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Fruit or Vegetable? |
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Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? This has been discussed by everyone for many years, and the argument has even been brought to the court in many countries including United States.
Tomato is categorized as fruit, because in botany, a fruit is ovary of a flowering plant together with its seeds. Although tomato is typically served as part of a main course, it is still a fruit, almost like a berry. Tomato is categorized as fruit, sometimes in certain cookbooks, as fruit-vegetables. Such as eggplant, green/red pepper, avocado and cucumber are considered as fruits. These fruits as to other common fruits all contain the same nutritious element and contribute as much to your diet. There are more fruits which you might see as vegetables, they are waiting to be discovered by you! |
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Health Benefits |
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Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases. Many research showed that the lycopene in tomatoes helps to remove free radicals from the body. Lycopene is one of world’s most powerful antioxidant which provides that lovely rich red color to the tomatoes.
Dr. Giovannucci and his research partners found that the risk of prostate cancer can be reduced by 21% to 34%, if the consumption intake of tomatoes and tomato based products is of between 5 to 7 portions per week. Some studies have shown that the lycopene is the most effective nutritional antioxidant found today, and it can restrain the growth of cancer cells; people with high levels of lycopene in their body tend to reduce the risk of heart diseases by half.
Scientists recommend everyone to have regular intake of tomatoes in their diet, including fresh, ripe or even cooked tomatoes. Lycopene in tomatoes can be an excellent antioxidant for all of us, and it appears to protect against cancer of the mouth, stomach, rectum etc. |
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