Tomatoes – The Healthy Red Vegetable

Tomatoes are smooth, red and bright looking vegetables, that are used in almost all households not only in cooking but in various other forms. In Asian cooking, especially in Indian cooking, they are used in all dishes that are gravy based.

There is a lot of debate as to whether tomatoes are a vegetable or fruit. Botanically, anything that has seeds is a fruit. But the fact remains that, when one goes to the market produce section, tomatoes are always available in the vegetable section and not in the fruit area.

Of course, one thing that cannot be debated about is, the immense health benefits, consumption of tomatoes, offers us.

Tomatoes belong to the family Solanaceae and grow on the plant Solanum lycopersicum. The plant grows to a height of 3 to 10 feet but as the stem is weak it bends and ultimately sprawls down on the ground.

A native of South America, they are grown worldwide. They can easily be grown in the backyard and are amongst the most commonly grown garden vegetables in the United States.

China is the leading producer of tomatoes, followed by the United States and India. About 7500 varieties of tomatoes are in existence. The shape and size of the tomatoes determine the categories into which the tomato varieties are divided. For growing in a home garden, heirloom tomato variety is preferred because of its hardiness and good productivity.

– Tomatoes are always picked unripe. They are ripened in storage using ethylene. However, tomatoes ripened in this way have a lighter color and less flavor than those that are allowed to ripen on the plant.

– Tomatoes come in a variety of colors like red, yellow, orange, green, white etc. Red is the most commonly preferred color of tomatoes.

– Though fully ripe tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator, it is best to keep them outside to preserve their flavor.

– Tomatoes are acidic by nature and hence preservation of homemade sauces and pickles is easy. Tomatoes are used in making juices, sauces, soups, pizza, salsas etc and are also eaten raw in salads.

– Tomatoes are cholesterol free, low in calories and high in potassium.

– Tomatoes are a boon to health. Two of the widely known benefits to health are – reduction in heart disease and various cancers. The lycopene content in tomatoes prevents against the harmful UV rays. Tomatoes are also beneficial in improving bone strength.

– Tomatoes are full of vitamins and minerals. The vitamin C content helps in preventing damage to the cells, blood vessels etc. Because of the nicotinic acid content they help habitual smokers get rid of the smoking habit.