Don’t Eat Raw Tomato?
Don’t Eat Raw Tomato?
Despite years of this column covering fruits of every description, we still haven’t penetrated the nebulous region of “Is it a fruit or a vegetable?” Well, technically, the tomato contains seeds and so it is the fruit of a vine plant- which makes it fair game as a subject for this column! Ah, the tomato. I’ll never forget going vegetable picking with some family friends as a child- the mom of the other family said, as we all entered the tomato field, “I’m warning you all in advance, no eating the raw tomatoes!” I remember thinking in blank confusion: why would I even want to do that? Well, my younger self, there are numerous health benefits of tomatoes though it is a member of the (gasp!) nightshade family.
- Tomatoes are refreshing because of how rich in water they are. The water content of tomatoes is around 95%.
- They’re energizing sugar sources, with their carbohydrate content made primarily of simple sugars.
- The average tomato provides about 1.5 grams of fiber.
- Tomatoes are very acidic- they are great sources of vitamin C.
- They contain many other essential vitamins and minerals: potassium, vitamin K, folate, and more.
- The rich red color of tomatoes comes from some positive antioxidants: lycopene and beta carotene. Because of the presence of lycopene, consuming tomatoes has seen a reduced incidence of prostate, lung, and stomach cancer, according to a 1999 paper published by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Edward Giovannucci.
Suffice it to say eating some raw tomatoes wouldn’t be a bad idea!
