The Spotlight On…By Joann DiFabio-Klinkner hones in on a particular type of food product. Joann educates us these foods to help us make the choice to eat it because of its goodness or not eat it due to it’s damaging affects. Read and learn about these foods so you can continue to feed your body the proper energy to achieve a balanced lifestyle diet.
Tomatoes are typically found in such abundance and so easily sneak their way into our daily diets that they often go overlooked for their outstanding nutritional value. You find them sliced on sandwiches, diced and tossed in salads, and in just about every Italian dish you can think of. Tomatoes come in so many varieties, but one thing is true for all of them: they are one of the best foods you can eat to promote overall health.
You’ve probably been hearing a lot of buzz in recent years about lycopene and its health benefits. And as the ketchup bottle will tell you, tomatoes are an excellent source of this particular antioxidant. Unlike other phytonutrients, lycopene has been extensively studied in humans as opposed to animals. Research has shown that lycopene helps the production of DNA in white blood cells, helps protect cells and other structures of the body against oxygen damage, and helps combat various forms of cancer, such as breast, prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancers. The lycopene found in tomatoes is especially effective when paired with healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, and nuts. The reason is because lycopene is a carotenoid, and carotenoids are fat-soluble and are absorbed into the body along with fats. Research has also shown that the lycopene found in tomatoes is more effective at maintaining overall health than just a lycopene supplement alone because the lycopene found in tomatoes works in conjunction with other phytonutrients found in tomatoes to combat certain kinds of cancer and keep cells protected from free radicals.
Tomatoes are also effective at combating atherosclerosis. Tomatoes are a good source of potassium and niacin. Niacin has been used for years as a safe way of lowering cholesterol, and diets rich in potassium have been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Research conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA also linked the lycopene in tomatoes with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in women.
Italian researchers reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that a daily glass of tomato juice can help lower the inflammation marker, TNF-alpha, by 35% within a month. Tomatoes are also a good source of Vitamin K, which helps prevent bone loss by activating osteocalcin, which keeps calcium molecules in the bones. Get migraines? The riboflavin found in tomatoes can help reduce the frequency of attacks.
The list goes on an on, but the bottom line is to get your tomatoes any way you can! A good hearty tomato sauce laced with delicious olive oil, a nice refreshing bowl of gazpacho, or just slice ‘em up with some fresh mozzarella and basil and drizzle them with olive oil and some nice robust aged balsamic vinegar. Whatever way you slice ‘em, just make sure tomatoes keep sneaking their way into your daily diet so you can stay healthy and combat cancer and heart disease!
