Cooked Or Raw Tomatoes: Which Is The Best Option?

Although cooked tomato contains more lycopene and has greater antioxidant properties, if we want to lose weight we will consume it raw to avoid anxiety about eating.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding this question: is it better to eat cooked or raw tomatoes? Each theory is based on diverse investigations. But then, who do we listen to?

The most appropriate choice depends on what condition we want to improve or how we want to feel. In this article, we will unveil the mystery of the most appropriate option for consuming tomatoes, according to the scientific information that we have been able to gather.

Tomato Nutrients

We know that this fruit (it is not a vegetable as many think) is healthy; but what does it actually contain? The US Agriculture Department notes that tomatoes have:

• Vitamin E.
• Potassium.
• Fibers
• Polyphenols.
• Antioxidants
• Folic acid.
• Lycopene

The latter is the substance that gives it the red color and is also present in other vegetables. The more mature the tomato is, the more lycopene it will provide. It is worth noting that when cooked, lycopene becomes easier for the human body to use.

We must also bear in mind that, when it is still green, it contains solanine. The book Comprehensive Natural Products II explains that this compound is an alkaloid that can be found, in addition to tomatoes, in the stems, leaves and shoots of potatoes.

Solanine is a natural defense of the plant to protect itself from predators and is toxic, even in small amounts. But pay attention! Do not confuse the green color of the lack of ripening with that of the miltomate (Physalis ixocarpa) . This is a much smaller species than the “traditional” tomato native to Mexico and that never turns red.

Do cooked tomatoes have more lycopene?

An investigation carried out by Cornell University in 2002 concluded that cooked tomatoes have a higher concentration of phytochemicals, such as lycopene, and, in addition, their antioxidant property is enhanced.

Which is the reason? It has not yet been fully determined but, apparently, it would be because of the water. When we eat the raw fruit we are ingesting 95% liquid and, when it is cooked, the water is lost and the lycopene is concentrated.

In addition, once it enters the body, it will accumulate according to the way it has been ingested. In simple words: if the tomato is raw, the lycopene is “lost” with the water and is quickly absorbed by the small intestine.

If it is cooked, it is “heavier”, it can stay in the body for longer since it takes longer to be digested and, in this way, the body can make better use of it.

Tomatoes cooked and with oil, even better

Unlike what happens with most vegetables and fruits, the tomato does not lose most of its micronutrients as it is subjected to higher temperatures. While it is true that its vitamin C content decreases, on the contrary, its antioxidant potential increases.

A publication in the journal Nutrition Hospital explains that, with heat, lycopene intensifies its antioxidant potential. Remember that antioxidants are compounds that fight free radicals to protect the body from various diseases.

Therefore, we recommend you take advantage of its benefits and prepare all kinds of dishes with cooked tomatoes. In addition to cooking or heating the tomato, it would be good if you added a little extra virgin olive oil.

A clinical trial published under the title Increases in plasma lycopene concentration after consumption of tomatoes cooked with olive oil suggested that cooking tomatoes, with seeds and skin, and a drizzle of olive oil would improve lycopene absorption.

Who should eat tomatoes?

The tomato is a healthy fruit whose consumption is usually advisable at any age (from one year of life, according to pediatricians), unless there is a food allergy. In this case, it will be the doctor who decides what to do.

In 2011, an article in Hospital Nutrition suggested the importance of consuming tomatoes for people with class II diabetes mellitus. This is due to the antioxidant effect that we have mentioned above.

Those who suffer from diabetes have an increase in oxidative stress and, therefore, a greater consumption of foods with antioxidant potential could be recommended. The maximum or minimum amount of tomato per day is not determined. It all depends on how the other intakes and foods are chosen.

People who are following a diet to lose weight can find tomato an excellent ally. Then. It is recommended that it be raw since, thus, it provides 18 kcal per 100 grams, according to data from the Spanish Nutrition Foundation.

Finally, it is worth noting that, although the tomato is the fruit that has the highest amount of lycopene, there are many other fruits that also offer it, such as strawberries, watermelons, cherries and pink grapefruits.

In short, there is no single answer to the question: is raw or cooked tomato better? Everything will depend on what we need from this kind food.

When in doubt, consult your doctor or nutritionist. No one better than him will be able to inform you about the best way to take advantage of the properties of tomato.