What Can Be Eaten with Tomatoes?
You might know that, botanically, a tomato is a fruit. In fact, it’s actually a berry. However, because they taste more savory than sweet and they have a much lower sugar content than most fruits, tomatoes are often regarded as a "culinary vegetable." This means they’re often eaten as a part of a salad or the main course of a meal, rather than as a dessert[i].
This seemingly contradictory status isn’t the first type of confusion people have had when it comes to tomatoes.
Understanding Tomatoes
Tomatoes were once feared, as people believed they were poisonous. For example, when many wealthy Europeans got sick and died after eating them in the late 1700s, they developed the nickname “poison apple.” The truth was that the tomatoes themselves weren’t poisonous, but the pewter plates that many used were. These plates were high in lead content, and, since tomatoes are high in acidity, they leached the lead from the plates. People incorrectly assumed that the tomatoes themselves were deadly[ii].
Many were also suspicious because tomatoes are a relative of the belladonna and nightshade plants, which are deadly. There is some truth to these fears, as the leaves and roots of a tomato plant contain the neurotoxin solanine and are poisonous[iii].
However, today, tomatoes are cultivated in nearly every country with a sufficient growing season and the most popular garden vegetable in the United States[iv]. There is a good reason for this, not only are tomatoes delicious and versatile, but they also have many health benefits.
The Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Tomatoes can help cool the body, which can help prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
There are a lot of great reasons to eat tomatoes. For instance, they have anti-aging properties. They contain antioxidants, such as lycopene and vitamin C. These antioxidants help fight free radicals, which can damage the cells in your skin. As a result, eating tomatoes may decrease your risk for wrinkles and other signs of aging[v].
The lycopene in tomatoes might benefit your eyes as well since it protects your tissues from free radical damage. Studies have found that people who have higher lycopene levels also have a lower risk of age-related macular degeneration[vi].
Tomatoes also have a high concentration of vitamin C, which is proven to boost your body’s immune system[vii].
Tomatoes can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s because the lycopene may lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels while their potassium can help lower blood pressure by taking some sodium out of your body[viii].
Furthermore, a high consumption of tomato and lycopene has been associated with a lower risk of cancer mortality[ix].
In addition, tomato consumption can provide protection from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays since they provide UV protection and reduce UV absorption[x].
Since they are high in water content, as well as lycopene, vitamin C, and vitamin A, tomatoes can help cool the body, which can help prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke[xi].
On hot days, it can be a good idea to make tomato slices into soup or tea, as a way of refreshing and cooling your body. This is just one of the many delicious and beneficial tomato food pairings.
Tomato FoodPairings
There are a lot of great ways to eat tomatoes. Here are a few combinations that work great and provide significant health benefits.
TOMATO & CAULIFLOWER
o Cauliflower contains vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, and many other nutrients.This can aid in digestion, prevent cell damage, keep your arteries clear, and much more[xii].
TOMATO & CELERY
o Celery can help lower blood pressure[xiii], and tomatoes contain vitamin P, or rutin, which can prevent and treat hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Eating them together can calm the liver and lower blood pressure.
TOMATO & ZUCCHINI
TOMATO & EGGS
o Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, sugar, rutin and other ingredients. Eggs are rich in protein, fat, and many other vitamins and nutrients[xvi] Eating both has many benefits including anti-aging effects.
TOMATO & HONEY
o Both tomatoes[xvii] and honey[xviii] are good for your skin, helping to detox free radicals in your body and keep the foundation under your skin plump and strong.
While there many great ways to eat tomatoes, there are also some food pairings that you may want to avoid.
Eating tomatoes along with sweet potatoes can cause stone disease, is when chemicals in urine become concentrated and form crystals in the urinary tract. This can be quite painful, and cause vomiting and diarrhea. This is because both tomatoes and sweet potatoes are high oxalate foods[xix].
In addition, the sugar in sweet potatoes will ferment in the stomach and react with the tomatoes to produce insoluble substances[xx].
When Should You Not Eat Tomatoes?
While tomatoes are generally healthy foods, there are some people who should not eat them. For instance, people who have acute enteritis, acute gastroenteritis, acute bacterial dysentery, ulcer disease, or other gastrointestinal weaknesses may wish to avoid tomatoes due to their high acid content[xxi].
In addition, you may not want to eat tomatoes on an empty stomach, since they can increase acidity in the stomach, causing physical discomfort and nausea[xxii].
Let’s start the day with something delicious yet nutritious: Omelet with tomato and Fines Herbs.
Omelet with Tomatoes and Fines Herbs
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive oil
8 each Cherry tomatoes, halves
¼ cup Yellow onion, small diced
¼ cup Fines Herbs, roughly chopped.
4 each Large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
1. In a small saute pan, add olive oil, cherry tomatoes and onion to cook over medium low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In a bowl, add eggs, herbs and season with salt and pepper.
3. In the same saute pan, add olive oil, and half of the eggs mixture into the frying pan; cover and cook over medium low heat for approximately 3 minutes, or until desire doneness.
4. Remove cover and add half of the tomatoes mixture over one half of the omelet, and fold over.
5. Serve. Repeat the same process with the second half eggs and tomato mixtures.
References: [i] Fruit or Vegetable. Retrieved 2022, August 22, Is a Tomato a Fruit or Vegetable? https://fruitorvegetable.science/tomato [ii] Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2022, August 21, Why the Tomato Was Feared in Europe for More Than 200 Years https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-the-tomato-was-feared-in-europe-for-more-than-200-years-863735/ [iii] Britannica. Retrieved 2022, August 22, Tomato. https://www.britannica.com/plant/tomato [iv] Illinois Extension. Retrieved 2022, August 21, The history of tomatoes: How a tropical became a global crop. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2020-07-25-history-tomatoes-how-tropical-became-global-crop [v] Healthline. Retrieved 2022, August 20, Can You Use Tomatoes for Skin Care? https://www.healthline.com/health/tomato-benefits-for-skin [vi] SF Gate. Retrieved 2022, August 21, Do Tomatoes Help the Eyes?. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/tomatoes-eyes-9542.html [vii] Today. Retrieved 2022, August 21, 17 immune-boosting foods to get you through cold and flu season. https://www.today.com/series/start-today/17-immune-boosting-foods-get-you-through-cold-flu-season-t120427 [viii] UPMC. Retrieved 2022, August 21, How Can Increasing Your Tomato Intake Improve Your Heart Health? https://share.upmc.com/2016/04/tomatoes-heart-health/ [ix] Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 2022, August 21, A high consumption of tomato and lycopene is associated with a lower risk of cancer mortality: results from a multi-ethnic cohort. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/high-consumption-of-tomato-and-lycopene-is-associated-with-a-lower-risk-of-cancer-mortality-results-from-a-multiethnic-cohort/AB945702A409951E38600888B7C8FEE2 [x] National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2022, August 22, Tomatoes protect against development of UV-induced keratinocyte carcinoma via metabolomic alterations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5506060/ [xi] Holly Food. Retrieved 2022, August 21, The Best Foods that Help Prevent Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. https://hollyfood.ca/the-best-foods-that-help-prevent-heat-exhaustion-and-heat-stroke/ [xii] WebMD. Retrieved 2022, August 21, Health Benefits of Cauliflower. https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-cauliflower [xiii] Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2022, August 21, Celery May Help Bring Your High Blood Pressure Down. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-may-help-bring-your-high-blood-pressure-down/ [xiv] American Institute for Cancer Research. Retrieved 2022, August 20, Tomatoes: Major Source of Lycopene https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/food-facts/tomatoes/ [xv] Food for Breast Cancer. Retrieved 2022, August 21, Zucchini is recommended for breast cancer https://foodforbreastcancer.com/foods/zucchini [xvi] Healthline. Retrieved 2022, August 21, 6 Reasons Why Eggs Are the Healthiest Food on the Planet https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-reasons-why-eggs-are-the-healthiest-food-on-the-planet [xvii] Healthline. Retrieved 2022, August 22, Can You Use Tomatoes for Skin Care? https://www.healthline.com/health/tomato-benefits-for-skin [xviii] The List. Retrieved 2022, August 21, When You Eat Honey Every Day, This Is What Really Happens To Your Body https://www.thelist.com/164414/when-you-eat-honey-every-day-this-is-what-really-happens-to-your-body/ [xix] University of Chicago. Retrieved 2022, August 22, How to Eat a Low Oxalate Diet. https://kidneystones.uchicago.edu/how-to-eat-a-low-oxalate-diet/ [xx] Leha Health. Retrieved 2022, August 19, https://m.leha.com/health/13319_2.https://m.leha.com/health/13319_2 [xxi] NDTV Food. Retrieved 2022, August 20. Are You Eating Too Many Tomatoes? 6 Tomato Side Effects You Must Know About! https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/are-you-eating-too-many-tomatoes-6-tomato-side-effects-you-must-know-about-1846744 [xxii] The Times of India. Retrieved 2022, August 21, If You Are Having These Foods Empty Stomach, You Are Doing It Wrong! https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/photo-stories/if-you-are-having-these-foods-empty-stomach-you-are-doing-it-wrong/photostory/58272824.cms?picid=58272846
Comentarios