Why is tomato the healthiest fruit in the world?

Tomatoes are considered the healthiest fruit - Photo: Everyday Health

According to Delish , tomatoes are considered a fruit, botanically speaking. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tomatoes are considered the healthiest fruit. They score a 20 on the CDC’s healthiest fruits and vegetables scale.

Tomatoes are incredibly nutritious

Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants. They act as “superheroes” in the body, helping to fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress and prevent the development of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases.

According to nutritionist Sherri Berger of The Plant Strong Dietitian, the CDC's nutrient-dense classification of fruits and vegetables is based on the amount of 17 important nutrients in each 100-calorie serving of each fruit and vegetable.

Berger explains that tomatoes are a low-calorie fruit with a similar nutritional profile to vegetables. According to the USDA nutrient database, a 60-gram cherry tomato contains just 12 calories and less than 3 grams of carbohydrates. The fruit is also rich in the important nutrient lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color.

Berger said eating tomatoes and tomato products may help protect against cancer and heart disease. She also pointed to a 2021 review published in the journal Food Chemistry that found that consuming tomatoes and lycopene helped prevent coronary artery disease, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, and cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain, such as strokes or brain aneurysms.

Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins A and C, which help fight inflammation in the body, says Orlando Health nutritionist Sara Riehm. Vitamin C is important for the formation of blood vessels, muscles, and some parts of bones. Vitamin A is needed for eye health, growth, and development.

How to get the nutritional benefits of tomatoes?

Here's a general rule: "For the best tomatoes, it's best to buy them locally and leave them on the kitchen counter," says Berger. "Local tomatoes are allowed to ripen naturally and are not subjected to artificial ripening methods using ethylene gas."

Also, choose fully ripe tomatoes, as their lycopene content increases as they ripen, says nutritionist Kate Ingram. Cooking tomatoes can also increase lycopene, so add tomatoes to cooked dishes like stews or make your own tomato sauce.

You can boost your lycopene absorption by pairing tomatoes with healthy fats like olive oil, Ingram recommends.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-ca-chua-la-loai-trai-cay-lanh-manh-nhat-the-gioi-20240911222917752.htm