Tomatoes have been a staple of the American diet and with good reason.

These healthy fruits contain powerful nutrients that help protect against heart disease, premature aging, and certain cancers, especially prostate. Lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their rich reddish hue is a powerful cancer-fighting agent.

Nutrients
Starting with the basics, tomatoes contain large amounts nutrients. A single tomato contains 53 percent of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C. They also contain 15 percent DV of vitamin A, 8 percent DV of potassium, and 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for women and 10 percent RDA for men.

Benefits
Lycopene a member of the carotenoid family, is the component responsible for the red pigment contained in tomatoes and other various fruits and vegetables. It has been found to act as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals that can damage the basic structure of cells and thus lead to chronic diseases (notably cancer and heart disease) and accelerate the aging process. Studies conducted by Harvard researchers have discovered that men who consumed 10 servings of tomatoes a week, can cut the risk of developing prostate cancer by an astonishing 45 percent. The other amazing thing about lycopene is that its benefits are not limited to the prostate. Italian researchers have found that those who consume more than 7 servings of raw tomatoes lower the risk of developing rectal colon or stomach cancers by 60 percent. Israeli researchers have also found that lycopene is a powerful inhibitor of lung, breast, and endometrial cancer cells. It has also been found to extend activity in elderly people longer. “You can get lycopene in a supplement, but consuming foods such as canned tomatoes or guava bestows benefits beyond lycopene, including vitamins A, C, and E; folate; potassium; and fiber. And these nutrients may work with lycopene to offer health benefits.” States Jaime Harder, M.A., R.D., Although there is much to be said about high nutrient levels in eating raw vegetables, studies show that cooking tomatoes releases even more of the benefits because tomatoes don’t lose any of their nutritional value in the high heat processing. Lycopene is located in the cell wall of the tomato, so by cooking in a bit of olive oil, this healing compound is more fully released and better absorbed by the body’s cells. Remember when choosing tomatoes; be sure to pick those with the deepest shades of red for the highest amounts of lycopene and other phytonutrients.

References
• www.lycopene.org
• www.whfoods.org