Originally published July 31 2005
Tomatoes are columnist's pick for healthy eating
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Tomatoes' cancer fighting properties, combined with their flavor, makes them the most popular vegetable (or fruit, depending on how you look at it) in America after potatoes, and Daly News Transcript columnist Elizabeth Quigley touts the benefits of the produce in its various forms in a recent article.
However you say it, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables consumed by Americans - second only to potatoes.
As we head into the hot summer months, enjoy the abundance of our local produce.
Tomatoes and tomato products are excellent sources of potassium, Vitamin C, and folate.
A cup of chopped tomatoes has only 38 calories, but more than 50 percent of the RDA for Vitamin C, and two grams of fiber.
But there is another nutritional benefit to tomatoes - they contain the powerful antioxidant called lycopene.
Lycopene is one of those phytochemicals (plant chemicals) with cancer fighting properties.
A high lycopene intake has been shown to protect against prostate cancer and is now thought to decrease heart disease risk as well.
Lycopene is best absorbed from cooked or processed tomatoes - so this is one case where a cooked vegetable has more nutritional value than the raw form.
There are hundreds of tomato varieties but most of them fall under to following categories: Cherry tomatoes - round, pop-in-your-mouth size.
Pear or grape tomatoes - small, pear- shaped with a more intensely sweet flavor than cherry tomatoes.
Slicing tomatoes - large, round varieties found in supermarkets.
Sun dried tomatoes - Plum tomatoes that have been dehydrated and packed in oil or dry.
Red or yellow tomatoes - Advertised as "low acid", but actually they are higher in sugar which produces a milder flavor.
They still have lots of vitamin C and potassium, but do not contain the lycopene; only red tomatoes do.
The uses for tomatoes and tomato products are endless - salads, sauces, salsa, soups, kebobs.
Using canned stewed tomatoes in cooking is a great way to flavor meats without adding fat.
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