Why is Lycopene called “plant gold”? What are the benefits of eating more tomatoes?

red tomato ketchup and basil in a wooden bowl closeup. horizont

Did you know Tomatoes are also known as “Longevity Fruit”?

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene which has a reputation as “plant gold”. It is responsible for giving the red color to the tomatoes. Lycopene comes under “Class A ” nutrient by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and WHO. Lycopene is powerful antioxidant found in all carotenoids rich foods. It helps to eliminate free radicals from the body and protect our body against those free ions. Not only that it protects our cardiovascular system, reduce heart attacks. It can also protect the human genes from damage, and has certain anti-cancer effect too. It is effective in preventing and treating prostate, breast, lung, stomach and other type of cancers.

Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin C, which also has a protective effect on cardiovascular diseases. As, it helps in maintaining the elasticity of walls of the blood vessel walls. Additionaly, it has good therapeutic effects on the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Besides, tomatoes are rich in potassium and dietary fiber.

What are the nutritional advantages of eating raw tomato vs cooked tomatoes?

Eating raw tomatoes contains more vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium. While cooked tomato is more conducive to the body as it increases the rate of absorption of lycoprotein and carotenes found in it. Lycopene is a fat-soluble substance, so frying tomatoes will helps to destroy the cell walls and lycoprotein can be freely released.

Many people think that if tomatoes are cooked, vitamin C is badly lost (vitamin C is sensitive to heat), but it’s not. Tomatoes contain more organic acids, which can protect vitamin C. Therefore, it is best to eat cooked tomatoes ( the loss of vitamin C is not that much).

Nutritional value of ketchup and tomato sauce

Tomato sauce is a concentrated product of tomatoes. In which tomatoes are cleaned, selected, preheated, crushed, evaporated and concentrated and sterilized. Ketchup is rich in nutritional value, the most prominent of which is lycopene. Ketchup goes under thermal production to better maximize the nutritional value of lycopene.

Note: Tomato sauce has added sugar, salt, oil, etc. Eating too much of sodium is not good.

The variety, color and maturity of tomatoes all determine the content of lycopene. In general, more the red color of tomatoes, the higher the lycopene content. Immature and semi-mature cyan color tomatoes has relatively low lycopene content.

Red varieties of tomatoes have the highest levels of lycopene. It varies from 2 to 3 milligrams per 100 grams, up to a maximum of 20 milligrams. Pink tomatoes have the highest levels of lycopin, while yellow tomatoes contain little lycoprin, at about 0.3 milligrams per 100 grams. So enjoy eating cooked fried tomato daily for anti-aging effects.

 

Read about other interesting fruits

Acai berry        Ambarella         Avocado           Bael       Banana      Bilberry      Cocunut   

 Cantaloupe        Cashew apple      Dragon Fruit    Durian      Fig      Jack fruit   Jamun      

 Kiwi        Lychee      Malay apple     Mango        Mangosteen       Miracle fruit         Pomelo  

 Papaya     Passion fruit     Phalsa      Pineapple           Plum       Pomegranate       

Prickly pear      Quince       Rambutan           Roselle          Santol          Sapota       

Sea buckthorn       Sour Orange     Soursop           Sweet Lime         Star gooseberry 

Star Apple        Strawberry     Surinam Cherry          Sweet lime        Tamarind       Tomato 

Tree tomato      Wampi       Watermelon         Wood apple

Read about herbs and spices

Allspice          Alfalfa       Ashwagandha        Bay leaf              Black cohosh           

Black onion seeds       Black pepper       Cayenne pepper    Celery          Chives       

 Chamomile        Clove     Coffee senna    Coriander       Curry leaf         Cumin        

Eucalyptus       Fennel            Fenugreek       Garlic      Ginger         Gotu Kola       

Hibiscus         Holy basil    Jasmine     Kava Kava     Lavender     Licorice   

Long pepper    Lotus   Majoram      Marigold     Mugwort     Mustard seeds      

 Neem    Nutmeg       Oregano     Peppermint     Red  clover        Rose       Rosemary           

Sage         Sensitive plant   St.John’s wort        Tarragon        Thyme     Triphala powder        

Turmeric     Vetiver grass    Wheat grass      Wi