By Dr Renita D'Souza
Tomato is a well-known versatile vegetable with high nutritional value. It is beneficial for health and prevents lifestyle disorders like diabetes, stroke, cancer etc. The 2 edible types of tomato are the 'current tomato' (Solanum pimpinellifolium) and the 'cherry tomato' (Solanum lycopersicum var cesariforme). Its leaves contain toxic alkaloids, so only the fruit is edible. Lycopene is a carotenoid found naturally in tomatoes and acts as an antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory agent. (or)
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Botanical name – Tomato Solanum
synonymously – Lycopersicon lycopersicum (LH Karst.)
Lycopersicon esculentum (Mill.)
Family – Solanaceae
Meaning “tomato”.
The term 'tomato' is said to originate from the Nahautl (Aztec) word 'tomatl' meaning – “bloated fruit”.
Botanical description
Solanum lycopersicum plants are vines that grow 6 feet or more. The leaves are hairy, compound, 10-25 cm long, each leaf 8 cm long. The flowers have 5 petals and are yellow in color. The fruits are red berries, globe-shaped, red in color when ripe.
distributed
Solanum lycopersicum is native to Mexico and is found cultivated in many parts of India
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Pharmacological activities
Solanum lycopersicum has anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antiplatelet activity, antifungal, antimutagenic, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, analgesic and adaptogenic effects. (F)
Medical uses
Hypercholesterolemia
dIABETES
Dysentery
Vasodilation
burn
scratching
Ulcers
Backache
Headache
gout
Sciatica
Skin and hair care
Rheumatic pain
Chest pin
Hoarse voice
Traditional uses
Rheumatism
flu
Severe pains throughout the body
Hay fever
Frequent urination
Profuse watery diarrhea.
Problems with the head, eyes, nose, heart
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Used part
Fruit
Legal remedies
- Fresh tomato juice extract is used to stop excessive bleeding from wounds.
- Fresh tomato juice is used to induce vomiting in children in case of food poisoning.
- The juice of the fruit externally is used to treat furuncles, scorpion and other insect bites. It is also used to lower body temperature
- Fresh tomatoes are also used in pregnant women to treat edema.
- The fruits are used as a purgative and act as a good solvent.
- Tomato sauces and purees are said to help reduce urinary tract symptoms.
- Half-ripe tomatoes are used to treat indigestion and summer diarrhea.
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benefit
- The presence of vitamin A and carotenoids in tomatoes promotes improved vision, bone growth and cell function and reproduction. Helps prevent the development of night blindness. Studies have shown that the carotenoid lycopene present in tomatoes has antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.
- Vitamin C and bioflavonoids in tomatoes help strengthen the immune system, bones, teeth and capillaries. Promotes growth and repair of body tissues. It is also useful in wound healing, cartilage repair and strengthening of other connective tissues.
- Vitamin E in tomatoes shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity in the body.
- Vitamin B complex is used to lower blood cholesterol, tissue growth and maintain neurological health.
- Research studies have found that eating cooked tomatoes provides protection against prostate cancer.
- Tomatoes are also a good source of potassium. Studies have shown that a diet rich in potassium helps lower high blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Tomato helps prevent excessive aggregation of platelet cells and thus supports cardiovascular health.
- Anticancer activity – The lycopene content of tomatoes has been shown to be beneficial in lung, stomach and prostate cancer.
- Diabetes – Tomatoes help to keep blood sugar levels under control. It is also helpful in reducing the cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.
- Anti-aging – The presence of lycopene makes it good for the skin
- Many research studies conducted have shown that tomatoes can be very protective against some neurodegenerative diseases.
- The presence of sulfur in tomatoes helps protect the liver from cirrhosis. (E)
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Chemical components
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, folate, niacin, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, iron, copper and secondary metabolites such as flavonones: Naringenin, chalconaringenin; Flavonols: Rutin, kaempferol, quercetin; Hydroxycinnamic acids: Caffeic acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acid; Carotenoids: Lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-carotene; Glycosides: Esculeoside A; Fatty acid derivatives: 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid. (B, C)
Viruddha Ahara
Wrong food combination with tomatoes
Unripe tomatoes or potatoes and alcohol
Unripe green tomatoes contain a large amount of solanine, which can interact with alcohol. You may feel more relief if the intake is more. (H)
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research
Anticancer activity – A research study “Anticarcinogenic Effects of Solanum lycopersicum Fruit Extract in Swiss Albino and C57 Bl Mice” has shown the protective potential of Solanum lycopersicum against skin tumors.
Antibacterial activity – A study conducted to investigate the antibacterial activity of Solanum lycopersicum aqueous extract against pathogenic Gram negative bacteria showed that tomato aqueous extract has maximum antimicrobial activity when diluted with honey than diluted with distilled water.
Vernacular names
English name – tomato
Hindi Name – Tamatar
Name Benali – Tameto
Gujarati name – Tametam
Punjabi name – Tamatar
Kashmiri name – Ruwangum
Kannada name – Tomayato
Malayalam name – Takkali
Marathi name – Tomato
Konkanni – Tomato
Tamil name – Takkali
Telugu name – tomato
Italian name – Pomodoro
Nahuatl – xictomatl
Russian name – Tomat
Spanish name – Tomato
Turkish name – Tomato
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Scientific classification
Kingdom – Plants
Phylum- Angiosperma
Order – Solanales
Family – Solanaceae
Genus – Solanum
Type – tomato
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Are tomatoes unhealthy?
I learned that tomato fruit is not recommended by Ayurveda because it increases all doshas. Is this correct?
Dr JV Hebbar
Certain types of food are unhealthy and add to the 3 doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha and cause disease. For example: poison, contaminated food, refrigerated food, carbonated drinks in large quantities, drugs, smoking, excessive alcohol, etc.
Our humble tomato does not belong in this category. So no 🙂 Tomato is not bad for health and does not increase all doshas. There is a myth that tomato seeds cause kidney stones due to their oxalate content. It is true that, in a patient with kidney stones, it is best to avoid excessive tomato seeds. But for a normal person, there is no need to cut and discard the tomato seeds.
