Tomatoes--- A Nutritional Powehouse and A Superfood

Who knew that secret to everything from disease prevention, to glowing healthy skin could be found in the world's most popular Fruit(vegetable)?. Tomatoes are a nutitional powehouse, due in part to their high amount of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes their red color, and may lower the risks of heart disease, improve vision, lower bad cholestrol and even decreasse the risk of nine types of commoncancer. Each American eats over 20 pounds of tomatoes each year. Botanically a fruit, tomato belongs to the nighshade family, along with eggplants, pepper, and potatoes. They are nutrient dense and low in calories- a cup of tomsato has only 32 calories, in addition to lycopene. The- ruby colored fruits are also loaded with vitamin A and C. But not all tomatoes are created equal. Organic tomatoes have higher concentration of Vitamin C and lycopene. Although conventional tomatoes are larger, the organically grown ones pack more of a nutritional punch. If you want gorgeous skin, you are lucky-- lycopene boosts pro-collagen, the molecule that keeps your skin firm and youthful looking. The same molecule may also help prevent sunburn. A small study showe that women who ate 55 grams of tomatoe paste each day had a 33 % increase in skin protection against ultraviolet (UV) exposure.