.gif?sfvrsn=0 "to_your_health_title (1)")
All Around Health Boosting Super Food
If there is a fruit or vegetable that deserves its very own song, it’s the humble tomato. Scientists announced another discovery which adds to the long list of health-boosting properties already attributed to the bright red tomato. When it comes to healthy eating, here are a few reasons why tomatoes should top our shopping list.
Unlike many nutrients, lycopene’s benefits are increased by cooking. Research shows that lycopene is easier for the body to absorb if it has been heated, which means tomato-based sauces, soups and ketchups are great ways to boost your lycopene intakeIf there is a fruit or vegetable that deserves its very own song, it’s the humble tomato. Scientists announced another discovery which adds to the long list of health-boosting properties already attributed to the bright red tomato. When it comes to healthy eating, here are a few reasons why tomatoes should top our shopping list.
- A study by Harvard Medical School discovered that increased consumption of tomato products results in a marked reduction in prostate cancer risk. Eating lycopene rich foods regularly can also help prevent prostate cancer from spreading around the body.
- As well as the newly reported benefits in preventing endometriosis, tomatoes have also been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and ongoing studies have suggested they can help protect against cervical cancer.
- Ongoing research suggests lycopene is associated with reduced risk of macular degenerative diseases, one of the most common causes of blindness in people over-sixty and cancers of the lung, bladder and skin.
- Tomatoes can help keep you looking young – even act as a natural sunscreen. Scientists from Manchester and Newcastle Universities fed volunteers a daily dose of 5 tablespoons of tomato paste. After three months those who had been eating the paste had developed 33% more protection against sunburn – the equivalent of wearing a very low factor sun cream – than those who hadn’t. The tomato eaters also had much higher levels of procollagen, a molecule in the skin which helps keep it firm and plump.