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OUR YUCAIPA | MARCH 2016 15 HEY! This ISN'T an apple! We Said here's a piece of fruit, Susan. We never said apple. Tomatoes, which are actually a fruit and not a vegetable, are loaded with health benefits. One of the most well known benefits of eating tomatoes is the Lycopene content. Lycopene is a vital anti-oxidant that helps fight cancer cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene, and the tomato is so amply loaded with this vital anti-oxidant that it actually derives its rich redness from the nutrient. Lycopene is not a naturally produced element within the body and the human body requires sources of Lycopene in order to use this powerful anti-oxidant. While other fruits and vegetables do contain this necessary health ingredient, no other fruit or vegetable has the high concentration of Lycopene that the tomato boasts. Studies involving the tomato have cropped up all over the world of medical science. These studies have proven not only the benefits in preventing cancer, heart disease as well as high cholesterol are also in the tomato's sights. Cancers such as prostate, cervical, colon, rectal, and cancers of the stomach, mouth, pharynx, and esophagus have all been proven to be staved off by high levels of Lycopene. Researchers introduced Lycopene into pre-existing cancer cell- cultures and the Lycopene prevented the continued growth of these cultures. This is pretty powerful evidence that the health benefits of eating a tomato are really quite phenomenal. It takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene. This means that a daily glass of tomato juice has the potential to keep a person healthy for life. Tomatoes are equally as nutritious fresh as they are in other variable forms. When tomato products are heat processed the bioavailablity of the Lycopene actually increases rather than the anticipated decrease. Even with all the plentiful research that has gone into the health benefits of tomatoes, there is still more research being conducted as the medical science community understands that we have not fully tapped into the potential presented by a tomato just yet. Research is now starting to prove that there is a high likelihood that the consumption of tomatoes and tomato based products actually may prevent serum lipid oxidation and reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease. Tomatoes are by far the healthiest of the fruits and vegetables with the power to ward off some of the worst known diseases to man. With the vast variety of tomato products on the market, it really shouldn't be difficult to get the full health benefit of tomatoes but, if you would like to get the full health benefits of tomatoes and have some fun at the same time, consider raising your own organic tomatoes. You can even share a few with Natalie, if you like. Lord knows she's not growing any. Move over beans - Tomatoes are the REAL magical fruit