Tomatoes: benefits and harms to the human body

Every day, hundreds of people eat fresh and processed tomatoes. You should find out how tomatoes are useful and why their presence is necessary in the diet. Since ancient times, the vegetable has been called the golden apple.

Tomatoes have antioxidant properties, can slow down the aging process, are actively used to prevent a wide range of diseases. The medicinal properties of the product are due to the presence of vitamins, minerals, acids and other useful substances in it.

Useful properties

The benefits of tomatoes are associated with their positive effect on the human body. When eaten in moderation, fresh and cooked, they have a healing effect and help to cope with a number of diseases.

Useful properties of tomatoes are:

improving digestion;
anti-sclerotic and antirheumatic action;
improvement of the cardiovascular system;
increase immunity;
de-edema;
weight loss;
anemia prevention;
thrombosis prevention;
remove toxins from the body;
cancer prevention;
decrease in inflammation;
treatment of varicose veins;
removal of s alts and normalization of s alt balance;
removing depression;
prevention of diseases of the nervous system
prevention of osteoporosis;
prevention of vision problems.

The list of useful properties of tomatoes is very wide and varied. They were called golden apples for a reason. Due to its low calorie content, ripe fruits help people cope with excess weight. Tomatoes and tomato juice is one of the most common foods in diets.

The antioxidant properties of tomatoes allow you to protect not only individual systems, but the entire body as a whole. With proper use of fresh tomatoes, there is a general improvement in appearance and well-being.

Features of the composition of tomatoes

Many are interested in the question of how useful a tomato is. To answer this question, you need to find out what vitamins, macro and microelements are included in its composition.

For the human body, the high content of carbohydrates in tomatoes is of particular importance. They contain about 3.7 grams per 100 grams of product.

In second place is the low calorie content of the product. 100 grams of pulp give no more than 20 kcal. This makes the product ideal for diet food.

Nutritional substances are in third place in importance.

Vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, A, K, PP, B vitamins, folic acid were found in large quantities in tomatoes. According to the content of vitamin C, tomatoes can be compared with citrus fruits. Of the minerals, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, iodine, and iron are especially isolated.
When ripe, tomatoes have a bright red color. The shade of the peel is due to the presence of anthocyanins. Their benefit to the body is to fight free radicals. That is why experts pay special attention to ripe fruits. Thanks to anthocyanins, the stability of blood vessels increases, the cardiovascular system strengthens, immunity increases.
Lycopene. The presence of lycopene in the composition of tomatoes determines its antioxidant effect. Due to this, the fruits have the ability to slow down the development of cancer cells.

The effect of tomatoes on the male and female body

The benefits and harms of tomatoes for the female and male body are different. If we talk about women, then, first of all, they mention the importance of the product in dietary nutrition and cosmetology.

It is believed that the product normalizes metabolism. Due to the improvement of the digestive tract and the low calorie content of the vegetable, weight is reduced, well-being improves. Tomatoes are recommended for pregnant women. Their benefits are related to preventing constipation and improving bowel function.

The value of the product in cosmetology is undeniable. The juice and pulp of the fruit is used to make masks, compresses and other cosmetic products. As a result of the application, the condition of the skin improves, there is an increase in its elasticity.

Tomatoes have a positive effect on the condition of the nail plates and hair. Regularly using tomatoes, the benefits become visible after 1-2 months.

The benefits of tomatoes for men is a positive effect in the treatment of prostate adenoma and prostatitis. Features of the combination of beneficial micro and macro vitamins allow tomatoes to minimize the risk of developing prostate cancer and a number of other male diseases.

The effect of tomatoes on the body in old age

Tomato is the most useful vegetable in the diet of an elderly person. The beneficial effect is associated with the high content of carotene, vitamin C, potassium and lycopene in tomatoes. At the same time, only ripe tomatoes collected from branches were considered the most useful. When harvesting an unripe crop, the content of vitamins in fruits is much lower.

The benefits of tomatoes for the elderly are associated with the prevention of hypertension, arthrosis, diseases of the cardiovascular system, improving blood composition.

At the same time, older people are advised to eat fresh vegetables, limiting their volume in case of urolithiasis, gout, gastrointestinal diseases.

It is not recommended to give preference to s alting in old age. This is due to the high s alt content in the marinade and their negative effect on the liver.

Another useful property of tomatoes for the elderly is a diuretic effect. Timely withdrawal of urine, and prevention of congestion, have a positive effect on overall well-being.

Useful properties of processed product

Useful properties of tomatoes are preserved even in processed form. For children, the elderly, or people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases or intestinal disorders, it is recommended to use boiled tomatoes or after light heat treatment. So they are better absorbed. Eating stewed tomatoes is good for the liver.

Tomato juice has proven itself well. It is rich in vitamins, calcium, manganese, iodine, iron, zinc and other minerals. The presence of pectin in large quantities helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, relieve inflammation in the body.

Juice is recommended to be consumed at least half an hour before meals. If you need to lose weight, a drink replaces one of the meals.

The benefits of s alted tomatoes are not significantly different from the fresh product. The main thing is to follow the rules of preparation. The recipe should be completely free of vinegar. S alted and pickled tomatoes retain lycopene, which has antioxidant properties. Also, under the action of the marinade, a greater number of vitamins and minerals are not destroyed. This means that even in brine, the product retains its positive effect on the body.

Negative effects and possible contraindications

Harm and benefits of tomatoes are in the neighborhood. The harm of tomatoes when consumed without taking into account individual characteristics and existing diseases of internal organs has been scientifically proven. Negative facts about vegetables have been known since ancient times. Ancient people called it poisonous and forbade using it for food.

The harmful properties of tomatoes are associated with the content of glycoalkaloid in it - a complex organic substance. Its content in large quantities is noted in unripe fruits.

When it enters the human body in large quantities, symptoms such as stomach pain, nervous system disorder, and headache may appear. Therefore, tomatoes only harm the human body in an immature state.

If we talk more seriously about the dangers of ripe tomatoes, it is worth listing the list of diseases in which the fruits should be consumed with caution or completely excluded from the diet.

Contraindications include:

presence of gallstones;
kidney disease;
diseases of the joints;
gout;
allergic reaction;
stomach ulcers;
acute stage of pancreatitis;
increased stomach acidity;
arthritis;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

It should be noted that in case of increased acidity of the stomach and peptic ulcers, it is not recommended to eat fresh tomatoes. But they can be eaten stewed. As a substitute, stewed tomatoes with sour cream are great. They reduce the negative impact of vegetables on the stomach.

S alted and canned tomatoes have a negative impact on the condition of patients with gastritis. In this case, the negative properties are s alt, vinegar and a large amount of spices that are added to the marinade. When eating tomatoes or switching to a diet with a high content of them, you should familiarize yourself with the list of contraindications in advance or consult with your doctor.

Whether tomatoes bring he alth benefits or harms, everyone decides for himself. Experts unequivocally agree that patients who regularly consume vegetables in moderation and do not abuse s alt and vinegar suffer less from age-related disorders and a number of other diseases.