| This page was last modified on April 29, 2006 00:15 PM | Translation Super Foods that Heal TOMATOES Benefits of Tomatoes Tomatoes are loved for their fresh taste and the versatile role they play in cooking. But research indicates there may be another reason to love them — they're loaded with lycopene (LY-ko-pene). Lycopene is a plant chemical (phytochemical) that gives tomatoes their red color. It also appears to offer potential health benefits. Tomatoes contain many nutrients, among them vitamins C and B complex and the minerals iron and potassium. Also in the mix are carotenoids (kuh-ROT-uh-noids). These include lycopene and beta-carotene, which are converted into vitamin A by your body. Lycopene gets high marks from researchers for its apparently potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are thought to neutralize harmful substances in the body called free radicals. These molecules, which result from normal cell metabolism as well as other causes, may increase your risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Fresh tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, but cooking tomatoes makes lycopene easier for your body to use. For instance, your body will absorb five times more lycopene through tomato sauce than through an equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes. Evidently, heat breaks down tomato cell walls to free lycopene that otherwise would pass through your digestive system.
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