Tomato is a fruit that is high in vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, and fiber. Eating tomatoes every day has many health benefits. Check out what are the properties and benefits of tomatoes!
Fruit tomatoes that can be served as food or drinks are very rich in benefits. The reason is, that tomatoes contain many nutrients, ranging from vitamins to antioxidants.
So nutritious, tomatoes are recommended to be given to babies as a complementary food menu. You can enjoy tomatoes in many ways, such as consuming them directly, making juice, adding them to stir-fries or vegetable salads, or making soup or chili sauce.
Eating tomatoes every day can provide many benefits for body health and skin beauty, such as:
1. Contains High Nutrition
Tomatoes contain various nutrients that are healthy for the body. Based on the Panganku website managed by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, 100 grams of tomatoes contain the following nutrients :
- Protein: 1.3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 4.7 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Fiber: 1.7 grams
- Potassium: 164.9 mg
- Iron: 0.6 mg
- Zinc: 0.2 mg
- Calcium: 8 mg
- Copper: 0.14 mg
- Phosphorus: 77 mg
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Beta carotene: 575 mcg
- Vitamin B1: 0.06 mg
- Vitamin B2: 0.07 mg
- Vitamin B3: 0.4 mg
- Vitamin C: 34 mg
When viewed from the nutritional content, tomatoes contain vitamin C which is quite high, you know! Therefore, from now on you can eat tomatoes every day. Add tomatoes to your diet or drink tomato juice to get all the benefits of this fruit.
2. Improving the Immune System
Apart from preventing canker sores, vitamin C in tomatoes also provides positive benefits to the immune system.
Vitamin C can stimulate white blood cells to produce antibodies, which are substances that fight infection.
Therefore, consumption of tomato juice and foods rich in vitamin C provides protection benefits to the body from infectious diseases.
3. Prevent Constipation
Besides maintaining the balance of good bacteria, eating tomatoes can also provide protection against constipation.
This is because fiber keeps the texture of the stool soft so that it easily passes through the large intestine and is excreted from the body. You can also get the benefits of this tomato by drinking enough water every day.
4. Protects Eye Health
Presented by Dr. Gia Pratama, tomatoes contain lycopene, a compound that gives this fruit its red color.
“Lycopene also acts as an antioxidant that can protect the eyes from age-related decline in function,” added dr. Gia more.
The benefits of this tomato become more optimal with the presence of vitamin A.
5. Prevent Anemia
Again, vitamin C from tomatoes provides benefits that you might not have guessed before, namely preventing anemia.
“Vitamin C has a duty to help the body absorb iron better,” said dr. Gia.
If the intake of vitamin C is met properly, the need for iron can also be fulfilled properly. Iron, which is needed for adequate red blood cell production, can certainly help reduce the risk of anemia.
6. Against Free Radicals
Vitamin C and lycopene are antioxidants, which are active compounds that fight free radicals.
You need to know that your body can be exposed to free radicals from the body’s metabolic processes, ultraviolet light, pollution, and cigarette smoke.
Exposure to these free radicals can cause oxidative stress which in turn damages cells.
7. Suitable for Diet
Eating raw tomatoes turns out to be useful for those of you who are on a diet program, you know!
The fiber and protein content of tomatoes supports you in achieving ideal body weight.
This is because fiber and protein keep you full longer so that you don’t overdo your calorie intake.
The benefits of tomatoes are more optimal with the presence of vitamin C which encourages burning body fat more effectively. Moreover, tomato calories are also quite low, namely 24 calories per 100 grams.
8. Healthy digestion
Like other vegetables and fruits, tomatoes also contain fiber. Well, These nutrients can nourish the digestive system because they maintain the balance of bacteria in the intestine.
Fiber becomes food for the good bacteria in the gut, so these bacteria can help digest food and support the immune system.
9. Lowers Cancer Risk
Cell damage due to free radicals triggers cells to become abnormal. This condition is the forerunner of cancer in the future.
Therefore, you can reduce the risk of cancer by increasing your intake of antioxidant-rich foods, such as tomatoes.
The benefits of tomatoes in reducing cancer must also be complemented by other preventive measures, namely adopting a healthy lifestyle.
10. Maintain Heart Health
Antioxidants from tomatoes also provide protection to the heart and blood vessels from inflammation.
The benefits of eating tomatoes are more effective because this fruit also contains potassium. These nutrients keep sodium levels stable, so they can maintain normal blood pressure.
In turn, controlled blood pressure and no inflammation in the heart can reduce the risk of heart disease.
11. Good for Skin Health
Did you know that there are many benefits of tomatoes for beauty? One of them can help reduce skin aging. The antioxidants contained in tomatoes are actually good for maintaining healthy skin, you know!
In addition, vitamin C supports faster skin recovery from wounds, prevents sunburn or inflammation, and triggers the production of collagen, a protein that maintains skin elasticity.
12. Strengthens Bones
Not to forget, tomatoes contain calcium and phosphorus which provide good benefits to the bones.
These two nutrients maintain bone density so as to prevent lowering the potential for fractures and bone loss.
13. Prevent Sprue
The content of vitamin C in tomatoes can protect the gums from problems, one of which is canker sores.
Therefore, when you have canker sores, the consumption of foods high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, needs to be increased.
14. Supports the Health of Pregnant Women
Tomato is a fruit that contains folate and iron. Well, the nutrition in tomatoes provides many benefits for pregnant women, one of which is preventing anemia during pregnancy.
Folate is also used by the body to support the growth of the fetal brain. That way, it can help prevent brain and spinal cord abnormalities in babies.
15. Increase your little one’s body fluids
One more content of tomatoes that may be underestimated, but it turns out to be important for children, namely water.
Tomatoes contain about 92.9 grams of water per 100 grams. Water can help meet your little one’s fluid needs. In addition, it supports the body’s cells to function optimally. That is why tomato juice is suitable for solids.
Wow, the benefits of this tomato can be useful for all people, yes, from children to pregnant women. So, it’s a shame to miss it, right? For that, start including tomatoes with your diet every day.