Tomato: Cook It in Oil to Absorb More Lycopene

Tomato — มะเขือเทศ (ma-khuea-thet) — Solanum lycopersicum.

Cook it in a little oil, and your body absorbs more of its red lycopene pigment than from a raw slice. The edible part is the fruit. In one meta-analysis, higher tomato and lycopene intake was linked to lower prostate-cancer risk. A ripe tomato is also a source of vitamin C, which your body uses to build collagen and support normal immune function; provitamin A, which supports normal vision and healthy skin; and potassium, a mineral tied to normal blood pressure and healthy muscle function. In Som Tum Thai, cooks bruise ripe cherry tomatoes in the mortar so their juice loosens the green-papaya salad, eaten with grilled chicken and sticky rice. Nam Prik Ong simmers ground pork, chilies, and chopped tomatoes into a thick Northern Thai dip, scooped up with crispy pork rinds and fresh vegetables. Both the red fruit and the unripe green ones turn up in Thai cooking, raw or cooked. Growing your own? Indeterminate tomato vines throw small suckers at each leaf joint, so pinch them for better airflow and easier harvests.

Som Tum Thai — ส้มตำไทย (som-tum-thai)
Nam Prik Ong — น้ำพริกอ่อง (nam-prik-ong)

Food and nutrients

Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium

Research context

Cooked tomatoes (with fat) boost lycopene uptake, linked to lower prostate-cancer risk — Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2004

Sources

Source: Etminan M et al. (2004). Tomato products/lycopene & prostate cancer: meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13(3):340-345. PMID 15006906. Bioavailability: Stahl W, Sies H (1992) J Nutr, PMID 1432255

Narration transcript

Opening

A splash of oil in the pan pulls far more of the red pigment lycopene out of a tomato than a raw slice ever gives up — which is exactly why Thai cooks fry theirs. Tomato — มะเขือเทศ, ma-kue-a-tet — and yes, it's a fruit. You eat the whole thing, ripe and red or firm and green, bruised into som tum or simmered into nam prik ong.

Som Tum Thai (ส้มตำไทย)

In som tum thai, a green-papaya salad, cooks bruise ripe cherry tomatoes in the mortar so their juice loosens the mix, eaten with grilled chicken and sticky rice.

Nam Prik Ong (น้ำพริกอ่อง)

This thick Northern Thai dip, nam prik ong simmers ground pork, chilies, and chopped tomatoes together, scooped up with crispy pork rinds and fresh vegetables.

Nutrition summary

A ripe tomato is a modest, everyday source of vitamin C, with smaller amounts of vitamin K, copper, and potassium.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.

Potassium

Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.

Closing

Both the ripe red fruit and the tart green ones show up across Thai cooking, raw or cooked. Growing your own? A vining tomato pushes out little side shoots where each leaf meets the stem, so pinch those off for better airflow and an easier harvest. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.

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