April/May
The Tasty Tomato
Erin Volentine
Possibly America’s favorite
vegetable, or should I say,
favorite fruit? It is one of the
main ingredients in many of our
favorite dishes and condiments.
Pizza, spaghetti, soups, salads,
ketchup, salsa, but how much
do we really know about this
delicious fruit? It’s got an
interesting history as well as
many healthy benefits and it can
be used in so many ways other
than in the dishes mentioned
above.
Although there is some
debate, it is most likely that the
tomato originated from the area
that is now known as Peru. It is
uncertain exactly how they made
their way from South America
to Europe. Some believe they
were brought back by Spanish
conquistadors. Others say they
were brought to Italy by Jesuit
Priests. It was first mentioned in
writing in Europe in 1544 when a
botanist wrote about them calling
tomatoes a new type of eggplant!
The tomato did not make it to the
United States until Europeans
brought it over. Talk about
taking the long way around! The
earliest mention of tomatoes
being grown here in the U.S. is
from 1710. Today they are grown
and loved in every state. They
come in almost every color and
in many different shapes and
sizes. In addition to their rich
history, they have a very rich
nutritional profile as well.
Most of us know that
tomatoes are a rich source of the
antioxidant lycopene, but did you
know that lycopene has been
connected to bone health? The
root of many chronic diseases
is inflammation and oxidative
stress in our bodies. The
antioxidants in tomatoes protect
against both inflammation
and oxidation. Fresh tomato
consumption has even been
shown to lower cholesterol, LDL,
and triglycerides. Research
shows that tomatoes can also
help lower the risk of prostate
and breast cancer. It is thought
that they are beneficial in
reducing overall cancer risk
however, other cancers have
not been as extensively
researched in relation to tomato
consumption. If you’re like me,
you didn’t need to know all of
these benefits to love them, but
now we can enjoy them even
more.
21 Days Raw
Your 21 Day Guide to
Going or Staying Raw
Incuding redipes,
pictures, meal plans,
tips, and grocery lists.
If you’d like to find out
more about Erin and the
services she offers, you
can visit her website
www.ErinVolentine.com.
You can also find her on
Facebook,
www.Facebook.com/
ErinVolentineRaw
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