What happens to your body if you eat a tomato every day? But there is one thing you should never eat!

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, beef brisket stewed with tomatoes, cold tomatoes... tomatoes are so versatile in the kitchen. When cooking, just cut a tomato and throw it in to make the dish taste different. If you are too busy to cook, you can also eat it raw, which is simple, quick, sweet and sour.

In addition to being easy to eat and popular, some people believe that tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and eating more can whiten your skin. There are even people online saying "One tomato a day will make you white in seven days" and "One tomato will make your summer whiter"... Is this really true? Are tomatoes really so magical?

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Can eating one tomato a day really whiten your skin?

The answer may disappoint you: no. Although tomatoes contain vitamin C, it does not mean that eating them can whiten your skin .

First, the vitamin C content of tomatoes is not high , only 14 mg/100 g. [2] This content is not as high as that of Chinese cabbage, only 37% of that of Chinese cabbage.

Secondly, although vitamin C can inhibit the activity of tyrosinase and the conversion of tyrosine into melanin, this is mainly for external use. There is currently no evidence that vitamin C ingested through food can also whiten the skin .

Therefore, if you want to whiten your skin in summer, you still have to rely on sun protection . As for tomatoes, it is still recommended that you eat them, preferably in the form of tomato sauce to increase the absorption and utilization rate of lycopene. Although you can't expect to whiten your skin by eating them, some studies have mentioned that daily intake of a certain amount of tomato sauce can significantly reduce the incidence of sunburn in women and protect their skin .

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In addition, although the vitamin C content of tomatoes is not high, if we can eat one tomato every day, it can provide us with 14% to 28% of vitamin C. The most valuable thing is that tomatoes can be eaten raw, avoiding the loss of vitamin C caused by cooking.

There are also some tomato varieties with higher vitamin C content on the market for everyone to choose from.

For example, the vitamin C content of Chuntao persimmon is as high as 34.17 mg/100 g. [3] Adequate intake of vitamin C can help us maintain normal immune function and protect the health of the skin .

Therefore, although eating one tomato a day will not make you "white as a ray of light in 7 days", it will have other unexpected benefits to the body.

Nutritional Advantages and Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are also called tomatoes . In fact, they were originally shrubs that grew in the desert area on the west coast of South America. At first, the fruits were very small and tasted very bitter, which was not delicious at all . Later, Mexicans began to cultivate tomatoes. After a long period of changes, tomatoes have now become a popular food all over the world. [1] China is the largest producer and consumer of tomatoes. In addition to vitamin C, what other nutrients does this popular ingredient have?

1. Mineral potassium: The mineral potassium content of tomatoes is quite good , which is 179 mg/100 g, which is higher than that of Chinese cabbage. It is a high-potassium, low-sodium food and is very helpful in controlling blood pressure.

However, researchers at Sun Yat-sen University recently published a study on the relationship between eating tomatoes and blood pressure. The study showed that there is a J-shaped relationship between tomato intake and high blood pressure, with the lowest risk of high blood pressure when consuming 10 to 13 grams of tomatoes per day. This amount is equivalent to eating about one regular-sized tomato per week . As for why eating too many tomatoes has a negative impact on blood pressure, the study analyzed that it may be related to the solanine in tomatoes. [4]

Source: Photo provided by the author

If you have severe high blood pressure and are particularly concerned about the results of this study, then eat one tomato per week. If you are healthy and have no blood pressure problems, there is no need to limit yourself to one tomato per week; one tomato per day is fine. Pay attention to food diversification to prevent high blood pressure in many ways.

2. Carotene : The carotene content of tomatoes is 375 micrograms per 100 grams, which is nearly 5 times that of Chinese cabbage. This ingredient is very beneficial to our eyes and skin health.

3. Lycopene : Lycopene is a type of carotene. This ingredient has antioxidant properties that can help us eliminate excess free radicals in the body and keep us younger . It can also help our body fight inflammation, enhance the body's ability to resist oxidative stress, and help maintain normal immunity. It can also protect cardiovascular health and lower serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

In addition, some studies have shown that increased serum lycopene concentrations are negatively correlated with collagenase N-terminal peptide (a marker of bone resorption), which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women . [5, 6]

The key is that tomatoes are really low in calories . Eating one raw only provides you with 15 to 30 kcal of calories. It also gives you a strong sense of fullness, helps control your appetite, and is very friendly to those who are trying to lose weight.

How to buy delicious tomatoes?

Many friends complain: "Today's tomatoes are not delicious, they don't have that flavor anymore." Today's tomatoes do not taste as good as before. This may be because many growers set tomato yield and transportation resistance as their main goals (review previous tweets "Why are today's tomatoes becoming less and less delicious? The reason is finally found!"), but ignore the improvement of taste and flavor , resulting in most of today's tomatoes having high acidity and hardness, and lack of sweetness and aroma.

The taste of tomatoes is affected by many factors. If you want to buy delicious tomatoes, it is recommended to refer to the following aspects : [7, 8]

1. Planting environment: There are obvious differences in the flavor of tomatoes grown in greenhouses and in the open field. Light is the main environmental factor affecting secondary metabolites such as pigments and flavor substances. The light of tomatoes grown in greenhouses is not as sufficient as that of tomatoes grown in the open field, and their flavor is inferior to that of tomatoes grown in the open field.

2. Season: Spring tomatoes contain more reducing sugars, vitamin C and lycopene than autumn and winter tomatoes . The composition and content of volatile substances are also richer, and the overall flavor and acceptability are relatively better.

3. Maturity : During the ripening process, tomatoes undergo a series of changes regulated by many transcription factors, subcellular physiological changes and the action of ethylene. The fruit color deepens, the content of β-carotene and lycopene gradually accumulates, metabolism speeds up, the content of volatile substances increases, and the flavor gradually improves. Therefore, the more mature the tomatoes are, the better the flavor .

If the tomatoes you buy are a little hard, you can leave them at room temperature. Tomatoes are respiratory climacteric fruits and can ripen themselves .

4. Storage conditions: If the tomatoes you buy are stored in the refrigerator, their flavor will decrease . This is because low-temperature storage of tomato fruits will cause DNA methylation, resulting in a decrease in the content of volatile substances and a decrease in flavor.

If the tomatoes are still relatively firm, they can be kept at room temperature; if they are already somewhat soft and difficult to consume in one day, they can be placed in a breathable box and stored in the refrigerator.

Tomatoes placed in a breathable box. Source: Photo provided by the author

5. Varieties: Different varieties of tomatoes have different flavors . Researchers have conducted sensory evaluations on the flavors of nine different varieties of tomatoes: Provence, Antles, Youshi No. 3, Agatha 505, Tianmi 199, Hangfen High Sugar, Xiangfei No. 9, Peruvian Honey Powder, and Xiutaro.

The results showed that in terms of aroma intensity, Agatha 505, Hangfen High Sugar and Xiangfei No. 9 scored the highest, and Provence was also acceptable; in terms of taste and flavor, Provence, Agatha 505, Hangfen High Sugar and Xiangfei No. 9 were all very good; in terms of pulp fineness, Hangfen High Sugar scored the highest, followed by Xiangfei No. 9, Provence, Antles and Agatha 505; in terms of juice content, Provence, Agatha 505, Hangfen High Sugar and Xiangfei No. 9 were all very good.

So after comprehensive consideration, among these 9 varieties, the most recommended ones are Hangfen High Sugar, Xiangfei No. 9, Agatha 505 and Provence .

These tomatoes are inedible!

Tomatoes are delicious, but don’t eat them carelessly. Don’t worry about tomatoes purchased from regular channels on the market, as they are only put on the shelves when they are ripe. But don’t eat tomatoes grown at home if they are still green and unripe (except for green varieties), otherwise you may get poisoned .

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This is because unripe green tomatoes contain high levels of solanine, also known as solanine , which gradually decreases as the tomatoes mature. Eating unripe green tomatoes is likely to cause poisoning , with symptoms such as abdominal pain, tinnitus, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to breathing difficulties or even death. [9]

Summarize:

Eating one tomato a day is not only good for your health, but also helps stimulate your appetite. So why not do it? Make it yours!

References

[1] Harold Mackey, Food and Cooking: Vegetables, Fruits, Spices, and Grains. Translated by Cai Chengzhi. Beijing Fine Arts Photography Publishing House. August 2013.

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Wei Chunyan, Liu Xiaoxiao, Fan Huimei, Ma Hong. Effect of packaging methods on vitamin C content of different varieties of tomato fruits during storage[J]. Chinese Food and Nutrition, 2018, 24(08): 35-38.

[4] Zhao, Dan et al. "J-ShapedAssociation of Tomato Intake with New-Onset Hypertension in General Adults: ANationwide Prospective Cohort Study." Nutrients vol. 14,22 4813. 14 Nov. 2022,doi:10.3390/nu14224813

[5] Chen Jinyao, Zhang Lishi. Research progress on biological effects and applications of lycopene[J]. Journal of Health Research, 2013, 42(02): 336-342. DOI: 10.19813/j.cnki.weishengyanjiu.2013.02.040.

[6] QIAO Qiang. Research progress on the health function of lycopene and its application[J]. Modern Food, 2022, 28(13): 20-22. DOI: 10.16736/j.cnki.cn41-1434/ts.2022.13.004.

[7] Cheng Guoting, Lou Qianqi, Li Xianfang, et al. Research progress on the composition of tomato fruit flavor substances and their influencing factors[J]. Chinese Vegetables, 2022, No.401(07):23-33. DOI:10.19928/j.cnki.1000-6346.2022.2027.

[8] Zhao Yan, Qiu Pengcheng, Wu Lingbo, et al. Sensory quality evaluation of different tomato varieties[J]. Journal of Northern Agriculture, 2022, 50(05): 87-95.

[9] Feng Ye, Hua Meng. Research progress of solanine in potato[J]. Agriculture and Technology, 2022, 42(20): 25-28. DOI: 10.19754/j.nyyjs.20221030006.

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Review丨Gu Chuanling, Deputy Secretary General of Capital Health Nutrition and Gourmet Society, Registered Nutritionist