Are you eating tomatoes correctly?

Although there are many people who are picky about vegetables, few people don't like tomatoes. Tomatoes are sweet and sour, easy to cook, and delicious whether eaten raw or cooked. Whether it is Chinese tomato stewed beef brisket, tomato scrambled eggs, or tomato sauce and ketchup in Western cuisine, the sour, sweet, and colorful tomatoes can always add the finishing touch to the food. With its good taste and low price, tomatoes have become a vegetable suitable for all ages and all seasons. It is a good example of healthy food in the minds of the public because it contains high vitamins, rich lycopene, and relatively low calories.

Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Studies have confirmed that lycopene and other antioxidant vitamins in tomatoes give them good antioxidant properties. Among them, the antioxidant activity of lycopene is 10 times higher than that of vitamin E. Eating tomatoes is also beneficial for preventing cardiovascular diseases. Studies have found that eating tomatoes every day is beneficial for reducing serum lipid peroxides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation levels. The antioxidants in tomatoes can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, eating tomatoes and tomato-related products regularly is also beneficial for reducing the occurrence of inflammation and reducing the chance of thrombosis.

In addition, nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folic acid in tomatoes are beneficial for preventing lead poisoning, accelerating wound repair, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, and helping diabetic patients control blood sugar. Although the vitamin C content in tomatoes is not outstanding (about 20 mg in 100 grams, less than one-fifth of kiwi), it is mainly eaten raw or made into tomato sauce, and there are acidic conditions to protect vitamin C, so the loss of vitamin C is small and the utilization efficiency is relatively high. Some research results also show that eating tomatoes is beneficial to promoting skin, bone and brain health.

The trouble with tomatoes

There is no perfect food in the world. Even common vegetables like tomatoes can have obvious side effects on the human body if eaten too much and too frequently for some people! Here we will talk about the "flaws" of tomatoes found in medical research, and see who is not suitable to eat more tomatoes and tomato products such as ketchup.

1. People who are allergic to tomatoes

Although many people don't know it, tomatoes are a known allergen. People who are allergic to tomatoes experience different symptoms after eating them, such as sneezing, eczema or rash, itchy throat, and swelling of the mouth and face. In some cases, some people may experience allergic reactions (such as dermatitis) even from simple contact with tomatoes. In addition, the European Food Safety Authority states that excessive consumption of tomatoes can cause the accumulation of certain metal elements, which can have adverse effects on certain sensitive people. For example, studies have found that nickel is one of the common heavy metals in contaminated tomatoes. Short-term contact can cause allergic reactions, while long-term contact can affect the development and reproduction of the animals studied.

2. People with renal impairment

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services points out that people with kidney problems should reduce their potassium intake, and tomatoes contain a high concentration of potassium. The daily intake of other vegetables may not be too high, but it is easy to eat several tomatoes in a row, which is undoubtedly a burden for patients with chronic renal dysfunction and impaired kidney potassium excretion (of course, eating too much fruit is the same, because almost all fruits are rich in potassium).

3. People with stomach diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is mainly related to eating habits, and eating tomatoes and their products is one of the main causes of inducing and aggravating gastroesophageal reflux disease. In this disease state, a large amount of stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus, causing acid reflux and burning sensation in the stomach and throat. In short, people with stomach problems are not suitable for eating a lot of raw tomatoes or drinking a lot of tomato juice. Please note that eating a small amount of dishes containing tomatoes is not a taboo.

4. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common gastrointestinal disease, whose symptoms mainly include abnormal bowel movements, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, and frequent episodes of constipation or diarrhea. Eating habits are one of the important factors in causing or preventing this disease.

First, the allergenicity of tomatoes may cause intestinal problems in some people. In addition, the skin and seeds of tomatoes may be irritating to some people, causing bloating and diarrhea, especially when eaten raw (of course, eating fruits with small seeds such as blueberries, strawberries, mulberries, etc. can also have an irritating effect).

5. People who are prone to stomach and abdominal pain

Unripe green tomatoes contain an alkaloid, solanine, which is somewhat toxic and can be used to help plants resist insects, fungi and bacteria. As tomatoes mature, the solanine content decreases and will not have a significant impact on most people. However, for some sensitive people, eating a large amount of tomatoes may still cause gastrointestinal discomfort and pain (other Solanaceae foods such as potatoes, eggplants, green peppers, wolfberries, etc. may also have similar risks). In addition, studies have found that tomatoes and other Solanaceae foods can aggravate the inflammation and pain of arthritis.

6. People with urinary incontinence and cystitis

Sour fruits, vegetables and beverages are generally considered potential bladder irritants. For some sensitive people, they may increase the risk of urinary incontinence. Sour tomatoes are no exception. Some experts say that excessive consumption of certain foods, such as tomatoes, chocolate, caffeinated beverages and certain foods containing artificial sweeteners, may cause cystitis and aggravate the symptoms of bladder diseases. Studies have also shown that tomatoes and their products have adverse effects on painful bladder syndrome.

7. Migraine

Diet is considered to be one of the predisposing factors that affect the onset, duration, and severity of migraine. In a case-control study of 170 patients with migraine, it was found that the case group consumed significantly more vegetables, including tomatoes. There are also experiments showing that eating tomatoes has a significant effect on the onset of migraine.

8. People who are concerned about skin discoloration

Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a potent antioxidant with unique health benefits. However, consuming large amounts of tomatoes can lead to extra amounts of lycopene in the blood, which can cause skin discoloration and redness, known as lycopenemia. This is similar to the yellowing of the skin after eating too many carrots (carotenemia). Although the red color of the skin will gradually fade after stopping eating tomatoes, and this coloration has not been found to have adverse health effects, the redness of the skin itself can still make people feel unhappy.

Do you need to stay away from tomatoes?

After reading the above studies, you may sigh: It turns out that tomatoes have a dual face of angel and devil! In fact, it is only some sensitive people who may have so many side effects if they eat too much tomatoes. For most healthy people, eating one or two tomatoes every day will not cause any trouble. On the contrary, eating tomatoes has more benefits.

From the perspective of lycopene, the American Nutrition and Health Products Association conducted a risk assessment on lycopene and proposed that the safe dose of lycopene is 75 mg/day. The lycopene content in fresh and ripe tomatoes is generally 31-37 mg/kg. This means that you would have to eat more than 2 kg of tomatoes every day to experience adverse effects!

my country's dietary guidelines recommend eating 300 to 500 grams of vegetables every day, half of which should be dark green vegetables, mainly green leafy vegetables. The amount of tomatoes is not specified, but it is definitely less than half of the total. Usually people do not eat more than 200 grams of tomatoes a day. In this case, whether it is the potassium element (about 200 mg) or the amount of lycopene (about 6 mg) contained in it, it generally does not cause any adverse reactions for healthy people. As a low-energy-density, high-nutrient-density, antioxidant-rich food, eating 1 tomato or 1 spoon of tomato sauce every day is a very healthy eating habit.

These studies only suggest that some people with certain medical conditions need to limit their tomato intake, including those with arteritis, migraines, kidney disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and those who are prone to abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The inspiration we can get from the above research is:

1. There is no perfect food in the world that is suitable for everyone to eat;

2. What others consider good food may be troublesome food for some people;

3. For different people, each food has its appropriate intake.

Excessive consumption may cause side effects;

4. Eat a variety of foods and don’t always focus on a few “healthy star” foods

Eat it, which helps avoid potential adverse effects of food.

Further reading: "Fan Zhihong: Eating Choices"