When it comes to the tomato, the seemingly never-ending classification question .
Is it a fruit or a vegetable? Botanically speaking, the tomato is a fruit, being .
that it is a pulpy plant that contains seeds. Legally, however, it is a vegetable due to the .
1893 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made it subject to import taxes. Since it's .
cultivation by the Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D. and it's introduction to Europe .
during the 16th century, the tomato has been a widely popular food. However, many .
people are unaware how good they can actually be for us. From a nutritional standpoint, .
tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and can serve as a protection .
against cancer.
Tomatoes are packed with health-promoting nutrients such as vitamin A and vitamin C, providing 20% and 40% of the Daily Value respectively in one of medium size. They are also low in calories and good sources of potassium and carbohydrates. Perhaps more importantly tomatoes are rich in an anti-oxident called lycopene, an open-chain unsaturated cartenoid, which aside from giving tomatoes their red color, is directly involved with reducing the risk of cancer. Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into juice, sauce, paste and ketchup. The chemical form of lycopene found in these tomato products is converted by the temperature changes involved in their processing which make it more easily absorbed by the body. Once in the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.
Many studies have been performed linking tomato and tomato-product .
consumption to reduced risks of different types of cancer. The original study that created .
this idea was called "Carotenoids and Retinol in Relation to Risk of Prostate Cancer" and .
was headed by Dr.