The fact that the famous fruit – yes, tomato is a fruit, with a history of over 3,000 years and origins in the Andes Cordillera – has numerous beneficial effects on health, is no longer a secret. The tomato contains 90% water, easily digestible by the human body and makes up the ideal base for a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other active substances contained in tomatoes.
A recently published study [1] in “Neurology” Medical Journal shows that subjects with the highest levels of lycopene – an antioxidant found in tomatoes – had less strokes than those who had the lowest level of lycopene in their blood. Generally, the risk of stroke was reduced by 55%.
Dr. Rafael Ortiz, director of Surgery Center at the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the study, conducted in Finland on a sample of 1,031 people, tracked for 12 years, clearly demonstrates that diet is very important for reducing the risk of having a stroke.
Lycopene is found in the highest concentrations in products derived from tomatoes, such as pasta, mashed potatoes and tomato sauce. It can also be found in watermelon, grapefruit, papaya and mango. Lycopene has a stronger antioxidant effect than the famous vitamin C, effectively protecting the body from cancer, cardiovascular disease, degenerative processes, metabolic disorders, and various intoxications.
“The tomato is traditionally used in Romanian gastronomy. Tomato and cheese salad is one of the most popular and loved recipes. Nutritionists recommend eating 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits per day, at regular meals and in moderate amounts. The tomato can always “play a double meal” both as a fruit and a vegetable. That is why when we prepare a family meal it is important to enjoy everything that nature offers”, stated Silvia Bucur, President of the PRAIS Foundation, the initiator of the movement” I’m living healthy, too!” – SETS.
Recently, US nutritionists [2] have stated that eating at least two and a half cups of fruit and vegetables a day may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke for consumers.
1 Serum lycopene decreases the risk of stroke in men: A population-based follow-up study, Neurology Medical Journal, 9th October, 2012 (www.neurology.org)
2 Tomato Helps Cut the Risk of a Stroke, Study Shows, The Wall Street Journal, Page D1, US Edition, 9th October, 2012