Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Published : January 16, 2018 5:26 PM IST
Including tomatoes in your diet provides a whole range of health benefits. It is not only rich in antioxidants but is also loaded with compounds, which protect the skin. Yes! Tomatoes are not just a food ingredient but can act as a natural remedy for common skin problems such as red skin and photodamage of the skin.
A 2001 study published in the Journal of Nutrition [1] revealed that ingestion of tomatoes, commonly consumed dietary source of lycopene, can provide protection against UV light-induced erythema. The health volunteers were asked to eat 40 gms of tomato paste, which approximately 16 mg per day of lycopene along with 10 g of olive oil over a period of 10 weeks. Another study published in the British Journal of Dermatology [2] revealed that using 55 g of tomato paste provides protection against acute and potentially longer-term aspects of photodamage. The skin protection factor was attributed to the presence of carotenoids. Carotenoids are efficient antioxidants capable of scavenging reactive oxygen species generated under conditions of photooxidative stress thereby helping to deal with photodamage of the skin and erythema induced by UV radiations. Here's more on how juicy tomatoes can enhance your beauty.
How to include tomatoes in diet
To reap the skin protection benefits of tomatoes, you can either make tomato chutney with olive oil or have a cup of tomato soup. Including tomatoes in your diet daily can also help you to deal with the ill-effects of UV rays on the skin in the long run. Here are few easy and tasty tomato recipes you must try!
References:
1. Stahl W, Heinrich U, Wiseman S, Eichler O, Sies H, Tronnier H. Dietary tomato paste protects against ultraviolet light-induced erythema in humans. J Nutr. 2001 May;131(5):1449-51. PubMed PMID: 11340098.
2. Rizwan M, Rodriguez-Blanco I, Harbottle A, Birch-Machin MA, Watson RE, Rhodes LE. Tomato paste rich in lycopene protects against cutaneous photodamage in humans in vivo: a randomized controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2011 Jan;164(1):154-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2010.10057.x. Epub 2010 Nov 29. PubMed PMID: 20854436.
