What are the benefits and harms of tomatoes for a woman’s body: contraindications and norms for eating tomatoes

This fruit from the nightshade family is one of the most popular in the world: its annual harvest is more than 60 million tons. Sounds intriguing, right? In our article we will talk about familiar to everyone tomatoes, which, due to their natural qualities, have a positive effect on the female body.

The benefits and harms of tomatoes for a woman’s body

There is a strong opinion among people that tomato is a “male” product, as it can increase potency and prevent prostate diseases.

Let's find out how tomatoes affect the female body and whether there are any benefits from eating them.

Beneficial features

Tomatoes have gained great popularity due to their nutritional properties. Traditional medicine, supported by scientific research, gives tomato the highest rating as a natural antioxidant that normalizes metabolic processes in the body. Thanks to the vitamins and microelements it contains, this fruit is beneficial for the digestive and cardiovascular systems.

Eating tomatoes has a beneficial effect on women's health in many ways, such as:

1. Preservation of youth and beauty (improved skin color, condition of nails and hair) thanks to the high content of ascorbic acid.
2. Preventing breast cancer.
3. Prevention of osteoporosis during menopause occurs with the participation of phytonutrients (sources of antioxidants) contained in tomatoes.

What else are tomatoes good for? The serotonin they contain is involved in supporting the functioning of the pituitary gland and vascular tone, so varicose veins are least likely to threaten women who love tomatoes. Serotonin also affects a surge of energy and increased mood.

Harm from tomatoes

The question may arise: can such healthy vegetables as tomatoes be harmful to health? Imagine this happens, and you need to take it seriously.

There are contraindications to eating tomatoes for a number of diseases:

1. It is strictly forbidden to eat them if you have cholelithiasis and cholelithiasis, as they have a biliary effect and can provoke an attack as a result of the movement of stones in the ducts.
2. People with high acidity gastritis and kidney diseases should consume tomatoes in moderation.
3. Allergy sufferers also need to be careful when eating red tomatoes. They contain anthocyanin, a strong allergen that can cause gastrointestinal disorders, skin rashes, swelling of the tongue and oral mucosa, and even anaphylactic shock. With yellow varieties of tomatoes, the question of allergies disappears, since they do not contain anthocyanin.
4. In case of pancreatic dysfunction and gout, it is recommended to exclude tomatoes from the diet.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Tomatoes are classified as foods with a low glycemic index (10), so they are suitable for fasting days and all kinds of diets for weight loss. The calorie content of tomatoes ranges from 18 to 24 kcal (depending on the variety). In 100 g of product, 92 g are water, 1.1 g are proteins, 1.4 g are fiber, 3.8 g are carbohydrates.

Tomato lovers will rejoice to know how rich they are in vitamins, fiber, amino acids, proteins and enzymes. They contain almost all B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B9), ascorbic acid (in some varieties in large quantities), carotenoids, organic acids, macro- and microelements: magnesium, potassium, phosphorus , calcium, iodine, copper, zinc, fluorine. The fruits also contain mono- and disaccharides.

100 g of tomato contains:

• beta-carotene – 1 mg;
• riboflavin – 0.04 mg;
• vitamin E – 0.4 mg;
• folic acid – 11 mcg.

When and in what quantity to use

The benefits of tomatoes for the female body are priceless. But how many tomatoes do you need to provide it with the necessary components?

According to WHO recommendations, a person needs up to 400 g of vegetables, berries and fruits per day. If you divide them into five meals, you get 80 g per meal. Therefore, two tomatoes a day is a normal portion of vitamins and microelements, because the body also receives other healthy vegetables and fruits rich in fiber, enzymes and minerals.

For your information. It is better not to mix tomatoes with proteins and starches and consume them half an hour before eating the main meal.

Which form is best to eat?

The fruit grown in the natural environment is consumed both fresh and thermally processed or frozen. In any case, it will have a positive effect on health.

Fresh vegetables contain more vitamins and minerals, however, according to recent research by scientists, the antioxidant lycopene is better absorbed when stewing, steaming or boiling tomatoes. In frozen and dried (dried) in fruits, beneficial components are preserved provided that the fruits are ripe without the use of chemicals.

Tomato juice is equal in vitamin C content to orange juice, but, like any freshly squeezed juice, it should not be abused.It is recommended to drink no more than two glasses a day.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding

During pregnancy, folic acid, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine and lycopene, found in tomatoes, provide support for a woman’s immunity, prevent anemia and varicose veins, and also participate in the favorable formation of the fetus.

However, there are some nuances here. Tomatoes should be introduced into the diet delicately: in small portions in salads with vegetable oil.

From store-bought tomato juices, sauces and canned goods during pregnancy It's better to refuse.

There is an opinion that it is better for nursing mothers not to eat red foods. However, this rule does not apply so categorically to tomatoes. Yes, when breastfeeding, tomatoes should be consumed with caution, as this can have a bad effect on the baby’s health: there is a risk of colic, flatulence, and allergies.

Therefore, you need to introduce tomatoes into your diet gradually, starting with one quarter. In this case, it is necessary to observe the baby’s reaction. If there are no visible reasons for concern (redness, rashes, diarrhea, nervous irritability and other indicators of allergies), one small tomato per day will be acceptable, because it is a valuable product for normalizing lactation.

It is important to know! Yellow tomatoes are not considered allergens, are well absorbed by the body during pregnancy, and have a beneficial effect on cardiac activity and hormone function.

The benefits of tomatoes for weight loss

Due to its wide range of beneficial properties and low calorie content, this product is recommended for those who want to lose weight and do not suffer from diseases for which tomatoes are contraindicated. Organic acids normalize metabolism, lycopene breaks down fat, and chromium dulls the feeling of hunger.

Vitamins E and C help restore skin elasticity and reduce the risk of sagging after weight loss. However, fried tomatoes, sauces, pickled and salted tomatoes are not suitable for diets; it is better to avoid them.

If you drink 300 ml of freshly squeezed unsalted tomato juice (not in packs) every day 20 minutes before meals, replace fatty and sweet foods with cottage cheese, boiled/baked meat and fresh vegetables and fruits, then it is quite possible to lose from 3 to 6 kg in a month . Tomato juice is an excellent substitute for fresh tomatoes (up to five ripe tomatoes per day), but during the day you need to drink 1-1.5 liters of clean water.

Fasting days and diets are best carried out in the summer-autumn period - the season of natural ripening of fruits.

How to choose

How not to make a mistake when choosing the “right” tomatoes so that they only bring benefits to the body? Chemical fertilizers are used very often when growing fruits, and harmful substances can be found in any plant product.

If the amount of nitrates in tomatoes does not exceed the permissible limit, they can be eaten, but how can this be determined by their appearance? There are several rules:

1. If you want to improve your health with tomatoes, it is better to use products straight from the garden during their ripening season. The winter greenhouse vegetable is already a concentrate of chemical fertilizers to accelerate growth.
2. White streaks in a cut ripe vegetable indicate that it is oversaturated with chemicals.
3. To make sure there is a large amount of chemicals in a tomato, you need to let it fall on a hard surface.If a juicy tomato remains unharmed when it falls, it means that it contains a lot of chemical additives that the body does not need. The “correct” fruit, when it hits the surface, will crack and release juice.

Conclusion

The role of tomatoes in maintaining women's health cannot be underestimated. Their fruits contain almost the entire range of vitamin and mineral complexes, so necessary for a woman at any age.

Unless you suffer from a serious digestive disorder, gout, or allergies, don't neglect these vegetables. Whenever possible, use tomatoes from your own garden or choose ripe and juicy fruits grown naturally without the addition of chemicals or growth enhancers.