The New Complete Book of Food
the botulinum organism, but there have been reports of canned tomatoes contaminated with
botulinum toxins. Tomatoes should therefore be treated like any other canned food. Cook
them thoroughly before you use them. Throw out any unopened can that is bulging. And
discard—without tasting—any canned tomatoes that look or smell suspicious.
Aseptic packaging. Tomatoes packed in aseptic boxes may taste fresher than canned toma-
toes because they are cooked for a shorter time before processing.
Sun-drying. Sun-dried tomatoes will keep for several months in the refrigerator. If they are
not packed in oil, they have to be “plumped” before you can use them. Plunge them in boiling
water for a few minutes, then drain, soak, chop, and use within a day or so. Or cover them
with olive oil and store them in the refrigerator.Medical Uses and/or Benefits
Possible protection against some forms of cancer. Tomatoes contain the red carotenoid (pig-
ment) lycopene, a strong antioxidant that may reduce the risk of some forms of cancer. Cook-
ing the tomatoes and consuming tomato products with dietary fats such as olive oil makes
the lycopene easier for the body to absorb. In November 2005, the FDA ruled that tomato
and tomato-sauce products (including catsup) may carry labels with health claims regard-
ing their ability to reduce the risk of prostate, gastric, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, but
that these claims must be described as “unlikely,” “highly uncertain,” and “highly unlikely.”
There is no evidence that pure lycopene, as in supplements, produces the effects of lycopene
in tomato products.
Pale tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, green tomatoes, and tomatoes ripened after picking
have less lycopene than deep-red tomatoes ripened on the vine.
Lower risk of stroke. Various nutrition studies have attested to the power of adequate
potassium to keep blood pressure within safe levels. For example, in the 1990s, data from
the long-running Harvard School of Public Health/Health Professionals Follow-Up Study
of male doctors showed that a diet rich in high-potassium foods such as bananas, oranges,
and plantain may reduce the risk of stroke. In the study, the men who ate the higher
number of potassium-rich foods (an average of nine servings a day) had a risk of stroke 38
percent lower than that of men who consumed fewer than four servings a day. In 2008, a
similar survey at the Queen’s Medical Center (Honolulu) showed a similar protective effect
among men and women using diuretic drugs (medicines that increase urination and thus
the loss of potassium).
As an antiscorbutic. Fresh tomatoes, which are rich in vitamin C, help protect against
scurvy, the vitamin C–deficiency disease.Adverse Effects Associated with This Food
Orange skin. Lycopene, the red carotenoid pigment in tomatoes, can be stored in the fatty
layer under your skin. If you eat excessive amounts of tomatoes (or tomatoes and carrots),