A Tomato a Day May Keep the Doctor Away

Articles→Plants→Edibles→Vegetables→Tomatoes

By Skip Richter

Summer means fresh tomatoes, but the tomato has not always held its lofty position as queen of the vegetable garden. At one time they were considered poisonous, then they were touted as an aphrodisiac. The French even adorned them with the name pommes d'amour, 'love apples'.

Though there is no evidence of their "amour-enhancing" abilities, tomatoes are now back in the news as health food. Apart from being a rich source of vitamins A and C, folic acid, and potassium, tomatoes have an additional beneficial nutrient. The compound lycopene, present in tomatoes and some other fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant that may help prevent prostate and certain other cancers, heart disease, macular degeneration, and other serious diseases.

While fresh tomatoes are a good source of lycopene, processed products like tomato juice, sauce, and paste contain even greater amounts. Breeders are responding with new varieties selected for higher than normal lycopene levels. Among the new arrivals is 'Health Kick,' a very high-yielding, plum-shaped saladette tomato that produces large, vigorous plants. The fruits contain approximately 50 percent more lycopene than other tomato varieties.

Together with Victory Seed Company:
Victory Seed Company Logo Victory Seed Company has all the seeds you want for your best garden in 2024.

For 25 years, the family-owned Victory Seed Company has provided the highest quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds to families across the country. We are passionate about providing you the best seeds available that give excellent germination, robust plants, and the harvest you want. With a catalog of over a thousand varieties, we have everything, and our prices are the kinds that we'd want to pay. We have hundreds of yesterday's heirloom vegetables, as well as today's award winning hybrid selections. Get to know us by visiting our website and browsing through our online vegetable seed catalog.

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )