Tomatoes: benefits and harms to the body

It is hard to believe, but only some three centuries ago, tomatoes were considered poisonous and were grown exclusively for decorative purposes, not only in our country, but also in seemingly enlightened Europe. But if you think about it, it’s not surprising – they belong to the nightshade family, whose representatives can really harm human health.

And yet today it is difficult to imagine our life without tomatoes. They are yellow, green, red or brown, the size of a walnut or weighing half a kilo, they are sweet and fleshy or more juicy and sour. Salads, soups and sauces are prepared from tomatoes, they are added to side dishes and meat, closed in jars and dried in the sun. And perhaps the most unusual way of cooking is tomato ice cream. Yes, it happens!

Let’s talk today about the benefits and harms of tomatoes for the body of men, women and children.

The history of the appearance of tomatoes in nutrition

Scientists still cannot agree on the place where tomatoes originated. According to one version, they were first cultivated in India. According to another, they appeared in China – confirmation of this are the found tomato seeds, which are already more than two thousand years old. The most common opinion says that tomatoes came to us from South and Central America.

In the second half of the XNUMXth century, the Spanish monk Bernardino de Sahagun prepared a multi-volume work on the life and culture of the peoples of New Spain in the pre-Columbian era – the Aztec civilization. In his work, one can find references to the use of tomatoes as a medicine.

The name of the plant – tomato – comes from the Aztec word “tomatl”, which means “large berry”. Another name – tomato – came from the Italian word “pomo d’oro”, which means “golden apple”. Today it is customary to call the plant itself a tomato, and its fruits are called a tomato.

Tomatoes were brought to Europe in the XNUMXth century from America. First of all, they came to Spain and Portugal. Later, the plant spread throughout Italy, France, Germany and Eastern Europe. For a long time, many Europeans treated this culture with distrust and grew it only for decorative purposes – small fruits of bright colors were a wonderful decoration of the garden. Tomatoes began to be eaten only at the end of the XNUMXth century, at the same time the first recipes with this ingredient appeared.

Tomatoes came to Our Country in the 1780th century, but a similar fate awaited them here too – at first the plant was grown exclusively as an ornamental. There is a version that in XNUMX, a box of fruits, among which were tomatoes, was delivered to the court as a gift to Catherine II. It is not known for certain whether the empress liked them, but two years later the work of the outstanding agronomist Andrei Timofeevich Bolotov on tomatoes was published, where he completely debunked the myth of its poisonousness. Is it a coincidence? Did the empress somehow influence the further fate of the tomato? We will never know this, but already in the middle of the next century, the tomato gained wide popularity in Our Country.

The composition and calorie content of tomatoes

The benefits of tomatoes

In 2017, the University of Illinois, based on a study involving 700 subjects, found that lycopene, found in high amounts in tomatoes, reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Another study confirmed the benefits of lycopene in another cancer – renal carcinoma. In addition, there are numerous studies confirming the healing effect of lycopene in cataracts and even macular degeneration of the retina – this disease occurs in older people and entails the death of nerve cells in the retina. A few tomatoes a day will help you get the right dose of lycopene. It is better to lean on red tomatoes, which contain more of this substance, or use them in the form of tomato paste and juices – in them the amount of lycopene increases from 000 to 7-13 mg.

The organic acids and fiber contained in tomatoes have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract – they increase the production of enzymes and expel stagnant bile. Fiber also regulates cholesterol levels, and potassium, which is abundant in tomatoes, normalizes the work of the heart.

Nutritionist Ksenia Pustovaya adds:

– Tomato contains important biologically active compounds: carotenoids, polyphenols and a large amount of vitamin C. Pro lycopene, which belongs to carotenoids, has already been mentioned above. Polyphenols reduce the risk of cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that strengthens the immune system. These beneficial substances are not synthesized in the human body on their own, so they can only be obtained through food.

As we can see from the above data, in the presence of a large number of useful and necessary substances in its composition, the tomato has a minimum calorie content, which makes it so popular among people who follow the figure. In addition, the fiber contained in tomatoes saturates the body for a long time and does not allow the feeling of hunger to play out.

Harm of tomatoes

Ksenia Pustovaya comments:

– It is recommended to minimize or exclude tomatoes from the diet for gout, ulcers, gastritis, kidney diseases, and increased acidity of the stomach. Oxalic acid, which prevents the excretion of salts and activates the production of bile, can cause the appearance or exacerbation of diseases of the genitourinary system. In addition, it must be remembered that allergy sufferers should also use tomatoes with caution – because of their bright color, tomatoes, along with citrus fruits and chocolate, are the strongest allergens.

The use of tomatoes in cooking

Today it is difficult to find a recipe for first and second courses, wherever tomatoes are added in any form. We add fresh, mashed or dried tomatoes to soups for richness, we put them in side dishes to make the taste more multifaceted and interesting, and to meat to make it more juicy and tender. Tomatoes are even used in baking and desserts.

For vegetarians and raw foodists, tomatoes are an important part of the daily diet – they perfectly saturate the body, have a pleasant taste and are available at any time of the year.

Tomato soup with shrimps and olives

The uniqueness of tomato soups is that they can be prepared both hot and cold.

There is a huge variety of tomato soups. For example, Campbell’s tomato soup from a can is very popular in America – Andy Warhol even immortalized it in his painting. And in Spain in the summer you can not do without gazpacho – a cold tomato soup.

We suggest paying attention to the Mediterranean version – tomato soup with seafood.

Pour olive oil into a saucepan with a thick bottom, fry finely chopped onion and garlic, add tarragon. We also add whole olives and a little liquid from them there and fry for a few more minutes until a light golden color. In the same saucepan, add tomatoes, pepper and salt, and after boiling, dilute with boiling water to the desired consistency. Add shrimp last, cook them for 5-10 minutes (depending on size). Garnish the soup with a sprig of parsley.

tomato ice cream

Ice cream is everyone’s favorite dessert, the demand for which is especially high in summer

Today, no one can surprise anyone with an ordinary ice cream, and even more unusual tastes – cheese or, for example, strawberry-basil – are no longer a rarity. But tomato ice cream is something extraordinary. We will tell you how to surprise your loved ones.

Tomatoes and peppers are peeled, cut into large cubes and frozen. After the vegetables are frozen, take them out and beat them in a blender along with cold sour cream and ricotta, add salt and pepper. We spread it in a suitable dish, decorate with greens if desired and serve. Enjoy!

How to choose and store tomatoes

When buying tomatoes, the first thing to pay attention to is the smell, and it is the fruit, not the cutting. Choose tomatoes without dents and especially cracks – bacteria accumulate in them. The fruit should be dense, but not hard, otherwise there is a risk of buying an unripe vegetable.

If we are talking about tomatoes that are planned to be eaten in the next few days, then it is best to lay them out on a table or windowsill with the flat side down. But the refrigerator should be abandoned, otherwise the product may lose its aroma and taste. However, for longer storage, you can resort to the refrigerator – so the tomatoes will remain fresh for up to two weeks.

If you want to keep fresh tomatoes for several months, then you need to come up with a storage room in advance – the temperature in it should not be higher than 10-12 degrees. In a house it can be a cellar, and in an apartment it can be a balcony. In this case, the tomatoes can be put in a box or basket, laying each layer of vegetables with a layer of sawdust or burlap.

Canned tomatoes can be stored in sealed jars for up to 6 months, and in open jars for up to a week.

Here are some more general tips to keep tomatoes fresh for as long as possible:

• it is necessary to dry the fruits thoroughly;
• be sure to remove the cuttings;
• store ripe and unripe fruits separately;
• you can treat vegetables with a solution of boric acid (0,3%) or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

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