R.C. Anderson
The tasteful tomato
September 18th 2006 22:43
Once upon a time lived a little round fruit. His name was Tom. Tom was very happy being round and red and very, very juicy and he had a great life hanging from a luscious, green plant. He loved to sway in the breeze and show off his shiny, red skin to all the other green fruits nearby.
'Look at me! Look at me!' he would shout, swinging dangerously to and fro, trying to knock the other fruits from their branches.
The other fruits would curse and swear and they did everything they could to stay out of Tom's way. 'Bloody idiot,' the closest green fruit would mutter under his breath, scowling as he fantasised about a big bird swooping down and plucking Tom the Smart Arse from his place of prominence.
'Watch what you're doing!' Another green fruit with pale red splodges yelled as Tom careened into him with enough force to bruise his delicate skin. 'Bloody idiot.'
'Ha ha. Come and get me,' taunted Tom gleefully and would have stuck out his tongue at the other fruit if he'd had one.
One day, a little boy called Angus came along. 'Oh, look at the lovely red thing,' Angus said, pulled Tom from the plant and ate him. Poor Tom.
Yes, you've guessed it it's school holidays and I've been reading too many children's books to my kids. Hmmmm I wonder if they'd like to hear about Tom and his superiority complex? I guess not!
Anyway, to get back on track, Tom is, of course, a tomato. Another member of the Solanaceae family along with Potatoes and eggplants, tomatoes and versatile, tasty and nutritious. For many years, back in the 'olden days', tomatoes were considered to be poisonous and this is reflected in its Latin name which means "wolf peach", comparing them to one of the most dangerous animals of the time. In fact, the leaves of the tomato plant are poisonous and should be avoided at all costs.
Lycopene
Tomatoes are full of this carotenoid which is thought to be a powerful antioxidant with excellent anti-cancer properties. Lycopene has also been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease.
Prostate Cancer
Lycopene and other protective substances in tomatoes combine their powers and can potentially reduce the risk of men developing prostate cancer. Studies in rats have shown that animals who were fed a diet of powdered tomatoes had a substantially reduced occurrence of this potentially devastating cancer when compared to a control group.
Colorectal Cancer
In a 2003 study, patients with colorectal adenomas, a polyp commonly associated with developing colorectal cancer, were found to substantially deficient in lycopene. Levels of lycopene in their blood was found to be 35% lower than a control group without the adenomas. It was determined that deficiencies in lycopene could result in an increased risk of colorectal cancer of up to 230%.
Pancreatic Cancer
This rapidly advancing cancer with an extremely high mortality rate has also shown potential benefits from tomatoes. A study completed in 2005 in Canada showed that, when all other potential factors were taken into account, patients with a diet high in lycopene were shown to have a reduced risk of developing this disease by around 30%. By supplementing this lycopene-rich diet with beta carotene (such as carrots) or other total carotenoids, this risk of developing pancreatic cancer was reduced by another ten percent to around 40%.
Other nutritional benefits of tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C, and a very good source of fibre. They offer the B vitamin folate, essential to pregnant women and their unborn babies, riboflavin which has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, and chromium, a mineral which has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels under control in diabetics.
Heart disease
Tomatoes are also an excellent source of potassium. Along with their good nutritional amounts of folate, niacin and vitamin B6 they can assist in preventing heart disease. Niacin has been linked to a lowering of high cholesterol levels, potassium can help to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, and the two B group vitamins, B6 and folate, are essential in converting the harmful chemical homocysteine into other more benign substances. High levels of homocysteine in the body have been linked to damaged blood vessel walls which, in turn, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Selecting and storing your tomatoes
Tomatoes, like all fresh fruit and vegetables, should look, feel and smell great. Select fruits with a deep, rich colour and try to avoid those pale, light red, hard specimens many supermarkets try to pass off as 'gourmet varieties'. Not only are deep red ones more tasty, they also have more of the healthy lycopene. Avoid wrinkles, splits, bruises and soft spots, and ripe tomatoes should yield slightly to soft pressure.
Tomatoes don't like the cold and should be stored at room temperature away from direct sunlight. If they are maturing too fast, putting them in the refrigerator should slow down the process however take them out half an hour or so before you plan to use them to retain maximum flavour.
Finally, for the most beneficial results, always try to use the whole tomato. Lycopene is concentrated in the skin and offers increased medical benefits when compared to products using just the flesh. And, don't forget, leave the leaves alone.
Tomatoes are great. Hot or cold, in sauces or casseroles, sliced in sandwiches or whole, just as nature made them. Enjoy them and you will notice the benefits for years to come.
'Look at me! Look at me!' he would shout, swinging dangerously to and fro, trying to knock the other fruits from their branches.
The other fruits would curse and swear and they did everything they could to stay out of Tom's way. 'Bloody idiot,' the closest green fruit would mutter under his breath, scowling as he fantasised about a big bird swooping down and plucking Tom the Smart Arse from his place of prominence.
'Watch what you're doing!' Another green fruit with pale red splodges yelled as Tom careened into him with enough force to bruise his delicate skin. 'Bloody idiot.'
'Ha ha. Come and get me,' taunted Tom gleefully and would have stuck out his tongue at the other fruit if he'd had one.
One day, a little boy called Angus came along. 'Oh, look at the lovely red thing,' Angus said, pulled Tom from the plant and ate him. Poor Tom.
Yes, you've guessed it it's school holidays and I've been reading too many children's books to my kids. Hmmmm I wonder if they'd like to hear about Tom and his superiority complex? I guess not!
Anyway, to get back on track, Tom is, of course, a tomato. Another member of the Solanaceae family along with Potatoes and eggplants, tomatoes and versatile, tasty and nutritious. For many years, back in the 'olden days', tomatoes were considered to be poisonous and this is reflected in its Latin name which means "wolf peach", comparing them to one of the most dangerous animals of the time. In fact, the leaves of the tomato plant are poisonous and should be avoided at all costs.
The versatile tomato
Lycopene
Tomatoes are full of this carotenoid which is thought to be a powerful antioxidant with excellent anti-cancer properties. Lycopene has also been linked to a lower risk of developing heart disease.
Prostate Cancer
Lycopene and other protective substances in tomatoes combine their powers and can potentially reduce the risk of men developing prostate cancer. Studies in rats have shown that animals who were fed a diet of powdered tomatoes had a substantially reduced occurrence of this potentially devastating cancer when compared to a control group.
Colorectal Cancer
In a 2003 study, patients with colorectal adenomas, a polyp commonly associated with developing colorectal cancer, were found to substantially deficient in lycopene. Levels of lycopene in their blood was found to be 35% lower than a control group without the adenomas. It was determined that deficiencies in lycopene could result in an increased risk of colorectal cancer of up to 230%.
Pancreatic Cancer
This rapidly advancing cancer with an extremely high mortality rate has also shown potential benefits from tomatoes. A study completed in 2005 in Canada showed that, when all other potential factors were taken into account, patients with a diet high in lycopene were shown to have a reduced risk of developing this disease by around 30%. By supplementing this lycopene-rich diet with beta carotene (such as carrots) or other total carotenoids, this risk of developing pancreatic cancer was reduced by another ten percent to around 40%.
Other nutritional benefits of tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C, and a very good source of fibre. They offer the B vitamin folate, essential to pregnant women and their unborn babies, riboflavin which has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, and chromium, a mineral which has been shown to help keep blood sugar levels under control in diabetics.
Heart disease
Tomatoes are also an excellent source of potassium. Along with their good nutritional amounts of folate, niacin and vitamin B6 they can assist in preventing heart disease. Niacin has been linked to a lowering of high cholesterol levels, potassium can help to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, and the two B group vitamins, B6 and folate, are essential in converting the harmful chemical homocysteine into other more benign substances. High levels of homocysteine in the body have been linked to damaged blood vessel walls which, in turn, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Selecting and storing your tomatoes
Tomatoes, like all fresh fruit and vegetables, should look, feel and smell great. Select fruits with a deep, rich colour and try to avoid those pale, light red, hard specimens many supermarkets try to pass off as 'gourmet varieties'. Not only are deep red ones more tasty, they also have more of the healthy lycopene. Avoid wrinkles, splits, bruises and soft spots, and ripe tomatoes should yield slightly to soft pressure.
Tomatoes don't like the cold and should be stored at room temperature away from direct sunlight. If they are maturing too fast, putting them in the refrigerator should slow down the process however take them out half an hour or so before you plan to use them to retain maximum flavour.
Finally, for the most beneficial results, always try to use the whole tomato. Lycopene is concentrated in the skin and offers increased medical benefits when compared to products using just the flesh. And, don't forget, leave the leaves alone.
Tomatoes are great. Hot or cold, in sauces or casseroles, sliced in sandwiches or whole, just as nature made them. Enjoy them and you will notice the benefits for years to come.
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