Eat Tomatoes To Curb Diseases After 40 | Health Benefits of Tomato | Tomato Facts

Once you hit 40, your body starts to change and you are likely to encounter health problems you’ve not had before. Not only will you be more prone to lifestyle diseases but also have a longer recovery time. It is therefore essential to take extra measures to make sure you are hale and hearty.

Eating ‪‎tomatoes‬ can come in handy to keep several diseases at bay. This is because they are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene. Tomatoes protect one against the formation of cancer cells in the body. They also protect the walls of the arteries from thickening. This prevents heart diseases.

Not just this, tomato juice is helpful in protecting against prostate cancer, lung and stomach cancers as well. So if you are looking for a remedy to keep health problems away, make sure you include this red ‪fruit‬ in your ‪diet‬.

Health Benefits of Tomato 

1. Cleanse and tone skin. Get your hands messy and mash one tomato and one avocado into a facial mask. Smooth onto your skin and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. The tomato deep-cleans dirt and debris, while the avocado restores moisture. Wash off with lukewarm water and pat face dry. 

Tip : Because tomatoes are highly acidic, it may sting or burn. I always recommend testing a small area first.

2. Get rid of oily skin : The above routine can reduce shine, too. Vitamins C and A, as well as amino acids, are known for their oil-minimizing properties. Just be sure to follow up with a hydrating moisturizer immediately after cleansing. 

3. Treat acne and remove blackheads : A tomato's acidity is powerful enough to clear up pimples and blemishes. Simply apply the pulp to the affected area for up to 30 minutes each day, and then rinse off. Do this consistently over two weeks and you will begin to notice fewer breakouts.

4.  Add shine to a dull complexion : Want glowing skin in under 15 minutes? No big deal when you've got tomato juice. Just add a bit of honey until you've created a thick paste. Rub the gooey mask onto your face, relax while it does its thing and then wash off.

5. Remedy sunburns : Laid out in the sun for too long and ended up with a painful burn ? Soothe your skin by rubbing on a cool blend of tomato and yogurt. 

6. Shrink large pores : Combine one tablespoon of fresh tomato juice and two drops of lime juice in a small bowl. Dab a cotton swab into the mixture and swipe onto your face in upward circular motions. After about 10 minutes, rinse the pore-shrinking solution off with cool water.

7. Condition dry hair and relieve an itchy scalp : Once you've shampooed your hair, pour tomato juice onto your strands and leave on for five minutes. The homemade conditioner will not only remove buildup, but it will hydrate parched locks. Rinse with cold water.

Fun Facts About Tomato

• Tomatoes are the fruit of the tomato plant. They originated in the South American Andes around the area of modern day Peru and was first used as a food by the Aztec's in Southern Mexico.
• Because the tomato has seeds and grows from a flowering plant botanically it is classed as a fruit not a vegetable.
• In 1887, U.S. tariff laws imposed a duty on vegetables, but not on fruits. This meant the status of tomatoes become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nix v. Hedden that tomatoes were to be considered vegetables, based on the popular definition that classifies vegetables by use, where they are usually served with dinner and not as a dessert. However, the courts did not reclassify the tomato botanically, it is still a fruit.
• Tomatoes are the state vegetable of New Jersey. They are the official state fruit of Ohio and tomato juice is the official beverage of Ohio. However, Arkansas took both sides by stating the South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato as the state fruit and state vegetable, due to its culinary and botanical classifications.
• In cooler climates tomatoes are usually grown in glasshouses (greenhouses).
• China is the largest producer of tomatoes, accounting for one quarter of the worlds production in 2009. The United States and India and the second and third highest producers respectively.  
• Pretty much all tomato varieties are red although other colors are possible including green, yellow, orange, pink, black, brown, white, and purple.
• There are more than 7500 tomato varieties grown around the world.
• Types of tomatoes include slicing (globe) tomatoes used in processing and for fresh eating. Beefsteak tomatoes are large, often used for sandwiches. Oxheart tomatoes vary in size and are shaped like large strawberries. Plum tomatoes (including pear tomatoes), are usually oblong, and used in tomato sauce and paste. Cherry tomatoes are small round, often sweet and eaten whole in salads. Campari tomatoes are sweet and juicy of small to medium size.
• Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that is good for the heart and effective against certain cancers. Cooked tomatoes are actually better for you than raw ones, as more beneficial chemicals are released. Tomatoes are also packed with vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium.
• The tomato is eaten in many different ways, raw like a fruit, as an ingredient in many dishes, sauces, salsas, salads, processed into ketchup or tomato soup. Tomato juice is made as a drink and used in cocktails like a Bloody Mary.
• Tomatoes are very popular in Mediterranean cuisines such as Italian. They are important ingredient in pizza and pasta sauces.
• The biggest tomato fight in the world happens each year in the small Spanish town of Buñol. The festival called La Tomatina, involves some 40,000 people throwing 150,000 tomatoes at each other.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The Guinness World Record for most tomatoes harvested from a single plant over one year weighed 522.464 kg (1151.84 lbs) with 32,194 tomatoes harvested between May 2005 and April 2006. The tomato plant was at the Epcot Science project at Walt Disney World Company, Florida, USA.
• As of 2013, the heaviest tomato according to Guinness World Record weighed 3.51 kg (7 lb 12 oz) and was grown by G. Graham in 1986, Oklahoma, USA.