All Around Health Boosting Super Food
If there is a fruit or vegetable that deserves its very own song, it’s the humble tomato. Scientists announced another discovery which adds to the long list of health-boosting properties already attributed to the bright red tomato. When it comes to healthy eating, here are a few reasons why tomatoes should top our shopping list.
- Unlike many nutrients, lycopene’s benefits are increased by cooking. Research shows that lycopene is easier for the body to absorb if it has been heated, which means tomato-based sauces, soups and ketchups are great ways to boost your lycopene intake
- A study by Harvard Medical School discovered that increased consumption of tomato products results in a marked reduction in prostate cancer risk. Eating lycopene rich foods regularly can also help prevent prostate cancer from spreading around the body.
- As well as the newly reported benefits in preventing endometriosis, tomatoes have also been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and ongoing studies have suggested they can help protect against cervical cancer
- Ongoing research suggests lycopene is associated with reduced risk of macular degenerative diseases, one of the most common causes of blindness in people over-sixty and cancers of the lung, bladder and skin
- Tomatoes can help keep you looking young – even act as a natural sunscreen. Scientists from Manchester and Newcastle Universities fed volunteers a daily dose of 5 tablespoons of tomato paste. After three months those who had been eating the paste had developed 33% more protection against sunburn – the equivalent of wearing a very low factor sun cream – than those who hadn’t. The tomato eaters also had much higher levels of procollagen, a molecule in the skin which helps keep it firm and plump.