Tomato juice: benefits and harms to the body

History of tomato juice

Tomato juice is made from the fruits of tomatoes. South America is considered the historical homeland of tomatoes, where they were thermally processed and used for food.

For the first time, American Louis Perrin began selling tomato juice in 1917, when his hotel ran out of orange juice. The drink included tomato pulp, sugar and a special sauce. He quickly gained popularity and began to appear on store shelves.

Twenty years later, the first batch of tomato juice was released in the USSR. A free tasting of the drink was held on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow. Many people did not like tomato juice then, but it soon gained recognition and was sold in all grocery stores, buffets and cafeterias. Over time, salt, onion or garlic spices began to be added to tomato juice.

The composition and calorie content of tomato juice

The benefits of tomato juice

Tomato juice contains fiber, pectin, beta-carotene, a group of vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, K, H and PP), as well as many minerals – potassium, calcium, sulfur, iodine and others.

So folic acid affects the functioning of the nervous system, helps fight stress and nervous disorders. Tomato juice is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases, gastritis (with low acidity), as well as anemia.

Tomato juice normalizes the functioning of the kidneys and metabolic processes in the body. Helps to get rid of toxins, toxins and free radicals. Removes “bad” cholesterol.

Tomato juice is a natural antioxidant, it protects the body from aging: it makes our skin more elastic and hydrated. Fiber strengthens the immune system and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Harm of tomato juice

If a person is allergic to tomatoes, then the reaction will be to tomato juice. The drink is not recommended for people with stomach ulcers, high acidity of gastric juice. Those who are diagnosed with urolithiasis and cholelithiasis are at risk.

The use of tomato juice in medicine

– Tomato juice is very useful for humans. Although after heat treatment it becomes less vitamin C. But the amount of lycopene increases. It is an antioxidant that prevents prostate problems: prostate adenoma and prostate cancer. The prostate gland is the second heart of a man. Often this is where problems develop. Lycopene prevents the development of these negative effects. It has an antioxidant effect, strengthens the mucous membranes. Tomato juice contains carotenoids. The drink contains the same beta-carotene that causes the red color of the juice. Beta-carotene strengthens the mucous membranes that protect our body from various diseases. Tomato juice is useful for solar insolation, it improves skin color. Contains a lot of potassium, which protects the cardiovascular system. Also, tomato juice lowers blood pressure, strengthens the heart muscle and thins the blood. Tomato juice is recommended to drink during flights. Indeed, during a long flight, the blood begins to stagnate, it circulates poorly. To avoid blood clots, tomato juice is an excellent prevention of blood clots. There is practically no sugar in tomato juice, it can be drunk by diabetics and those who want to lose weight, – said nutritionist Elena Solomatina, candidate of medical sciences.

Cooking application

Soups, sauces and dressings for meat and vegetable dishes are often made from tomato juice. Jelly can be made from tomato juice. Also, the juice is diluted with other drinks (cucumber or pumpkin juice).

Roast pork and tomato juice

Pork roast goes well with mashed potatoes and crumbly porridge. Due to tomato juice and sour cream, the meat is tender and juicy, and tomato juice and spices give it a piquant taste and rich aroma.

Pork cut into small pieces, salt and pepper. Put the meat in a preheated pan and fry for two minutes over high heat. Turn off the heat and add the onion. Simmer for another 15 minutes until the onion is golden. Then pour in tomato juice and simmer for another 10 minutes, then add sour cream. Leaves for another 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle the finished dish with herbs.

Moroccan roast with tomato juice

A variant of an unusual roast from Morocco. The dish turns out to be unusually light and satisfying. Suitable for vegetarians. Serve with a light vegetable salad or cold appetizers.

Saute the chopped onion and garlic in oil until they become translucent. Add carrots and potatoes, previously peeled and chopped, to the pan. Cook everything for about 15 minutes. Then add tomatoes and cumin. Gradually pour in the tomato juice, and after another 15 minutes, green beans. Leave the dish to simmer for another 15 minutes. Pepper at the end.

How to choose and store

When choosing tomato juice, the first thing to look at is the date of manufacture of the drink. If the juice is made in winter or spring, when there are no tomatoes, then the drink is made from concentrates. Give preference to summer and autumn juices.

On the shelves of stores, reconstituted juices are most often sold, they are made from tomato paste, mashed potatoes and salt. In such juices, after heat treatment, few useful substances remain. Some manufacturers fill the vitamin gap and add vitamin C to such juice.

If the packaging indicates that the drink is “homogenized”, this means that during its production a repeated process of grinding the product was used. This is not bad, thanks to this the juice has a uniform consistency.

Good tomato juice is thick and has a natural dark red color. If the drink is very liquid and “dangles”, then it contains a lot of water and few tomatoes.

Check out the expiration date. Tomato juice has a shelf life of six months to three years. Take a product that is no more than six months old. Because over time, the vitamins in the juice are destroyed and every month their number decreases.

Storage conditions. After purchase, keep tomato juice in the refrigerator at a temperature of 5-7 degrees, no more than two days.