Red Tomatoes Nutrition Facts and Benefits
Tomato, scientifically known as Solanum Lycopersicum, is a famous member of the nightshade family. It is a fruit but people use it as a vegetable also to achieve its numerous benefits. With many other color options including yellow, green, and orange, a tomato is most commonly grown and used in the red color.
Whether you want to increase the folate, potassium, or Vitamin A and K levels in your body, tomato is the best source. To know about the nutritional composition, plant compounds, and benefits offered by this fruit, continue reading this post
What is the Nutritional Composition of a Red Tomato?
A red tomato contains a generous quantity of water along with some amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, fibers, and fats.
Below are mentioned some of the nutrients present in the tomato along with their quantities:
- Proteins: 0.88 g
- Fibers: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.9
- Water: 95%
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Calories: 18
- Sodium: 4.7mg
- Sugar: 2.6
Carbohydrates
About 4% of raw red tomato is carbs, which is less than 5 grams of carbohydrates in a medium-sized tomato. This carbohydrate is mainly composed of simple sugars including fructose and glucose.
Fibers
A red tomato is a prominent source of fiber, you can say that a medium-sized tomato gives 1.5 grams of fiber. The main sources in which these fibers exist include lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose.
Vitamins
Tomatoes are rich in vitamins, with a few listed below:
- Vitamin C
We all have heard about the beneficial role of Vitamin C in several processes of our body. Also, its antioxidant properties are hidden from none.
- Vitamin K1
Phylloquinone generally known as vitamin K 1 Is an excellent source for your bone health. Also, it is remarkable in promoting blood clotting.
- Folate
Folate or vitamin B9 plays a major role in the normal growth of tissue along with completing several cell functions. It is essential for the health of women, especially pregnant women.
- Potassium
Potassium is one primary element found in the red tomato, which is excellent for controlling blood pressure. Also, it prevents and treats various heart-related diseases.
What are the Plant Compounds Present in a Tomato?
Some of the most prominent plant compounds present in the red tomato are listed below:
Naringin
The tomato skin contains a high amount of naringenin, it has a big role in reducing the inflammation and offers good protection against multiple diseases caused due to mice interaction.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a dark red pigment and an antioxidant that offers several health benefits including weight loss and freshness to the body. It is mostly present in the peel of red tomato, with its level increasing with the red color of the fruit.
As compared to original tomato fruit, lycopene content is higher in processed tomato products such as ketchup or pastes. The absorption of lycopene is affected by several common products of our diet. For example, the intake of carbohydrates can multiply the absorption of lycopene more than 4 times.
To get an instant boost in your body’s lycopene levels, just take a spoonful of ketchup, but don’t forget the high sugar content it contains. So, it is always better to consume this fruit when it is fresh and unprocessed, so that minimum preservatives, excipients, or chemicals can enter your body.
Chlorogenic Acid
Chlorogenic acid is a high-quality antioxidant responsible for reducing the high blood pressure levels in the human body.
Beta Carotene
Beta carotene is an antioxidant that is transformed into vitamin A when it enters the human body. This compound is responsible for giving orange or yellow color to the food. Initially, when the tomato is red, it contains a high amount of chlorophyll. With time, when the green tomato starts getting red, the chlorophyll content decreases while the level of carotenoids elevates.
Benefits of Red Tomatoes
Here are some amazing health benefits of a red tomatoes, from your heart health to your eyes:
Skin Health
Our skin, hair, connective tissue, and nails contain a good proportion of collagen. The formation of this collagen is highly influenced by the amount of vitamin C in our body. If your vitamin C level is lesser than the normal range, your skin will be highly affected by pollution and sunlight.
At a higher level, this deficiency can lead to the development of scurvy. Also, your skin will be at higher risk to get blemishes and wrinkles. To prevent all these problems, red tomatoes are a good solution that will boost your body’s vitamin C levels.
Heart Disease Prevention
Red tomato contains vitamin C, potassium, choline, and fiber which are all good for the heart’s health. To reduce the chances of any cardiovascular disease, the best solution is to increase your body’s potassium level along with a reduction in sodium intake.
As mentioned earlier, tomatoes also consist of folate, an essential nutrient required in various body processes, especially in maintaining the homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid, which supports various heart diseases and disorders. Using folate you can manage the levels of homocysteine in your body.
On the other hand, potassium plays a major role in reducing heart diseases, and also supports muscle growth and health. Potassium from a red tomato can also preserve the mineral density of bones, and decrease the chances of kidney stones.
Cancer Treatment
Being an antioxidant, a red tomato can fight and prevent the formation of free radicals in your body, which can lead to the development of cancer. You can also use beta carotene(a naturally occurring component in tomatoes) to decrease the chances of formation of tumors in prostate cancer.
This beta carotene is also associated with reducing the chances of colon cancer. The fibers in the red tomato will surely reduce the risks of colorectal and prostate cancer.
Lycopene, a plant compound that is responsible for the red color in the tomato, is beneficial in preventing the development of prostate cancer.
Diabetes
A red tomato is good for the health of a diabetic patient. For type 1 diabetic patients, consuming high fiber can reduce their blood glucose levels. For those with type 2 diabetes, using high fiber products can improve the levels of insulin, lipids, and blood sugar.
According to research, the appropriate fiber consumption per day for men is around 38 grams per day, while for women it is 25 grams per day.
Eye Health
A red tomato contains good amounts of beta carotene, lycopene, and lutein, all of which are amazing antioxidants, playing a major role in the health of the eyes. Consuming these products can protect your eyes against common eye problems including cataract formation and age-related macular degeneration. Using a red tomato, you can reduce the risk of these diseases by 35%.
Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | . | . |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 27 | Calories from Fat 3 |
| % Daily Value * | ||
| Total Fat | 0.3 g | 0.46% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 0.3% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5.8g | 1.9% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.8 g | 7.2% |
| Sugars | 3.9 g | |
| Protein | 1.3 g | 2.6% |