Tomato Nutrition: Top 7 Tomato Benefits, Side Effects


 

Tomato is a rich juicy in nature and tomato nutrition is play an important role in everybody’s life. it uses as a fruit also as a vegetable. But mostly use as a vegetable.  Nutrients of tomato help to control weight loss, blood pressure, diabetes, heart health and many more. The family of tomato is Solanaceae or nightshade and the scientific name is Lycopersicon esculentum.

Tomato Nutrition

 

Tomato fruit is tasty and appears in sauces, salads, juices, soups and more. Tomato has a good value of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients. The vibrant red color of tomato present due to carotenoid lycopene. It has many varieties- pink, green, red, orange, brown, black, purple.

Tomato nutrition

 

Nutrition value of tomato per 100 gram.

Principle nutrients: Energy- 18 kcal, Carbohydrates- 2.9 g, Protein- 0.9 g, Total fat- 0.2 g, Dietary fiber- 1.2 g

Vitamins: Folate, niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K

Minerals: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus

Electrolyte: Sodium, potassium

Phyto-nutrients: Carotene-beta, lycopene, lutein-zeaxanthin

Tomato nutrition benefits

 1.  Skin care

Tomato contains a good amount of vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C produce Collagen and collagen component is play an important role for skin, hair, nails and related tissues. Insufficient quantity of vitamin C causes scurvy. The powerful antioxidant (Vitamin C) fights against skin damage from sunlight. Due to vitamin C skin looking youthful. Vitamin A uses in anti-aging treatment.

Tomato contains phyto-nutrient ( beta-carotene ), which help protect against sunburn for skin care. Also, lycopene help to protect skin against ultra-violet rays.

2.  Fight against cancer

Journal of the National Cancer Institute say that lycopene of tomato anti-oxidants decrease the cancer risks like-lung, stomach, prostate, colon, and others. Studies show beta-carotene prevents tumor development in prostate cancer. Japanese population demonstrates that using beta-carotene reduce colon cancer risk. The fiber of Fruits and vegetable reduce colorectal cancer risk.

3.  Heart health

An increase in potassium intake, along with a decrease in sodium intake, the most important dietary change the average person can make to reduce their cardiovascular disease.

Tomato contains folate. This help to balance homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid that results from protein break down. Homocysteine levels reduce one of the risk factors for heart disease.

High potassium intake reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease also protect muscles against deterioration, kidney stones production.

4.  Eye health

Good value of lycopene, lutein, and beta-carotene antioxidants present in tomato. These protect the eyes light-induced damage, cataracts development.

Tomato contains Zea-xanthin flavonoid compound. This compound helps to protect eyes against age-related macular disease.

5.  Pregnancy

Tomato contains folate and using of folate is important in pregnancy because folate protects the neural tube.  Folate has a synthetic form which is called Folic acid. In pregnancy period women take a folic acid supplement and tomato have a great natural folic acid supplement.

6.  Blood pressure

Tomatoes have a good value of potassium. Potassium component plays an important role to control blood pressure and rate of the heart. Sodium is responsible for heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, low sodium and high potassium help to maintain blood pressure and heart rate.

7.  Digestion

Tomato provides a healthy digestion system and prevents constipation also diarrhea. Tomato release toxins from the body and also prevent jaundice. The fiber of tomato promotes peristaltic motion in digestive muscles. Promoted peristaltic motion help release gastric and digestive juice. So, a tomato has bowel movement regulation property and that boost overall digestive health.

Tomato nutrition side effects

 

Tomato has many health benefits but also cause some problems. The side effects are:-

Malic acid and citric acid present in tomato and if eating in high amount, then it produces acid. And acid is responsible for cause heartburn or acid reflux. Therefore, consuming too many tomatoes is not good if you are suffering from digestive stress.

Consuming too many tomatoes is sometimes responsible for kidney stones because it has a good amount of calcium and also oxalate. When calcium and oxalate present in excess amount then deposit in the body and produce kidney stones.

Sometimes, consuming too many tomatoes are responsible for diarrhea.

Lycopene present in tomato. Eating in an excess quantity of tomatoes is not good because lycopene is responsible for lycopenodermia and discoloration of the skin.

Therefore, tomato nutrition has some benefits if consuming in ideal quantity.  But also have some problems if you consuming in large quantity.

 


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