How Healthy Are Tomatoes? – These Advantages and Disadvantages They Bring

How healthy are tomatoes? Due to their special nutrients, they are considered very healthy. However, this is only partially true: Read here how healthy tomatoes really are and when you should be careful when consuming tomatoes.

These nutrients show why tomatoes are healthy

Tomatoes are often an integral part of many dishes: Whether in a salad, as a spicy sauce, ketchup or as a crunchy snack for in between – the round nightshade plant is popular with many and is considered healthy. The nutritional values, vitamins and minerals they contain make tomatoes so healthy.

• You’ve probably already noticed in the supermarket that tomatoes come in countless shapes and sizes. A beefsteak tomato weighing 200 grams has 38 kilocalories and a small cherry tomato weighing 20 grams provides just 4 kilocalories.
• Tomatoes are made up of 95 percent water and can therefore provide you with a lot of liquid. At the same time, 100 grams of tomatoes contain only 0.1 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of carbohydrates and 3.2 grams of sugar. The tomato therefore has ideal nutritional values ​​for a calorie-conscious diet.
• There is a large portion of vitamin C in tomatoes . This strengthens your immune system and keeps you fit. A medium-sized tomato can provide you with around 30 percent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C.
• Tomatoes also contain a lot of potassium. Potassium is an important mineral that should not be missing from your diet. It regulates blood pressure and promotes the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Especially after the flu you can experience a potassium deficiency, which you can improve by regularly consuming tomatoes.
• The folic acid contained in tomatoes is also known as the B9 vitamin. Folic acid has an important role in tissue formation and cell function. Folic acid is particularly important during pregnancy.
• The phytochemical lycopene in tomatoes has antioxidant properties. It is found in the highest quantity in the tomato skin and is supposed to protect the cell membranes. A tip for you: the redder the tomato, the more lycopene it has. Lysopin dissolves optimally with a few drops of olive oil, as it is fat-soluble.

This is what happens when you eat tomatoes every day

The nutritional values ​​already give it away: tomatoes are healthy and great for losing weight. But there are a number of other health benefits as well. Regular consumption of tomatoes can benefit your body’s health. When you eat tomatoes every day, the following happens in your body:

• The high potassium and water content of the tomato has a positive effect on all processes related to the bladder and urinary tract. Tomatoes can work wonders against frequent bladder infections. Excess water, toxins, salts and uric acid are flushed out of the body more easily.
• A daily portion of raw tomatoes can rebuild and strengthen hair, skin and nails due to the biotin content. In addition, the lycopene it contains protects the cells with its antioxidant effect. This prevents wrinkles, brittle nails and thinning hair.
• The potassium contained in the tomato can lower blood pressure when consumed daily, which also reduces the risk of heart attack. The lycopene it contains can also lower cholesterol levels.
• Tomatoes also provide a lot of vitamin A. Due to the high vitamin A content, a daily intake can help your body to have better eyesight. Lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin also support the eyes by protecting the retina from harmful radiation.

In these cases, tomatoes are not healthy

Tomatoes are a nightshade plant that naturally contains toxins that not everyone can tolerate. Therefore, tomatoes are healthy for some people and not so for others.

• Every nightshade plant contains toxic alkaloids. These are also found in tomatoes and also in potatoes or eggplants. The alkaloid in tomatoes is called solanine. Another alkaloid, for example, is the nicotine in the tobacco plant.
• Beware of green tomatoes: There is a lot of solanine in unripe tomatoes. Solanines can cause cramps or muscle contractions, as well as stiffness or tightness in muscles. Solanine can also be harmful to the cell walls in the gut.
• Tomatoes also contain calcitrol, which is a form of vitamin D. Calcitrol regulates your body’s absorption of calcium. If too much calcium is absorbed through the intestines, it is stored in the body. The consequences can be arthritis or arteriosclerosis.
• The lectins contained in the tomato protect the nightshade plant from fungi and insects. For humans, lectins are like “anti-nutrients.” So they hinder the absorption of other nutrients and have little nutritional value of their own.
• Among other things, the blood group of the people plays an important role. The A antigen of blood group A and the B antigen of blood group B can lead to metabolic disorders in connection with lectins.
• People’s susceptibility to tomato alkaloids and lectins varies. In people with a healthy intestine and an intact intestinal flora, fewer toxins enter the body.
• If you already suffer from intestinal diseases, joint problems or arthritis, then you should rather avoid tomatoes. It is then best to avoid other nightshade plants such as aubergines, peppers and potatoes.