Tomato and Its Benefits

Tomato is one of the most consumed vegetable in Malaysia. It is easily digestible with bright color to excite appetite. It is typically being consumed as salad in sandwiches. According to NutriWeb Malaysia, it is estimated that 1 medium tomato with 55g has 10.5kcal. Tomato contains large quantities of water in proportion to its weight which is almost 82%. When it is eaten, the water from tomato will be absorbed by the body.

It is a good source of Vitamin A, B and C. A 110g of tomato consumption can provide 25mg of vitamin C which brings 36% of recommended nutrient intake (RNI Malaysia) for men and women, 19 years old and above. The vitamin C provided helps the body to against infectious agents by strengthening the immune system and scavenge harmful free radicals. It also contains 125mg of Potassium which is an important component to control heart rate and blood pressure.  Zeaxanthin is the other element that can be found in tomato. It is a flavonoid compound that helps protecting eyes from Age-Related Macular Disease (ARMD) in elderly. According to the Food Chemistry Journal, zeaxanthin has a beneficial effect to retina and it is mostly be found in tomatoes.

It also provides 765µg of carotene. Beta carotene is one of the carotene types that is needed to be converted to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is also an antioxidant like vitamin E and C. However, it is not an essential nutrient. The benefits of beta carotene are preventing cancer and heart disease, slow the progression of cataracts, prevent macular degeneration and boost immunity. Beta carotene is broken down by heating and is soluble in oil. Thus, to cook tomato with olive oil can give more benefits and better absorption by the body.

There are many studies about reducing risk cancers with eating tomatoes. In Harvard, researchers found that men who consumed 10 servings of tomatoes per week may reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by 45%. In addition, Italian researchers found that people who consume more than 7 servings of raw tomatoes may lower the risk of developing rectal and stomach cancers by 60%. Furthermore, tomatoes also have the ability to reduce risk of other type of cancers such as lung, breast, endometrial and colon cancers.

It is easy to find tomatoes in any groceries. Choose tomatoes that are firm, ripe and no bruises. They are juicy and delicious with a lot of health benefits. So, let have them in your sandwiches or any of your favorite food.

References:

Alternative Medicine. About.com 

NutriWeb Malaysia

Journal of Food Chemistry

Journal of Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Recommended Nutrient Intake for Malaysia (RNI)