Why tomatoes are harmful and useful for humans

It is well known that vegetables, fruits and berries are good for health. This also applies to tomatoes. But what exactly is the harm and benefit of tomatoes for the body? Are they so useful, and are there any contraindications to use tomato? In this article, you will find out the answers to these and many other questions.

The chemical composition and calorie content of tomatoes

The exact chemical composition of an individual vegetable depends on the variety, ripeness and conditions cultivation... Despite the fact that tomatoes are one of the most juicy vegetables and more than 93% water, the amount of useful trace elements and nutrients in them is colossal.

The calorie content of 100 g of tomatoes varies between 18 and 24 Kcal, depending on the variety. The average amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is 0.6, 0.2 and 4.2 g, respectively.

Tomatoes have a characteristic sweet taste due to the sugar content. There are about 3 g of sugar per 100 g of the product (the value varies depending on the variety). But acids in the composition are responsible for the sour taste: ascorbic, folic, malic, citric.

Despite the relatively low content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, tomatoes are still rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements.

These vegetables contain vitamins:

• A (strengthens blood vessels, improves vision, accelerates skin regeneration);
• C (fights infection and inflammation);
• E (combats skin diseases, improves immunity, prevents premature aging);
• P (responsible for the normal functioning of the hormonal system);
• K as well as B vitamins.

Vitamin C is found in tomatoes almost as much as in citrus fruits. And vitamin K is extremely rare in other foods, although it is very important for metabolism, as well as vascular health.

Tomatoes are also rich in macronutrients, they contain: potassium, chlorine, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulfur, etc. The composition of trace elements is also striking in its breadth: iron, zinc, rubidium, boron, copper, fluorine, etc.

We should also mention lycopene and quercetin, substances extremely important for human health, which are found in large quantities in tomatoes.

The benefits and harms of tomatoes

Tomatoes are indispensable for vitamin deficiency, improve skin condition, and help in the prevention of cancer.

Quercetin contained in tomatoes slows down aging, regulates redox processes in the body, and fights inflammation.

Lycopene, in turn, participates in the formation of vitamin A, neutralizes the action of free radicals that are harmful to the body, and prevents damage to the DNA structure. Lycopene is also a powerful antioxidant that destroys cancer cells in their embryos.

Benefits for women

The main benefit of eating tomatoes for the female body is the prevention of osteoporosis (a disease of the skeleton with a decrease in bone density). The risk of developing this disease increases during menopause.

Also, thanks to lycopene, tomatoes reduce the risk of breast cancer. And vitamin E helps to avoid diseases of the cervix.

The positive effect of tomatoes on the skin condition is also noted. The components in the chemical composition of these vegetables have a tonic effect on the skin. This applies not only to eating tomatoes, but also using them as ingredients for face and body masks. These masks protect the skin from the negative effects of the sun's rays, fill it with moisture and smooth wrinkles.

Of course, it is worth noting that tomato is an excellent weight loss product. If you are monitoring your weight, the inclusion of tomatoes in the diet will significantly reduce your calorie intake and activate the metabolic process. This also applies to processed tomato products such as juice.

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Benefits for men

Tomatoes are also useful for the male body. The inclusion of tomatoes in a man's diet helps to resist age-related changes in the prostate, reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer, prostate adenoma and prostatitis.

Vitamins A and E normalize the reproductive process, zinc and selenium improve potency and help prolong erection.

This vegetable is also useful for sports diets: tomato juice promotes protein synthesis in the body, which makes training more effective.

In addition, men are exposed to toxic substances in industrial production. Tomatoes also play an important role here: they contribute to the elimination of harmful substances from the body.

Tomatoes during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the female body loses many nutrients and requires their replenishment. In this case, tomatoes are ideal, the composition of which is rich in vitamins and micro- and macroelements.

It should be noted that during pregnancy, the benefits for the female body and the child's body can only be from fresh tomatoes. Salted and pickled vegetables, as well as tomato juices, pastes and ketchups should be excluded from the diet. It will be optimal to eat salads with tomatoes during their seasonal ripening.

You need to eat tomatoes during pregnancy in small quantities, because they can cause allergies.

Benefits for various diseases

The beneficial properties of tomatoes are undeniable for the prevention of many diseases, namely:

• improve the work of the heart, due to the optimal content of magnesium, sodium, iron and potassium in them;
• contribute to the improvement of blood vessels, as they thin the blood, preventing the appearance of blood clots, and also cleanse it of cholesterol and increase hemoglobin (which makes them useful for people with anemia);
• are indicated for people who often suffer from colds, since vitamin C in the composition increases immunity;
• help people with some kidney diseases, as they remove salt from them;
• tomatoes increase the outflow of bile;
• relieve puffiness due to the diuretic effect;
• normalize the mental state of a person: B vitamins suppress anxiety, eliminate apathy, fatigue and insomnia;
• indispensable for vitamin deficiency.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the rules for the use of tomatoes by diabetics... With type 1 diabetes, tomatoes and tomato juice are useful, but the daily intake of tomatoes should not exceed 300 g. And with type 2 diabetes, processed (salted, pickled) vegetables should not be consumed.

Contraindications

For some diseases, tomatoes have a negative effect.

The use of tomatoes should be strictly limited or completely excluded from the diet for the following diseases:

1. Gout and other joint diseases. The oxalic acid in tomatoes promotes the accumulation of salt in the tissues.
2. Chronic kidney disease. Since tomatoes can provoke the movement of stones.
3. Diseases of the cardiovascular system (the norm is no more than 1-2 pieces per day).

There are especially many restrictions on the use of salted vegetables. Such tomatoes should not be consumed by people with gastrointestinal disorders, as well as diseases of the pancreas and liver.

In addition to the above contraindications, tomatoes should not be consumed if they cause an allergic reaction.

In addition, pickled and pickled tomatoes can trigger kidney stones.

Conclusion

In this article, we examined the benefits and health risks of fresh tomatoes, as well as the various processed products.Tomatoes are rich in nutrients. Their chemical composition is striking in a variety of micro- and macroelements and vitamins.

These vegetables are indispensable in the prevention of many common diseases. Their use is beneficial for both men and women (even during pregnancy). But we must not forget that measure is needed in everything, and tomato is not a panacea, therefore, you need to approach its use wisely in order to preserve and strengthen health.