
It is very present in our daily diet, it is a basic in our kitchen and we consume it from a very young age. Do you know what we are talking about? Yes, from the tomato! That red vegetable to which we can get so much out of it, either chopped into salads, roasted, grilled or crushed to make soups, creams or sauces, among many other alternatives.
The tomato is a fruit with many properties: it is rich in water, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins A, C, B3 and E and contains mineral salts such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and some small amounts of calcium. The tomato is a fundamental food for a good conservation of health. It has so many benefits that even some studies have revealed that eating tomatoes daily may have the ability to reduce the chances of skin cancer. Discover all the advantages that tomato can bring to your body.
Eating tomatoes daily decreases the chances of skin cancer
This is what has been revealed by a study carried out in mice – a species used in these tests due to the similarity of many of their genetic and biological characteristics with those of humans – by researchers at Ohio University (United States) and which has been published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’. Specifically, scientists found that male rodents that had been fed a diet rich in tomatoes every day and for 35 weeks had a 50 percent lower risk of suffering from a skin tumor compared to those that did not eat dehydrated tomatoes.
“The relationship between tomatoes and cancer is that dietary carotenoids, the pigmentation compounds that give tomatoes their color, can protect the skin against damage from ultraviolet light,” said study lead author Tatiana Oberyszyn.
In fact, previous studies in people had already pointed out that eating tomato pasta could reduce sunburn and protect against ultraviolet rays because carotenoids are deposited on the skin immediately after eating.
However, the Ohio research found no significant difference in the number of tumors in the case of female mice, regardless of whether or not they consumed tomatoes. Previous analyses had already shown that male mice developed tumors much earlier than females after exposure to UV rays and that their tumors were more numerous, large and aggressive. “This study showed us that we have to consider sex when exploring different preventive strategies because what works in men doesn’t always work equally well in women and vice versa,” Oberyszyn said.
Other benefits of tomato that you should know
In addition to having a high probability of reducing the risk of skin cancer, tomato has many beneficial properties for health:
+Rich in antioxidants: lycopene is one of the best-known components of tomatoes. It is a powerful antioxidant that prevents free radicals from affecting our tissues and causing cardiovascular degenerative diseases, dementia and aging processes. Lycopene also prevents the appearance of other cancers such as breast, lung, prostate, stomach, bladder and cervical.
+Counteracts the effects of tobacco: it is clear that there is nothing better than not smoking, but while you manage to quit, including a daily tomato in your diet can help you control to some extent the carcinogens in tobacco. Those responsible? Coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid, two components of tomatoes essential in the fight against nitrosamines (carcinogenic components responsible for lung cancer).
+Improves vision: prevents night blindness and macollar degeneration thanks to vitamin A. In addition, vitamin C increases defenses and fights infections.
+Fights type 2 diabetes: this is because the tomato helps us keep oxidative stress away. This is a problem that appears when there is an imbalance between oxidizing agents and the antioxidant response of the cell. That is, it causes us to be at a disadvantage in which the body’s defensive capacity against agents that oxidize or age us is limited.
+Decreases high blood pressure: this is thanks to its richness in potassium and ganmabutyric amino acids or GABA. Helps eliminate fluid retention and edema.
Do you dare to eat tomato now that you know that it is a great ally against skin cancer? We read you in the comments!