Life in the Red

Tomatoes Promote Robust Health

Chef Sal Marino of L.A.'s Il Grano grows his own

Birthed from the vine, tomatoes are inveterate wanderers. They originated in the coastal highlands of South America and from there traveled north to Mexico. The Aztecs included tomatoes in their feasts, and the Spanish conquerors spread tomatoes throughout their colonies and to Italy. Portugal passed tomatoes on to India. As the tomato wound its way throughout the globe, it was easily adapted into regional cuisines.

Wherever the tomato has journeyed, it has enhanced the taste of meat, fish and grains in sauces, salsas, ketchups and chutneys. But its omnipresence in world cooking has also enhanced health by delivering a rare nutritional component: lycopene. Lycopene is a pigment that gives tomatoes their characteristic red color and packs a punch as a potent antioxidant. The only known sources of lycopene on earth are pink grapefruit, watermelon and tomatoes. Of this trio of cancer-fighting fruits, the tomato has the highest concentration of lycopene and is also the most versatile and readily available.

Lycopene has been shown to help prevent prostate, breast, cervical, stomach and other cancers and to slow the growth of tumors. Diets lacking in lycopene—which appears to curtail blood clots—have been linked to increased risk for heart attack and stroke. By protecting against oxidative damage, lycopene may reduce the risk of visual disorders and lung disease caused by environmental pollutants.

Health Benefits: - Potent source of the antioxidant lycopene - May reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke - Reduces the risk of prostate and other cancers - May guard against visual and lung disorders - Chock full of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and potassium - Promotes healthy skin

Usually, processing robs food of its nutrients, but in the case of the mighty tomato, the opposite is true. Lycopene is more concentrated in cooked or processed tomato products and is also more easily absorbed. Eating tomatoes with a little fat aids lycopene absorption as well, so enjoying tomatoes with cheese or olive oil is both delicious and practical.

Let’s not forget the tomato’s other nutrients: it is high in vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and potassium. The fruit’s pH balancing effects have long been exploited as a salve for dry or acne-prone skin. At the Angsana Oasis Spa in Bangalore, India, and the Sivara Spa at the Amari Emerald Cove Resort in Koh Chang, Thailand, tomatoes are incorporated into body wraps for rejuvenating skin. Likewise, the tomato maize body masque at the Eldorado Hotel’s Nidah Spa in Santa Fe, NM, takes advantage of the natural alpha hydroxyl exfoliating element of tomatoes.

Whether you savor tomatoes in pizza or curry, or appreciate them on your skin, the redder the better—the protection is in the pigment.

by Rachel Levin

TOMATO SPA TREATMENTS Perfect Skin, Alla Pomodoro Angsana Oasis Spa & Resort Bangalore, India 91 80 284 68892 www.angsanaspa.com Tomato body wrap available seasonally. Nidah Spa at the Eldorado Hotel Santa Fe, NM 505-988-4455 www.eldoradohotel.com Offers a tomato maize body masque. Sivara Spa at the Amari Emerald Cove Resort Koh Chang, Thailand 66 (0) 3955 2000 www.amari.com Seasonally offers a body wrap of fresh tomato and papaya.

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