Tomatoes For Better Health

Emerging Science on
The Important Health Benefits
of Eating Tomatoes

Eating more tomatoes
and tomato products
can make people healthier
and decrease the risk of
conditions such as
cancer, osteoporosis and
cardiovascular disease, according to a review article the "American
Journal of Lifestyle Medicine."

Of all the non-starchy vegetables, Americans eat
more tomatoes and tomato products than any others. Researchers from the National Center for Food Safety
& Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and
ConAgra Foods, Inc., examined the current research
to discover the role tomato products play in health and disease risk reduction.

The researchers found that tomatoes are the biggest
source of dietary Lycopene; a powerful antioxidant that,
unlike nutrients in most fresh fruits and vegetables, has

even greater bioavailability after cooking and processing.
Tomatoes also contain other protective mechanisms,
such as antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory functions.
Research has additionally found a relationship between
eating tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers as
well as other conditions, including cardiovascular
disease, osteoporosis, ultraviolet light-induced skin
damage, and cognitive dysfunction.

Tomatoes are cost-effective and are available in many
forms. "Leveraging emerging science about tomatoes
and tomato products may be one simple and effective

strategy to help individuals increase vegetable intake,
leading to improved overall eating patterns, and
ultimately, better health." write the authors.

"Tomatoes are the most important non-starchy
vegetable in the American diet. Research underscores
the relationship between consuming tomatoes and
reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other
conditions," the authors conclude. "The evidence also
suggests that consumption of tomatoes should be
recommended because of the nutritional benefits and
because it may be a simple and effective strategy for
increasing overall vegetable intake."

The article is particularly timely since the recently
released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
moved tomatoes to a newly established category
of "orange/red" fruits and vegetables to encourage
higher consumption of these healthy foods.

Tomato Consumption and Health: Emerging Benefits. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 2010;