Tomato is an edible red fruit or berry. It can be consumed in various ways , sometimes raw or cooked. It is thought to be as vegetable. Tomato is cultivated in various forms (1). Most of the cultivators produce red fruit , but there are number of cultivators who produce yellow, pink, purple, green, black, white, multicolored and striped fruit. Here you will see health benefits of tomato for your overall health to stay healthy.
In overall, there are around 7500 varities of tomatoes produced so far. Tomatoes are referred as a functional food. They are acidic in nature. Tomato leaves, stems and green unripe fruit of tomato plant has small amount of toxic alkaloid tomatine.
Use of excessive tomato leaves are very harmful. Infact tomato leaves are toxic to dogs. So don’t let your dog or pet go near tomato plant. Indians use tomatoes in almost every dishes they make especially any of the gravy recipe. This food that goes beyond by just not providing the basic nutrition but also has various health benefits of tomato.
3Health benefits of tomato and tomato nutrition
Controls Heart Rate
Being rich in potassium content, it gives good amount of potassium which is useful for controlling heart rate and is helpful in preventing heart diseases and strokes.
Prevents Eye Diseases
The vitamins such as vitamin A, flavonoid B complex, thiamine, folates, niacin etc. are also present in benefits of tomatoes that help cure skin and eye diseases (2).
Protects from Free Radicals
Some of its flavonoid antioxidants, such as tomato lycopene and zea-xanthin are some best known health benefits of tomato for their anti-free radical behaviour.
Less Fat content
Basic tomato nutrition include 4 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, 18 calories and 0 grams of saturated fat. This vegetable can be eaten in good amounts due to the lower rate of calories in tomato. Tomatoes for weight loss a good option to be used (3).
Anti Cancerous
The antioxidant behaviour of this vegetable also helps to prevent many unwanted reactions in the lungs, colon and breasts that can tend to be cancerous. The antioxidants help in the treatment of cancer by preventing carcinogenic reactions in the body which stop by blocking free radicals from proceeding further.
Good for Bones and Teeth
Being rich in Calcium, it tends to improve bone strength and bone formation in the body. It is also beneficial in maintaining the teeth in healthy state (4).
Vitamins in tomato
It provides almost 20 percent of the daily vitamin intake required, per serving, which is necessary for maintaining good health. It is also known to have all the positive nutrients in tomato needed for proper functioning of the human body according to USDA (5).
Cell Repair and Muscle Building
It is a rich source of protein, so health benefits of tomato helps to repair cell and muscle building.
High Blood Pressure
Tomatoes, with a powerful punch of minerals and nutrients vitamins in tomato also help in safeguarding our body from High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol (6).
2Tomato benefits for skin
Treat Acne with Tomatoes
Vitamin A and C are commonly found in many acne treating medicines and ointments. The high acidic content in tomatoes helps to treat rashes and acne.
- If you are suffering from tiny zits on your face, then cut the tomato in two halves and apply the inside of it on your face
- . If you suffer from severe acne problems then peel a fresh tomato and mash it. Apply this pulp on your face and leave it for an hour.
- Rinse it off and pat dry. Use this face pack regularly to get rid of tan and pimples.
Acts as a Natural Sunscreen
According to various studies, health benefits of tomato contains an antioxidant called lycopene which acts as a natural sunscreen. Lycopene benefits to achieve nice health.
Perfect Astringent
The astringent properties of tomato for skin make it an excellent choice for combination skin.
- A pack made from mashed avocados and tomatoes soothes the skin and cleanses it thoroughly to give you a glowing complexion.
- Apply this face pack and wash it off with lukewarm water after 20 to 30 minutes. Tomato contains natural oil reducing and astringent properties while avocado provides antiseptic and moisturizing effect to the skin.
Prevents Sunburn
Those consumed 5 tbsp of tomato paste daily for 3 consecutive months were naturally protected against sun burn. Sun burnt skin can also be treated by applying tomato on the affected parts.
- Make a pack by mixing 2 tsp of tomatoes pulp with 1 tsp of yogurt. Apply this on the face, neck, hands and feet.
- Tomato cools the skin while yogurt provides a protein boost to make the skin soft and supple (7).
Glowing Skin with tomatoes
Tomatoes are not just an important part of a healthy diet but also work wonders when applied topically on the skin. Applying tomato juice or rubbing tomato halves on the skin evens out the skin and revives the glow giving you a healthy looking skin. It contains high amount of Vitamin C which is known to brighten skin.
Treats Open Pores
- Add four drops of tomato juice to 1 tbsp of water and apply it on your face with the help of a cotton ball.
- Gently massage your skin with this mixture and leave it on for 15 minutes. Regular application of this will shrink the pore size.
Natural Bleaching Agent
They are considered as a natural bleaching agent and is very helpful in lightening the skin tone.
- Prepare a face pack by mixing 1 tsp of oatmeal, 1 tsp of yogurt and 2 tsp of tomato pulp.
- Apply it on the face and neck and leave it for 20 minutes. Oatmeal will gently exfoliate the skin, while yogurt and tomatoes will help to clear the blemishes. This improves the complexion.
Removes Dead Skin Cell
Health benefits of Tomato can greatly help you to remove dead skin cells.
- Grind tomatoes in a mixer with the seeds and add 1 tsp of sugar to it.
- Apply it on the face and massage gently in circular motion.
- You can also cut 1 tomato into 2 halves and sprinkle some sugar on it. Gently scrub your skin with it to do away with dead skin cells and get a clean and fresh looking skin (8).
Prevents Excess Oil Secretion
Excess sebum production leads to clogging of pores that leads to pimples, dirt build up and uneven skin tone. Squeeze juice of 2 tomatoes and add 4 tbsp of cucumber juice to it. Apply this homemade toner to your face daily with the help of a cotton ball to control excess oil and shine and to unclog the pores.
Treats Skin Conditions
Health benefits of Tomato seed oil is the newest addition to the line of natural carrier oils and is excellent for treating several skin conditions.
These are packed with a substance that fights free radicals and signs of aging. Tomato seed oil is used for the treatment of mild to severe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It is also helpful in treating dry and damaged skin.
- Use a moderate quantity of oil to massage the affected areas of your skin. Leave it overnight and wash it off the next day.
- You can also add this oil to your facial creams, moisturizer and scrubs, to keep the skin soft and smooth (9).
Fights Cellular Damage
Consumption of at least 16 milligrams of lycopene in tomatoes every day reduces the amount of free radicals in the body to give you a youthful skin. Lycopene benefits fights cellular damage and reddening of the skin and also retains the moisture, thus preventing fine lines and wrinkles. This property is an amazing anti aging product.
1Tomato benefits for hair
Hair care products including shampoos and conditioners contain tomato extract as one of the ingredients. contains important tomato nutrients like Vitamin A, B C and E which are excellent stimulants for healthy hairs. Tomatoes are amazing natural conditioners coming straight from your kitchen. It provides natural shine to the hair and makes it soft and manageable.
- Take a few drops of tomato oil in your hand and apply it on your hair. This will act as a leave-in conditioner and will keep the hair manageable and frizz free.
- Pure, homemade tomato puree can help in bringing radiance and elasticity to dry hair.
- Mix tomato puree with oil and apply it on the hair.
- Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash it off. This will make the hair super smooth, shiny and flexible as it contains high amounts of protein in it.
- Tomatoes are very useful for curing itchy scalp and dandruff. Itchy scalp and dandruff leads to other scalp problems, like eczema and scalp psoriasis. Tomato contains high amount of Vitamin C which fights dandruff and provides collagen for proper tissue development of the scalp.
- Take 2 to 3 ripe tomatoes and make a thick pulp out of it.
- Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice to it and mix well to form a smooth paste. Apply the pack gently on the scalp. Do not scratch the scalp with nails.
- Apply it properly on the scalp and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse your hair with water and let it dry.
- Tomato juice also acts as a soaking agent to remove odours. Apply freshly squeezed tomato juice on the scalp and massage your hair with it for a few minutes. Leave it for 30 minutes and then wash it off as usual.
- Moisture often escapes from the scalp during winters, making the hair strands dry and brittle, leading to breakage. So make sure to keep your hair replenished with the help of tomatoes. Tomatoes help to lock the much needed moisture in the hair to prevent it from dry (10).
Conclusion
Tomatoes a great source of Lycopene. Health benefits of tomato has been discussed above so try to include tomato in your diet regularly.
