Homemade Tomato Sauce – Why You Should Eat It Every Day
Why is the tomato sauce so popular ? It’s easy. Tomatoes are a very popular vegetable and have amazing health benefits. Some studies have shown their ability to prevent certain types of cancer thanks to their high lycopene content.
Find out in the article below why you should consume homemade tomato sauce every day to help prevent various health problems.
What is Lycopene?
Lycopene is a red (also purple and orange) pigment present in fruits and vegetables. Lycopene is found in the following foods:
- Tomatoes
- Red pepper
- Watermelons
- Papaya
- Guava
- Strawberries
- Pink grapefruits
It is a carotenoid that your body cannot synthesize; only occurs in plant products. Therefore, the only way to get lycopene is to eat vegetables that contain it.
- Lycopene is absorbed in the intestines about 30 minutes after consumption, then it is deposited in the liver, testes, prostate gland and adrenal glands.
- Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight the damage caused by free radicals and those that cause cell aging.
Tomatoes or tomato sauce?
Tomatoes themselves are very rich in lycopene. However, the most interesting thing is that the high concentration of lycopene can be found in other tomato-based products.
Lycopene concentration per 100 g:
- Raw tomato: 2.573 μg
- Ketchup: 17,716 μg
- Tomato sauce: 28 764 μg
- Sun dried tomatoes: 45 900 μg
Health benefits
Consuming lycopene-rich vegetables is beneficial for the following benefits:
It prevents cancer
As pointed out at the beginning of this article, research shows that the lycopene in tomatoes can help prevent certain cancers such as prostate, lung and stomach cancer, and positive results have also been seen in pancreatic, colon, esophagus, mouth and mouth cancer. breast cancer.
Supports the cardiovascular system
Regulates blood pressure
Lycopene has the power to control blood pressure as it helps to thin the blood. Therefore, it is suitable for people with hypertension.
It helps with diabetes
For people with diabetes, regular consumption of tomatoes and other red vegetables improves the way the body uses glucose. It also helps insulin work properly and prevents some symptoms of diabetes, such as:
- Retinopathy
- Diabetic foot
- Intermittent claudication
Therefore, lycopene is very good at treating and preventing diabetes.
The best way to eat tomatoes
As mentioned above – tomato sauce is the best way to consume large amounts of lycopene. However, this antioxidant is not always absorbed in the same way; it depends on what the food is in and what other nutrients are consumed with it.
Absorption is significantly improved if we eat tomatoes with good quality fats and at a high temperature. Therefore, the most effective and healthiest way to consume tomatoes is homemade tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil.
You can make it even healthier if you add a little black pepper and turmeric. In this way, you will also make it an excellent remedy for all kinds of inflammation and organ aches and pains.
Ingredients
- 10 ripe tomatoes
- 4 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil (100 g)
- 1 teaspoon of powdered turmeric (4 g)
- 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper (4 g)
- ½ tablespoon of brown sugar (7 g)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt (12 g)
Preparation
- First, chop the garlic cloves and fry them for a minute.
- Then mash the tomatoes and add spices.
- Put the garlic, tomatoes and spices in a pot and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Eat the sauce hot.
