First things first — the tomato is not a vegetable, it’s a fruit. You read that right, and here’s a joke that’ll help you remember this otherwise inconsequential fact. “Knowledge is knowing that the tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.” So, even if the factoid isn’t of great use in general, at least it’ll give you a witty one-liner at the next dinner party. Because tomatoes are bound to be a part of the menu.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering why the tomato is called a fruit — botanically, this is because it develops from the flower of the tomato plant, and contains seeds, while vegetables generally develop from other parts of the plant, such as roots, stems or leaves. In botany, a fruit is defined as the seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant and tomatoes, like true fruits, form from the small yellow flowers on the tomato vine and naturally contain seeds.
Cooked or not?
When you get tomatoes fresh and nicely ripened, especially in season, they are best enjoyed in salads. And the benefits of the red fruit are plentiful when fresh from the store (or sun-ripened on the plant if you’re lucky enough to have space for growing your own).
Vitamin C: Tomatoes are one of the richest sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant that plays a crucial role in immune function, collagen production, and iron absorption.
Vitamin A: Tomatoes contain beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that promotes healthy vision, immune function, and skin health.
Potassium: Potassium is an essential mineral that helps regulate blood pressure, supports healthy heart function, and aids in muscle recovery, and tomatoes are a good source.
Lutein and zeaxanthin: These antioxidants are excellent for supporting eye health, as they help protect the macula, the part of the eye responsible for central vision, and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidants: Including lycopene, beta-carotene and other carotenoids. These compounds, especially lycopene, help protect cells from oxidative damage, reducing the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and cognitive decline.
Lycopene is the hottie
Consuming tomatoes cooked has an added benefit, as lycopene is better absorbed when tomatoes are cooked rather than eaten raw. Lycopene is probably the single most important reason for eating tomatoes, especially cooked.
Lycopene is a natural compound found in many foods, including watermelon and grapefruit, besides tomatoes. It’s a chemical called a carotenoid and may help protect the kidneys from oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as combat prostate cancer—which is what it is best known for.
It inhibits the growth of normal prostate cells, reduces prostate tumour growth, enhances the antioxidant response of prostate cells and inhibits their proliferation.
Other benefits
In addition, lycopene is thought to have these other health benefits:
Though research is still ongoing, lycopene may also promote good oral health, bone health, and blood pressure. Lycopene has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL) levels, thereby boosting heart health, and has been shown to improve fertility in men.
Long-term lycopene consumption is also linked with skin cancer prevention. Several studies show that people who included tomato paste in their diet daily experienced up to 40% less ultraviolet (UV) skin damage from sunlight than those who did not.
While tomatoes can’t replace sunscreen, researchers have found lycopene to provide a consistent level of skin protection similar to an SPF 1.3 sunblock, and to significantly boost levels of procollagen in the skin.
Caution
Don’t eat the flowers; they can be toxic. Tomatoes are a member of the nightshade family, and contain tomatine, a toxin in the plant’s flowers, leaves and roots. Tomatoes produce the bitter-tasting compound, which is a major plant-specialised metabolite secreted from the roots, to defend against pathogens and foragers.
A contestant on an episode of an Australian cooking show was disqualified for nearly poisoning the judges when he garnished his dish with the pretty tomato flowers he found growing outside the studio!
Konkan-style Tomato Saar Recipe
Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes
Half a cup of grated coconut
1 green chilli
3-4 flakes of garlic
Half a tsp of jeera
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 dry red chillies
Method:
Blanch and peel the tomatoes, and blend into a puree.
Separately, grind the coconut, chilli, garlic and jeera into a smooth paste.
In a soup pan, heat the oil, splutter the mustard seeds and add the dry chillies, saute briefly. Add the coconut paste and bring to a boil, add the tomato puree, salt to taste, and a pinch of sugar, and cook until done.