An awareness of the vital significance of good nutrition for your health has been growing among Syracuse natural health enthusiasts. And therefore studies which help to confirm the healthy nutritional value of certain foods is always appreciated here in Syracuse. A new report by ScienceDaily dealing with the positive impact on your health of eating tomatoes has many people here adding more tomatoes than usual to their shopping cart at Wegmans this week, http://www.wegmans.com.
This report in ScienceDaily, " Health Benefits of Eating Tomatoes Emerge" helps people here in Syracuse interested in good natural health care reinforce positive eating habits, http://bit.ly/eIoOv7. This study which shows that eating more tomatoes and tomato products can make people healthier and decrease the risk of conditions such as cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease has been published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, http://bit.ly/hQshJe.
Americans overall are reported to eat more tomatoes than all of the non-starchy vegetables. Britt Burton-Freeman, PhD, MS, and Kristin Reimers, PhD, RD, researchers from the National Center for Food Safety & Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and ConAgra Foods, Inc., investigated the current research to discover the role tomato products play in health and disease risk reduction. These researchers discovered that tomatoes are the biggest source of dietary lycopene; a powerful antioxidant that, and unlike nutrients in most fresh fruits and vegetables, has even greater bioavailability after cooking and processing.
Tomatoes also have other protective mechanisms, such as antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory functions. And research has discovered a relationship between eating tomatoes and a lower risk of certain cancers as well as other conditions, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, ultraviolet light-induced skin damage, and cognitive dysfunction. The research authors have concluded "Tomatoes are the most important non-starchy vegetable in the American diet. Research underscores the relationship between consuming tomatoes and reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, and other conditions."
Consumption of tomatoes should be recommended because of the nutritional benefits and because it may be a simple and effective strategy for increasing overall vegetable intake. And now Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 has moved tomatoes to a newly established category of "orange/red" fruits and vegetables to encourage higher consumption of these healthy foods. It is therefore hoped more people here in Syracuse will increase their consumption of tomatoes in the best interest of their health.
Photographer: Paul
