It’s no secret that eating well is often a virtuous circle in which you can end up maximizing nutrients by conveniently combining ingredients. A kind of naturally chemical alchemy where we can multiply the virtues of our grocery basket without hardly noticing.
Not for nothing, part of the mysteries of the majority of the world’s healthiest diets owe themselves to this blend of factors. Therefore, on many occasions, trends that aim to single out a food without considering its context fall into a reductionist error.
Yes, obviously there are foods that work very well on their own. Just as there are foods that perform poorly when taken separately. But today we will stay with a classic of Mediterranean cooking if we want to protect our heart. Something we’ve discussed several times at THE OBJECTIVE.
That is precisely what cardiologist Aurelio Rojas, known for his outreach work, explained on his Instagram account. For this, he highlighted the tomato and how, thanks to olive oil, it can have an enhanced heart-health benefit.
Tomato Against Cardiovascular Risk
We often skim the virtues of the tomato, staying on the surface, especially its high water content and thus its low caloric load. We also repeatedly emphasize the large amount of vitamin C it contains, where it’s estimated that about 25 milligrams of this vitamin—present in around 100 grams of raw tomato—would account for roughly 45% of our daily requirement.
However, if we talk about protecting the tomato’s vitamin C, we must keep in mind one factor: when we cook it, it is lost because it is a water-soluble vitamin and heat-sensitive. For this reason, long cooking times at high temperatures hinder the vitamin C’s performance within the tomato.
Another matter is what happens with lycopene, the antioxidant we want to highlight today to discuss the tomato’s cardioprotective factor. According to a systematic review, explained Dr. Rojas, “people with a higher intake of tomatoes or higher lycopene levels showed a lower risk of heart problems such as a heart attack.”
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James Whitaker
I’m James Whitaker, a UK-based journalist focused on emerging trends and everyday stories gaining attention across the country. I cover the topics people start talking about before they fully break into the mainstream. My work aims to stay clear, factual, and closely connected to how news is actually consumed today.