Tomato Juice
Tomatoes are the basis of several common products from ketchup to spaghetti sauce. Though tomatoes are actually fruits, most people recognize them as vegetables because of their rich and robust taste.
Tomato juice has a multitude of uses from household cleaning to spicing up a meal. Most of us are familiar with tomato juice as the best way to get rid of the smell of a skunk, but besides that smelly fact, what else is tomato juice good for? It it possible that there are health benefits to raw tomato juice?
For starters, cold-pressed tomato juice is nutrient-rich, convenient, and easily accessible. If you are looking to add tomato juice to your diet, here are some of the benefits of raw tomato juice that you should know about!
You Should Drink Tomato Juice If You Want to:
While raw tomato juice might not be very high on your list of healthy foods, it does present significant health benefits. Whether you juice at home or buy it bottled, these benefits remain constant in serving of tomato juice.
Lower Your Risk of Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases
The carotenoid or fat-soluble pigment, lycopene, is responsible for the bright red color of tomatoes, as well as, other red fruits and vegetables such as grapefruits and cabbage. Recently, scientists have studied the compound’s health benefits. Early studies have had promising results that suggest lycopene is effective in lowering the risk for cardiovascular disease and cancer.
All of the benefits of lycopene have not been explored, yet. Further studies are needed, but it is likely that this carotenoid has many more positive effects on health. One can be sure that when consuming raw tomato juice they will be reaping the benefits of lycopene.
Avoid Potassium Deficiency
Potassium is one of the essential nutrients that the body needs to function properly. This substance can be found in all of the tissue throughout the body. It helps to keep the fluids in the body balanced at healthy levels. It also helps to regulate the contractions of the heart and other muscles throughout the body.
A deficiency in potassium is a major health concern. It can cause kidney stones, high blood pressure, and bone turnover. In order to avoid a potassium deficiency, you should be sure to consume foods that are rich in potassium, such as raw tomato juice.
Detox Your Body
One of the major benefits of raw tomato juice is its high vitamin C content. As one of the most important vitamins in the body, vitamin C works as an antioxidant. They are a huge part of the body’s defense against free radicals. These are toxins that the body takes in on a daily basis.
There is no way to avoid taking in toxins, but you can help your body in its quest to get rid of them. Consuming foods that are rich in vitamin C will help to replenish your stores of antioxidants, which are responsible for destroying and removing harmful toxins from the body.
Promote Blood and Bone Health
Tomato juice is rich in vitamin K. This rather elusive nutrient plays a huge part in making sure that our blood clots properly. Blood clotting is especially useful, in that it prevents excessive blood loss in the case of injury.
It is easy to overlook the importance of vitamin K when it comes to bone health. However, many of the proteins found in our bones are dependent on vitamin K to function and synthesize properly. This allows bones to maintain their strength and form. Vitamin K deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis. Consuming tomato juice can help to reduce your risk of developing the disease.
Maintain Efficient DNA Production
Folate occurs naturally in tomatoes. It is a fat-soluble substance that helps to lower your risk of heart disease, as it helps to lower levels of substances linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you are pregnant you should consider adding folate to your diet. It is usually prescribed by health professionals as a dietary supplement. It helps your body to split and synthesize genetic material such as DNA properly. It is also the primary factor in the efficient division of your cells.
Conclusion
The health benefits of tomato juice might just be one of the best-kept secrets of the juice industry. Not many people are familiar with all of the health advantages that they can expect from raw tomato juice, however, quick research usually results in people clamoring to include it in their daily diets. Adding cold-pressed tomato juice to your diet is a great move that will end with you taking in all of the nutrients and minerals that tomato juice has to offer.