly becoming popular health-drinks all across the world.
Organic
varieties contain 3 times as much lycopene as non-organic.
-
Unripe
green tomatoes are used much similar way like other raw vegetables to
prepare curry, stews and to make "chutney" in some Indian subcontinent
region.
Safety profile
Allergic
reactions to tomatoes may sometimes occur
with symptoms like skin and
itching eyes, runny nose, gastrointestinal disturbances like pain
abdomen,
vomiting and diarrhea. (Disclaimer).
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