Tomatoes are low in calories and also provide folate, vitamin C and potassium. When selecting fresh tomatoes, look for fruits with a rosy color, plump shape, blemish-free skin and a texture that's slightly soft to the touch. Tomatoes that are overripe, bruised or sunburned with yellow or green areas near the stem are lower in quality. There are many reasons to add tomatoes to your menu. Tomatoes, particularly in cooked products like spaghetti sauce, appear to reduce our risk for certain diseases.
Lycopenes are responsible for the red color of tomatoes.
These natural colorants in the carotenoid family are powerful antioxidants and, according to several research studies, they may offer protection against certain types of cancer, particularly prostate cancer. In one study of 12 prostate cancer patients and 12 healthy males of the same ages, researchers found lower levels of lycopene in the blood and tissue in the cancer patients compared to the healthy males. Other researchers have concluded that lycopenes appear to protect our DNA from damage that could lead to cancer. If you have a bumper crop of tomatoes or happen upon a bounteous farmers' market and decide to preserve them, remember that all tomato varieties should be acidified with lemon juice or citric acid before canning them. Tomatoes varieties have changed over the years, and many varieties are less acidic than former varieties, so the acid is added as a safety measure.