British Tomato Grower’s fortnight which runs May 29th – June 11th highlights the amazing health benefits of eating these beautiful fruits, which are not only red but yellow, green and orange too! This fortnight aims to raise awareness of British growers and encourage us to buy produce grown in the UK; four out of every five tomatoes eaten here are imported. Let’s help to change that.
Clinical Nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares the wonderful benefits of including tomatoes regularly in the diet and urges us to buy local.
What are the nutritional highlights of tomatoes?
Tomatoes are a rich source of some of our key micronutrients including potassium which is great for the heart and zinc which is essential for immunity. They also contain manganese, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus which are needed for healthy teeth and bones.
One of our key antioxidant nutrients, vitamin C, features highly as does beta-carotene (a powerful carotenoid – more of which later) and vitamin E. It’s important to remember though, that each of our essential micronutrients fulfils many roles in the body; they all carry out many tasks in keeping the body working optimally, hence the importance of eating nutrient-dense foods such as tomatoes.
Essentially, tomatoes are low in calories, but provide a good source of fibre, some carbs, a little protein, and barely any fat, so you can eat them guilt-free!
What’s so special about carotenoids?
The carotenoids are a family of pigments that not only provide rich colours to our fruits and vegetables, but also amazing health benefits. Tomatoes are rich in beta-carotene which is known as pro-vitamin A because it can be converted into vitamin A in the body as needed.
However, one of the real claims to fame of tomatoes is the lycopene content which packs a punch from an antioxidant perspective. Importantly, it seems to help reduce blood pressure but also protect the artery walls from atherosclerosis. Additionally, lycopene has been well researched in helping reduce incidence of prostate cancer. It seems to widely accumulate in the prostate and blocks the ability of cancer cells to proliferate.
For those who lead an active life, especially doing endurance exercise, lycopene may help recovery in terms of preventing muscle damage and in turn potential injuries.
Tomatoes are also rich in another carotenoid called lutein which is especially supportive of eye health. Lutein is protective against harmful blue light but also helps in cases of macular degeneration. Carotenoids are certainly a jewel in our nutritional armoury!
How to eat tomatoes?
Interestingly, while vitamin C is significantly reduced during cooking, the carotenoids become much more bioavailable when cooked. Plus, as they are fat-soluble, they are also best eaten with fats, hence the popular Mediterranean dish of tomatoes with olive oil and fresh basil. The answer, therefore, is to eat tomatoes both raw and cooked.
Interestingly, British tomato and English asparagus week overlap so how about roasting some deliciously sweet baby tomatoes, with asparagus, thyme and olives in some olive oil. Tomatoes work well for breakfast with eggs and avocado (plenty of healthy fats for maximum nutrient absorption) or in cooked pasta dishes with red peppers, anchovies and plenty of fresh, shaved Parmesan cheese.
And for those partial to tomato ketchup, you’ll be getting much more of the benefits of the lycopene in this and other tomato sauces.
So grab some amazing health benefits by eating plenty of tomatoes and support our local economies too!
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