Make sure you always eat good quality tomatoes as they taste so much better

One of the reasons why we like the Mediterranean diet at Ukmedix News is that as well as being extremely healthy it is extremely tasty.  One of the core components of a Mediterranean diet is the humble tomato.

Recently Ukmedix News has come across research that shows that tomatoes contain a large amount of Lycopene which has been identified by scientists as being the core compound which activates the antioxidant affect of tomatoes. People who eat a good deal of antioxidant foods have been seen to not only be healthier but also to look younger as it has a good effect on the skin.

The researchers said that by eating tomatoes you can prevent the oxidation of the bad LDL cholesterol which is known to be the primary cause of hardening in the arteries which can lead to heart disease and heart attacks. Italian people who eat more than their fair share of tomatoes have among the healthiest hearts in the world. Italians also eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables all of which contribute to their good health. Lycopene is in fact the red coloring which makes tomatoes such a bright red colour and is also found in other fruits which have a red coloration such as watermelons, guavas and even in red chillies.

Another study which examined the effects of lycopene on the cholesterol levels in men saw that by giving the volunteers 60mg of the compound every day (which in fact equates to about 1kg of tomatoes), after a three month period the men had reduced their bad cholesterol levels on average by fourteen percent.

There are many different ways that tomatoes can be eaten. Tomato sauce on spaghetti, fresh tomato in a salad and sundried tomatoes are all delicious. Make sure you always eat good quality tomatoes as they taste so much better and this will stop you getting bored of them.  So that’s our advice from Ukmedix News today….keep eating your tomatoes!