I recently flipped through my short (and not so) notes in a virtual notebook. I found that enough interesting information about tomatoes had accumulated. I decided to systematize them. So all this took shape in a note about tomatoes, about the benefits and harms to the body. I think that you will be interested too.
I start with the story ... It turns out that at different times, in different countries, tomatoes were attributed either to vegetables or to fruits. At the end of the 19th century, the US Supreme Court assigned tomatoes to vegetables, apparently before that they were considered fruits. And at the beginning of the first decade of this (XXI) century, the European Union, setting the rules for making jam, jam, decided that tomato is still not a vegetable, but a fruit. But in Russia, in special literature and among the people, a tomato is still considered a vegetable.
Such confusion may seem insignificant compared with the fact that for a long time the fruits of the tomato were considered not only inedible, but even poisonous.
Useful properties of tomatoes and contraindications
Useful properties of tomatoes
Tomatoes have a well-balanced vitamin and mineral composition: vitamin E (25-30 mg per 100 g of edible portion), vitamins B1, B2, PP, carotene, rich in organic acids (malic, citric, oxalic), pectin, which lowers cholesterol and removes toxins, potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, as well as trace elements - copper, chromium, fluorine, titanium, molybdenum, germanium.
But there are other vegetables, no less rich in composition. What stands out among them tomato?
First of all, high lycopene content. It is this pigment that makes tomatoes red. Our body does not synthesize lycopene. He can enter it only with food, especially with tomatoes. Carotenoid pigment - lycopene - refers to antioxidants, has the ability to trap, neutralize aggressive oxygen radicals. Its activity is twice as high as that of beta-carotene. Its use is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Likopin, according to scientists, along with olive oil, fish, seafood, belongs to the ability to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. The combination of these products is called the Mediterranean diet, which is popular all over the world.
For those who lament over the lack of quality fresh tomatoes on sale in the winter, there is great news. It turns out that heat treatment concentrates lycopene in the final product - ketchup, pickled tomatoes, tomato paste, juice, and other tomato products.
So, if in fresh fruits it contains up to 50 mg / kg, then in ketchup it is up to 140 mg / kg, and in tomato paste - up to 1500 mg / g. In Finland, which is similar to us in its harsh climate, a study lasting 12 years and covering 1000 men aged 46 to 60 years controlled the level of lycopene in the blood of the subjects. During this period, 67 men suffered a stroke. It was found that people with the highest levels of lycopene in the blood were 59% less likely to have a stroke compared with those who had little in the blood.
So in winter, summer fresh tomato will be replaced by a worthy replacement: lecho, tomato paste, ketchup. Of course, it is better if all this is cooked at home. Moreover, growing tomatoes is almost a national hobby of our gardeners.
Pay attention to the following varieties or hybrids - Viagra, Bedouin F1, Metis F1, Mulatto F1. They are characterized by a high content of the antioxidant lycopene.
Listing above the minerals that make up the tomatoes, a rare element was mentioned - germanium. If we know what iron or iodine mean for our body, then there is not much information about the benefits of germanium. It turns out that when studying the biological properties of germanium, it was revealed that it can provide oxygen transfer in the tissues of the body, increase its immune status and antitumor activity.
Tomatoes - contraindications and harm
Unfortunately, some of the beneficial properties of tomatoes can be harmful - there are those who are contraindicated in their use.
First of all, these are people who are allergic to red-orange vegetables or fruits, as well as to nightshade (eggplant, bell peppers, etc.).
Tomatoes are harmful to people prone to the formation of oxalates in the kidneys or who suffer from gout. They should refrain from eating tomatoes in large quantities, especially during an exacerbation of the disease.
If you have gastritis with high acidity or a stomach ulcer or duodenal ulcer, alas, tomatoes are not for you.
Stones in the gall bladder from eating tomatoes can move, so if calculous cholecystitis, choose another vegetable for the salad.
Well, for everyone else, a glass of tomato juice will be of great benefit: a complex of anti-cancer substances, plus vitamins, pectin, etc. Of course, fresh tomatoes are no substitute for any nutritional supplement.
The materials of the magazine “Family. Earth. Harvest ”- No. 11. - 2014