Today, tomatoes are widely recognized as a vegetable with strong anti-disease, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties. However, many people prefer to peel them before eating due to concerns about pesticides.
What they may not realize is that tomatoes, being a fruit of the Solanaceae family, have the least amount of pesticide residue among various vegetables. Therefore, there is no need to be overly concerned about pesticide residues. Moreover, because the tomato skin is very thin, it has almost no impact on the release of lycopene from the flesh during processing or consumption. On the contrary, the intentional peeling process can cause lycopene to be easily lost along with the juice. Additionally, tomato skin is rich in dietary fiber, which helps maintain intestinal health after consumption.
Speaking of lycopene, consuming 5-10 milligrams per day is sufficient to effectively reap its anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits. Besides eating tomatoes directly, you can also frequently use tomato paste, ketchup, or tomato sauce to cook dishes. Dishes made with tomato paste are not only colorful and delicious but also help preserve vitamin C in food, truly killing two birds with one stone.
Using small tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, watermelon, or papaya as snacks, it is best to pair them with yogurt to create a sweet treat. This allows the small amount of fat in yogurt to increase the absorption rate of lycopene. Watermelon and papaya are also very rich in lycopene.