It's getting near that time of year, when tomatoes are in season. In this extract from her book, Dr Irene talks about how the tomato has moved from being a poison to becoming a food with important health properties . . ..

Summer Tomatoes

Irene Berman-Levine, PhD, RD
June 18, 2004

This is the sixth extract from Dr Irene Berman-Levine's book, "Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits". You can order the book, which is packed with easily digested research news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here . Robert Griffith, Editor.

The farmers markets and stores are bursting with fine ripened tomatoes at great prices. Now what can we do with all those tomatoes? And why should we search for ways to encourage our family to join us in eating this delicious fruit, when they were once considered poisonous?

Fruit or vegetable?

Yes, tomatoes are actually a fruit, but it's OK to call them a vegetable. This confusion is because they meet the technical definitions of a "berry". Yet, I found one reference (on www.floridatomatoes.com) that said in 1893 the Supreme Court ruled tomatoes must be considered a vegetable, even though, botanically, they're a fruit. Since tomatoes were commonly eaten as a vegetable and it was necessary to put it in a category for import taxes, it was legally declared a vegetable.

Tomatoes were believed to be poisonous 180 years ago. The belief may have been started due to the fact that the leaves and stems do contain toxic substances. However, in 1820, Colonel Robert Johnson ate a basket of tomatoes on the courthouse steps of Salem, New Jersey to prove they weren't poisonous. As the news spread that you wouldn't get sick if you ate tomatoes, they gradually became a mainstay in the diet.

Now tomatoes are in the "healthy" category for most individuals. A medium tomato is only around 35 calories, and you can pop delicious cherry tomatoes into your mouth for only around 4 calories a piece! They are low in fat and sodium and rich in vitamin C, A, potassium, folic acid, and fiber. One medium tomato provides 15% of the daily value for vitamin A. and 35% of vitamin C.

Lycopene

In 1995 tomatoes received attention when research indicating a powerful antioxidant, lycopene, was possibly related to a lower risk of prostate cancer. This was epidemiological research, in which researchers were tracking a large number of people (in this case 47,000 men between the ages of 40 to 75 for six years) and determining if there was a link between food and health. In this case the consumption of tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, and pizza was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Researchers theorize that lycopene is the common factor in these foods.

Raw or cooked?

Lycopene is found in the highest amounts in cooked tomato products. Cooked tomato products are higher in lycopene than raw tomatoes because it is believed the heat disrupts the cell structure of the tomato, making lycopene more readily available. Adding a small amount of fat during the preparation of a tomato dish seems also to be beneficial. The fat apparently improves lycopene absorption into the bloodstream.

Cooked tomato products are also usually low in calories (except when it is pizza with double cheese and all the works!). Any of the following can be enjoyed while only spending between 25 and 40 calories: one-half cup of canned tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomatoes sauce, 6 oz. of tomato juice, or 2 tbsp. of catsup.

Any drawbacks to tomatoes?

There has been some negative press relating any vegetable from the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tobacco) to greater pain from arthritis. Several studies have tried to document this and have not found definitive proof that nightshade vegetables aggravate arthritis. However, you could live without tomatoes. When I counsel someone who insists that tomatoes bother them, I say, "fine, don't eat them. But don't tell everyone else who has arthritis to avoid them. Most individuals won't have any change in symptoms by avoiding tomatoes".

Adults and kids alike enjoy tomatoes! According to the US Department of Agriculture, tomatoes are the second-most popular vegetable for kids. I can't help but chuckle at the vegetable that came in first. USDA counts with French fries and chips as servings of potatoes, so guess what comes in first? White potatoes. Tomato products, which include spaghetti-type sauces and salsas came in second. Oh, well. A quarter of all children in the United States don't eat even one vegetable a day. At least these favorites allow them to get some nutrition.

Order Dr Irene's book, which is packed with nutritional news, tips, menus, and recipes, for US$16 by clicking here

Dr Irene is also the author of a free newsletter which helps you understand the confusing world of nutrition and motivates you to choose healthy foods. You can sign up for the newsletter by clicking here

Source

• I Berman-Levine PhD, RD. "Welcome to Dr Irene's Nutrition Tidbits" 2002 Nutrition Program Planning Inc., PO Box 60748, Harrisburg, PA 17106-0748, USA

Related Links
Lycopene May Reduce the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Fruits and Vegetables: The Benefits Come From the Sum of Their Parts
Tomatoes Really Do Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk