TOMATOES' USES & ADVANTAGES - Food & Health

Tomatoes' Uses and Advantages
Tomato (has the Latin name: Solanum lycopersicum syn. Lycopersicum esculentum) – (Indonesian: Rangam) is a plant from the Solanaceae family, native to Central and South America, from Mexico to Peru. The Mexican Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Aztecs used tomatoes in their cooking at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and after the Spanish encountered the tomato for the first time after their contact with the Aztecs, they brought the plant to Europe, in a widespread transfer of plants known as the Columbian exchange. From there, the tomato was introduced to other parts of the European–colonized world during the 16th century.
Tomatoes are a significant source of umami flavor. They are consumed in diverse ways: raw or cooked, and in many dishes, sauces, salads, and drinks. While tomatoes are fruits–botanically classified as berries–they are commonly used culinarily as a vegetable ingredient or side dish. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant in the form of Lycopene, which can help combat the effects of cancer–causing free radicals. Tomatoes also contain other antioxidants, namely Polyphenols, Naringenin, and Chlorogenic Acid. In addition, it turns out that tomatoes are low in Calories and Fat, but rich in Carotenoids, Lutein, Sugar, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Protein, Folate, and Potassium.