Add tomatoes to your diet for numerous health benefits

(NaturalNews) If you are a tomato lover, whether you chop them up for a salad, eat them whole as a juicy snack or cook them for a sauce recipe, you can be assured you are boosting your overall health in addition to enjoying their yummy goodness. Studies show that tomatoes fight the formation of free radicals (known to cause cancer, decrease your chances of getting prostate and colorectal cancer, and even reduce your blood pressure!⁽¹⁾

Let's take a look at the many ways tomatoes can make you healthier.

Tomatoes are packed with antioxidants – and this is great news for health seekers!

Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation, and this may prevent or delay some types of cell damage.⁽²⁾ What's more, tomatoes are packed with them!

In a study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, it was found that "Regular consumption of tomatoes has been associated with decreased risk of chronic degenerative diseases. Epidemiological findings confirm the observed health effects are due to the presence of different antioxidant molecules such as carotenoids, particularly lycopene, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and phenol compounds, particularly flavonoids."⁽³⁾

Lycopene in tomatoes – another fantastic health booster

Tomatoes are super-rich in lycopene, a carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes – it is what gives them their beautiful, deep-red color. Lycopene is great for bone health, and can also play a crucial role in preventing prostate, lung and stomach cancers.⁽⁴⁾

Enjoy some delicious tomatoes for help in lowering your blood pressure

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the American Heart Journal, it was demonstrated that short-term treatment with antioxidant-rich tomato extract can reduce blood pressure in patients with grade-1 hypertension!⁽⁵⁾

Study participants first had a four-week placebo period, followed by an eight-week treatment period with tomato extract – 250 mg Lyc-O-Mato – and a four-week control period with placebo. The results? Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased during the treatment period, while no changes in blood pressure were shown in the placebo periods.

So grab some yummy, juicy, delicious tomatoes and get cooking – it is for your health, after all!

Sources:

(1) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

(2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov

(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

(4) http://www.pcrm.org

(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

About the author:
Raw Michelle is a natural health blogger and researcher, sharing her passions with others, using the Internet as her medium. She discusses topics in a straight forward way in hopes to help people from all walks of life achieve optimal health and well-being. She has authored and published hundreds of articles on topics such as the raw food diet and green living in general. >>> Click here to see more by Michelle