ZeenathWe know tomatoes as ketchup, gravy, salad and maybe the occasional roast vegetable platter. But these plump red blobs (Because honestly, the fruit and vegetable confusion is so real), are a powerhouse of nutrients, the surface of which we have hardly tapped. And, yes, it is a fruit even if my heart and soul rebel in unison to accept that fact.
So tomatoes belong to the Nightshade family and have a shady past as well. The Europeans thought it was poisonous and that’s not even slightly offending when you come to know they thought it was a berry. It was the Spanish who finally cleared its name and brought it to the world, and now, we are the second largest producer of tomatoes in the world! Cheers!
So why sing these praises to the tomato which very humbly sizzles in the oil, adds colour to the salad and makes your curries richer and tastier? Here’s why,
1. Your skin’s best friend
Tomato does so much for your skin, once you know it all, you might not want to cook with it anymore. Here we go. It reverses sun tan, it brightens up the skin, it keeps ageing at bay, it takes care of acne, it will protect against sunburn and sun damage, and it is a great stress reliever.
2. To not chase life, but to live it
The ever giving tomato is an anti-carcinogenic. The lycopene present in tomatoes controls the growth of cancer cells. And if eating it raw puts you off, the production of lycopene actually increases with cooking. It counts as probably one of those rare occasions where nature won’t kill us for tasty food.
3. For bones that don’t give up
The fact that tomato is so temptingly red, so photo ready all the time, is because of lycopene. Apart from making it look pretty, it is also a great bone building anti-oxidant. Again, to derive the most from it, cooking it is recommended. To derive the best, cook it in olive oil and never complain of aching bones again.
4. Because it wants you to be so fit
It’s loaded with anti-oxidants. So, a great source of Vitamin A and C, which are in every way something our body will thank us for. Only catch is, for those who have hated salads with passion, you have to eat the tomatoes raw for your body to absorb the Vitamin C in it. Yep, dress your salad up with something you actually like to get it in. If you actually like salads, congratulations!
5. Because that beautiful heart deserves a long life
Your heart loves a lot of things and takes so much heartache! You have to absolutely take care of it. The vitamin A, B and potassium in tomatoes will ensure a healthy heart and will also make sure that it stays healthy for a long time by keeping the cholesterol levels in check. By this time, you must be adding an “x 3” against tomatoes in your shopping list.
6. For the blood that runs in your veins
People with diabetes have a restricted diet and it can get very frustrating at times. What if we told you, you could eat tasty and get healthier with each bite? Sounds too good? Well, meet tomato, err again. The mineral chromium, which is present in tomatoes, help to keep the blood sugar levels in check. Diabetic or not, keeping blood sugar levels in check can’t hurt.
7. For the health conscious smoker
Tobacco injures lungs, and very badly at that. We all have a good idea about that, well, we all watch movies in cinema halls, so, we are all “issued in public interest” educated.. So coming back, the antioxidants in tomato protect the lungs from damage from tobacco smoke. Good news is it also helps passive smokers from trouble.
8. Tomato to BURP
If you are born in a land like India, you have almost always tried, and failed to keep a promise of not overeating. So, if you happen to eat a lot, or even a little of something really spicy, take a look around you, find a tomato, calm your system. It’s freaking out. Tomatoes are brilliant with digestion. They take care of constipation and liver too!
9. To barricade all bad germs out. Shoo!
Tomato juice, especially when had fresh, is a great immunity booster. The presence of Vitamin C in it, only makes it much better as it controls stress hormones. So not only does tomato keep all the diseases at bay, it will help you stay happy too! Don’t shy away from that tomato curry when you know you have a long day ahead. Go ahead, one more serving won’t hurt.
10. For gorgeous bodies we all dream of
Tomatoes are said to increase the production of an amino acid called carnitine, which increases our body’s fat burning ability by at least 30 percent! Yep, you should definitely be gorging on tomatoes and they taste so good, it’s not really that hard to fall in love with them. Especially not after the part about keeping our bodies in shape!
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