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Only the ignorant do not know about the benefits of vegetables. Potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes. We use them with pleasure, without even thinking, is there any harm from them? Many people consider it harmless to eat a green potato, an overripe eggplant or a green tomato, wondering later what is the reason for feeling unwell.
In English, the name of the nightshade family sounds like “night shadows”. Where does this strange phrase come from? It turns out that even the ancient Romans prepared poisons from nightshade for their enemies, who carried them into the kingdom of shadows. This is not about potatoes, peppers or tomatoes, which appeared in Europe much later. Among this family there are many very poisonous plants. Suffice it to recall henbane or dope. Yes, and tobacco, which is considered a household drug, also belongs to this family. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at green tomatoes to answer the question: is it possible to eat green tomatoes?
Composition of green tomatoes
The calorie content of this product is low – only 23 kcal per 100 g. Nevertheless, green tomatoes contain fats, however, quite a bit – 0,2 g in every 100 g. They consist of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, they also contain Omega -3 and Omega-6, but all in microscopic quantities. Carbohydrates are represented by mono and disaccharides: their amount is 5,1 g for every 100 g, but only 4 g is absorbed. There is little protein, only 1,2 g for the same amount. It consists of essential and non-essential amino acids. There are dietary fiber, trace elements in green tomatoes, most of all potassium and copper.
The vitamin composition is quite wide, but the quantitative content of vitamins is small. Only vitamin C has nutritional value, which is 23,4 mg per 100 g, which is 26% of the daily requirement for a person. Based on the composition, the benefits of green tomatoes are small, especially since there is harm.
Solanin
In addition to all the useful components, there is something in green tomatoes that makes you wary. This is primarily about the glycoalkaloid solanine. Apparently, it was because of him that tomatoes were considered poisonous for so long. Most likely, someone tried unripe fresh tomatoes and was “impressed” with the result. That is why for several centuries it was believed that tomatoes should not be eaten. They did not eat not only green, but also red tomatoes.
The content of solanine in unripe tomatoes ranges from 9 to 32 mg. In order for the symptoms of poisoning to appear, about 200 mg of this poisonous substance must enter the stomach. Already 400 mg of solanine will easily send a person to the next world. When tomatoes ripen, the picture changes dramatically. The content of the toxic substance gradually decreases and stops at a level of 0 mg per 7 g of ripe tomatoes. Such an amount is absolutely not dangerous for humans, and even, on the contrary, in small doses, solanine stimulates the cardiovascular system. And not only.
Its healing effect on the human body is very multifaceted:
- Pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.
- Diuretic and antispasmodic.
- Hypotensive and strengthening capillaries.
- Fights fungi and viruses.
- Helps with diseases of the liver, upper respiratory tract.
tomatine
In addition to the above solanine, tomatoes contain another toxic substance – alpha tomatine. It belongs to the class of glycoalkaloids and also poses a danger to humans, but only in large enough quantities. To be poisoned, you need to get at least 25 mg of the substance. The lethal dose starts at 400 mg. But you should not worry, since the content of tomatine in tomatoes is small, for example, a lethal dose is contained in several kilograms of green tomatoes. But even this poison can serve a person. Cortisone is obtained from it – a well-known drug used for many diseases. When ripening tomatoes from tomatine, tomatidine is obtained. He is not poisonous. Both of these substances have the following properties:
- immunomodulating;
- anticarcinogenic;
- antibiotic;
- antioxidant.
There is evidence that tomatidine helps to accumulate muscle mass during exercise and promotes the loss of adipose tissue.
The benefits of green tomatoes
- applying tomato slices to dilated veins helps with varicose veins;
- stabilization of acid-base balance;
- the presence of dietary fiber improves bowel cleansing.
It can be concluded that green tomatoes, on the one hand, are harmful to the body, and on the other hand, they are of great benefit. But I don’t want to eat them fresh because of the high acidity and rather unattractive taste.
How to use
Such tomatoes are one of the ingredients of delicious preparations for the winter. Many are happy to eat them salted or pickled. There are many recipes for their preparation.
Soaking green tomatoes in salt water for several hours will help fight solanine. If the water is changed several times, the harmful solanine will go away.
Contraindication to the use of green tomatoes
There are certain diseases in which the use of tomatoes is prohibited. These are problems with the joints, diseases of the kidneys, gallbladder, allergic reactions. Everyone else can and should eat tomatoes, but in reasonable quantities.
Any product consumed by a person has a certain benefit and can be harmful. The point is only in their ratio, the correct choice of processing method and the correctly selected rate of use.