Let’s bust a myth right off the bat: Canned foods aren’t always the nutritional underdogs of the culinary world. In fact, some of them, like tomatoes, turn into real superheroes once they go through the canning process.
Yeah, you heard that right! If you thought fresh was always best, prepare to have your mind blown.
When tomatoes take their journey through the canning process, they undergo a transformation almost worthy of a superhero origin story. According to Closer, the high-heat cooking method used pre-canning breaks down the tomatoes’ cell walls. This doesn’t just sound fancy—it makes lycopene, a mighty antioxidant, more available to your body.
Are canned tomatoes the secret weapon against free radicals?
Now, hold up, what’s this lycopene business? Well, imagine lycopene as your body’s own little superhero fighting against the bad guys—free radicals. These villains are responsible for premature aging and a truckload of health issues. But here comes canned tomatoes, capes flying, packed with lycopene to save the day. Lycopene is known for its “free radical scavenger” abilities, battling oxidative stress and potentially keeping some nasty diseases, like prostate cancer, at bay.
What’s more, tossing some canned tomatoes into your diet could be the equivalent of putting on armor against the sun’s harmful rays. Scientific studies have shown that lycopene from tomatoes can reduce skin redness and protect you from sun damage. And guess what? Tomatoes are hanging out with watermelon at the top of the lycopene content charts.
How to best enjoy canned tomatoes?
Switching gears to the practical side, let’s talk about adding canned tomatoes into your diet. Unlike their fresh cousins, canned tomatoes have a different charm. They’re your go-to for enriching sauces, stews, gratins, or soups with a depth of flavor that’s both easy and affordable.
But remember, the key to unlocking the full “free radical scavenger” potential of canned tomatoes lies in how you use them. Cooking with a bit of fat, for example, can make the lycopene even more bioavailable. So, next time you’re whipping up a meal, consider reaching for that can of tomatoes. Not only will you be adding a burst of flavor, but you’ll also be arming your body with the antioxidants it craves to fight free radicals and keep you in tip-top shape.
In a world where we’re always searching for the next big thing in health and nutrition, it turns out that our hero might just have been sitting in the canned goods aisle all along. So, embrace the power of canned tomatoes, and let them work their “free radical scavenger” magic in your meals and in your body.
This article first appeared on grazia.fr – Author: Luce Picat
