Plant atlas Short
Tomato: Cook It in Oil to Absorb More Lycopene
Tomato · มะเขือเทศ · Solanum lycopersicum
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. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Som Tum Thai — ส้มตำไทย (som-tum-thai)
Nam Prik Ong — น้ำพริกอ่อง (nam-prik-ong)
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
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
#LongevityBiome #ThaiHerbs #Tomato
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