This is a vegetable fruit that is now grown all over the world. It is an annual vegetable fruit crop with fluffy leaves with pervasive fibrous root and deep tap root.
The systems are hairy. The fruits are red and fleshy, roundish, oval smooth or could be furrowed. The flesh is also reddish with seeds interspaced with flesh.
South America is considered the origin of tomatoes. Today, tomatoes are grown in most parts of the world.
NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Tomato is rich in the pigment called lycopene, minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It has high vitamin C content
MEDICINAL VALUE OR USES
1. General tonic or detoxify of the blood
Tomato juice is considered a good blood tonic that helps to wash away the body waste products and poisons thus paving way for good health.
In short, the juice is a blood purifier and detoxifier. the juice should be taken every day for good health
2. Prostate Cancer Prevention
One of the greatest health challenges that middle aged and old men face is prostate cancer, apart from hypertension and diabetes.
The prostate gland is a small harmless gland that complements the male sexuality. It produces a seminal fluid that dilutes the spermatozoa. This gland can become cancerous and lead to complicated health challenges in men above 40.
Men in this age bracket are advised to check their risk level of prostate cancer by checking their prostate specific antigen (PSA) in their blood. This value tells the doctor the risk that the person has of prostate cancer.
The prostrate can also enlarge without being cancerous. Lycopene, the red pigment in tomatoes, is found to be very effective in preventing prostate cancer. The mechanism of its action is not yet well known.
Research have shown that men who regularly eat ripe tomatoes or drink tomato juice have lower incidence of prostate cancer compared to those who do not eat tomatoes or other food items/fruits that contain lycopene.
Mangoes, carrot red pawpaw red grapes and others contain some lycopene but tomato is the best and richest source qualitatively and quantitatively.
3 Acidosis
Although tomatoes contain organic acid like malic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid etc, when it is consumed and metabolized in the body it alkalinizes the blood thereby relieving the body of acidosis and excessive acid formation in the body
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4. Obesity
Once one BMI is above 30, he or she is considered obese. Obesity has so many health implications. In medicine, fatness is not encouraged at all. Consumption of tomatoes on an empty stomach every morning before food for months will help to reduce weight by burning fats.
The consumption of tomatoes will give a feeling of fullness and future consumption of food will be limited while the tomatoes will supply the body with needed nutrients gradually.
5. Diabetes
As a result of the low carbohydrates content of tomatoes and high nutrient value, especially vitamin C, mineral nutrients and its antioxidant properties, diabetics can safely consume tomatoes without in any way endangering their health.
It will reduce their body weight which is very helpful in diabetics and the sugar in their urine is reduced.
6. Night Blindness
Tomatoes are very rich in vitamin A, the vitamin that prevents night blindness and poor vision. So for those with this problem, regular consumption of tomatoes will go a long way in ameliorating the condition.
Shortsightedness is also another eye condition which is caused by lack of vitamin A in the body. So regular consumption of tomatoes will ameliorate this condition.
7. Respiratory Disorder.
Regular consumption of tomatoes is also helpful in the control and management of respiratory problems like lung infection, tuberculosis and asthma.
The tomatoes can be eaten with garlic and this helps to reduce the congestion in the chest
8. Urinary Infection/Disorder
Taking tomato juice early in the morning has been found to be helpful in preventing urinary stone. Sufficient acid and vitamins A and C are beneficial to clearing the urinary tract of infective
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