TOMATOES and YOU

(By Solomon Mahoi, [pseudonym, "Abck Obba"])

March 28, 2024

Tomato is an edible berry of the Solanum lycopersicum plant whose origins are of western South America, Mexico, and Central America. Its botanical make up as either a fruit or a vegetable remains somewhat controversial, however, in this piece we would learn what these differences are and how beneficial tomatoes are to the human health.

Are tomatoes fruit or vegetable?

From a culinary standpoint, the classification of fruits and vegetables are based on taste in that while most fruits have sugary tastes, most vegetable on the other hand have savory tastes. But botanically, the classification of fruits and vegetables are dependent on which part of the plant they come from.

It is also important to note that fruit contain seeds, while vegetables are comprised of roots, stems, and leaves, giving tomato the technical duality of being both a fruit and a vegetable.

Health and nutrition benefits of tomatoes

Tomatoes are rich in antioxidant because they are high in lycopene, a plant compound that aids in the improvement of heart health along with preventing cancer as well as in protecting against sunburns.

African countries producing tomatoes at largescale

According to a 2014 research by the Food and Agriculture Organization, there are 15 African countries that topped the list in Africa, that produce tomatoes at largescale. These countries are as follows in ranking (from top to bottom), including their statistics in tons, of tomatoes produced:

Egypt 8 625 219

Nigeria 1 560 000

Morocco 1 219 071

Tunisia 1 100 000

Cameroon 880 000

Algeria 796 963

South Africa 564 740

Sudan (former) 529 200

Kenya 397 000

Ghana 321 000

Tanzania 255 000

Mozambique 250 000

Benin 244 742

Libya 225 000

Niger 188 767

Summary

Tomato is an edible berry of the Solanum lycopersicum plant. It is rich in antioxidant because it is high in lycopene, a plant compound that aids in the improvement of heart health along with preventing cancer as well as in protecting against sunburns.

Its juiciness, seediness, and sweetness in taste can have it pass for a fruit, while its chunky skin covering could have it pass for a vegetable.

So the next time you think of your heart health and general health, be sure to consider consuming tomatoes as part of your diet because the fiber in them enhances bowel movements that could minimize the potential for disease like intestinal cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Source/Credit:

Credit on the health and nutrition benefit of tomatoes goes to www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/tomatoes#bottomline

Credit on tomatoes being fruit or vegetable goes to www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-tomato-a-fruit

Credit on the top 15 African countries producing tomatoes at largescale goes to www.researchgate.net/figure/The-top-15-tomato-producing-countries-in-Africa_tbl1_283507662