Tomato
<p >The word "<b>tomato</b>" may refer to the plant (<i><b>Solanum lycopersicum</b></i>) or the edible, typically red, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit" title="Fruit" >fruit</a> that it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas" title="Spanish colonization of the Americas" >Spanish colonization of the Americas</a>, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse" title="Greenhouse" >greenhouses</a> in cooler climates.</p>
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The tomato vegetable is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as an ingredient in many dishes and sauces, and in drinks. While it is botanically a fruit, it is considered a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable" title="Vegetable" >vegetable</a> for culinary purposes (as well as by the United States Supreme Court, see <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_v._Hedden" title="Nix v. Hedden" >Nix v. Hedden</a></i>), which has caused some confusion. </p>
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The vegetable is rich in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopene" title="Lycopene" >lycopene</a>, which may have beneficial health effects.
The tomato belongs to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae" title="Solanaceae" >nightshade family</a>. The plants typically grow to 1–3 meters (3–10 ft) in height and have a weak stem that often sprawls over the ground and vines over other plants. It is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_plant" title="Perennial plant" >perennial</a> in its native habitat, although often grown outdoors in temperate climates as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_plant" title="Annual plant" >annual</a>.</p>
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Tomatoes are now eaten freely throughout the world, and their consumption is believed to benefit the heart, among other organs. They contain the carotene<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycopene" title="Lycopene" >lycopene</a>, one of the most powerful natural <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioxidant" title="Antioxidant" >antioxidants</a>. In some studies, lycopene, especially in cooked tomatoes, has been found to help prevent<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate_cancer" title="Prostate cancer" >prostate cancer</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-24" >[25]</a></sup> but other research contradicts this claim.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-25" >[26]</a></sup> </p>
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Lycopene has also been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-26" >[27]</a></sup> A study done by researchers at Manchester and Newcastle universities revealed that tomato can protect against sunburn and help keeping the skin looking youthful.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-27" >[28]</a></sup> </p>
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Natural genetic variation in tomatoes and their wild relatives has given a genetic plethora of genes that produce lycopene, carotene, anthocyanin, and other antioxidants. </p>
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Tomato varieties are available with double the normal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C" title="Vitamin C" >vitamin C</a> (Doublerich), 40 times normal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A" title="Vitamin A" >vitamin A</a>(97L97), high levels of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthocyanin" title="Anthocyanin" >anthocyanin</a> (resulting in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_tomatoes" title="Blue tomatoes" class="mw-redirect" >blue tomatoes</a>), and two to four times the normal amount of lycopene (numerous available cultivars with the high crimson gene).</p>
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Lycopene has also been shown to protect against oxidative damage in many epidemiological and experimental studies. In addition to its antioxidant activity, other metabolic effects of lycopene have also been demonstrated. The richest source of lycopene in the diet is tomato and tomato derived products.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-28" >[29]</a></sup> </p>
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Tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer</p>
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,<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-29" >[30]</a></sup> head and neck cancers<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-30" >[31]</a></sup> and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-31" >[32]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-32" >[33]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-33" >[34]</a></sup> </p>
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Tomatoes and tomato sauces and puree are said to help <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_urinary_tract_symptoms" title="Lower urinary tract symptoms" >lower urinary tract symptoms</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_prostatic_hyperplasia" title="Benign prostatic hyperplasia" >BPH</a>) and may have anticancer properties.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-34" >[35]</a></sup> </p>
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Tomato consumption might be beneficial for reducing cardiovascular risk associated with type 2 diabetes.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato#cite_note-35" >[36]</a></sup></p>