Author: hfhadmin

Tomato, or red tomato (lat. Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a garden plant with a mixed position between fruit and vegetable. There is no single person who has not tried and enjoyed it. Tomatoes are used in many recipes, salads, sauces, soups, different specialties…

Today we chose to present you the health benefits tomatoes offer and to discover to you how healthy and useful tomatoes are. Is the mass consumption of tomatoes beneficial? Read in the text that follows…

People had not heard about tomato until the discovering of America. At that time Spanish people brought tomatoes to Europe and there had been mass cultivation of tomatoes everywhere.

Even though its fruit is the most used and healthy fruit in the world, its leafs and stalks can not be used for anything, because of certain toxins they have, so tomatoes are classified in the group of poisonous plants.

Tomato is one of the low-calorie food products, it contains 18 kcal in 100g which places it in the group of food products ideal for weight-loss diets. Almost 95% of the tomato is water. Carbohydrates 2.6%, proteins 0.9%, fats 0.2%. Tomato is rich in copper, but interesting is the fact that tomatoes contain more iron than chicken, fish and milk.

Carotenoids are also important, mostly because tomatoes contain over 600 types of carotenoids. Lycopene gives the red color of tomatoes, watermelon and other similar plants. More than 85% of the total lycopene we consume comes from the tomato.

If we start discussing about the health benefits tomatoes offer, we would really have many things to say, so we would mention only the most important health benefits you can gain if you consume tomatoes regularly.

Due to the high level of oxalic acid, tomatoes are excellent choice for the people who suffer from joint pain, rheumatism and joint capsule inflammations. Tomatoes are also excellent choice for people with cardiovascular diseases, because tomatoes protect heart and blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.

We already mentioned lycopene, and if you wondered why, you should know that lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant, even twice as powerful as beta-carotene, and ten times as powerful as alpha-tocopherol.

So, high levels of lycopene in tomatoes make tomatoes a strong ally in the fight against free radicals and real antioxidant bomb, which according to experts reduces the risk of many types of cancer.

Try to use more fresh and organic tomatoes, but in autumn always preserve enough tomatoes in order to enjoy their flavour in every month of the year. Its best to keep tomatoes freezed, because the quality of tomatoes preserved in this way is closest to the quality of fresh tomatoes.

Speaking of ketchup, we must say that ketchup is healthy, but only the home made ketchup. Other types of ketchup are full with additives which go beyond the useful effect.

So enjoy home made ketchup always when you can, by adding natural ingredients only, in order not to lower the quality and to receive all the benefits you get when you consume fresh tomatoes.

As we already mentioned tomatoes offer a lot of benefits and we only mentioned the most important, so we think it is not necessary to repeat that tomatoes are undoubtedly the richest source of antioxidants, which makes them powerful keeper of our health.

Maca (Lepidium Meyenii) has tonic effects on biochemical body functions. The most important effect maca has is its ability to improve endocrine function.

Endocrine system includes all the glands and secreted hormones which control important processes, such as fertility, sexual function, digestion and physiological processes in the nervous system and energy levels.

Hormonal regulation is responsible for all physiological properties which allow you to enjoy numerous sensations, including those related to sexual arousal, physical activity and emotional states.

Maca is also adaptogen, which means it increases the body’s ability to defend against physical and mental weakening, hence against potential diseases.

It is believed that this is achieved by maintaining the function of the pituitary and adrenal glands, which contribute to proper function of the endocrine system. Maca contains phytochemicals, flavonoids, glycosides and Isothiocyanates showing antioxidant effect.

It also contains significant amounts of amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals including calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamins B1 , B2, B12, C and E.

Maca Increases Energy And Vitality And Improves Psychophysical Health In Both Sexes

Maca allows the body to deal with physical, chemical and biological stress. It shows no toxic effects and increases resistance to stress and fatigue. Different doses of maca extract have shown to be useful in increasing physical activity.

Maca can be used as an excellent alternative to anabolic steroids for athletes seeking muscle hypertrophy. Unlike many other substances used to increase muscle mass, maca does not contain chemicals that interfere with normal functioning of the endocrine system.

Maca can also help the recovery process considering muscle fatigue after strenuous physical activity, measured by the production of lactic acid.

Increases Libido And Improves Hormonal Balance In Both Sexes

Maca stimulates the body to produce its own hormones to restore balance, rather than bringing hormones in the body from outside. The popularity of maca grows from day to day because of its excellent effects, fertility enhancement and aphrodisiac qualities.

Men use it to enhance fertility and sexual function. However, both men and women discovered that maca significantly increases libido and sexual desire, increases energy, stamina and the sense of general well-being. The primary analysis of maca indicated that the effects on fertility are a result of glucosinolates.

Chemical analysis conducted in 1981 showed the presence of biologically active aromatic isothiocyanates, especially p -methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which is known for its aphrodisiac properties.

A small double – blind, placebo – controlled study which lasted for 12 weeks, found that use of maca in doses of 1500 mg or 3000 mg may increase male libido.

Improves erectile function, reduces symptoms of impotence, enhances spermatogenesis and testosterone levels in men’s body. Maca can be useful for erectile dysfunction by improving the activity of endothelial L- arginine – nitric oxide.

The latent period of erection was reduced after oral administration of 10 % ethanol suspension of purified lipid maca extract for 22 days. According to a report of 2001 in “Asian Journal of Andrology” maca also increases the number, quality and motility of sperm in normal men.

Reduces Symptoms Of Menopause

Maca helps women relieve the symptoms of PMS and menopause, it reduces hot flashes and night sweats, normalizes sleep and stress levels are reduced when maca is included in everyday usage.

Maca has positive effects on menopausal symptoms which was shown in a study conducted in 2008 at Victoria University, Australia and published in the journal “Menopause”.

Fourteen postmenopausal women were freed from anxiety, mental confusion, decreased memory function, depression and sexual dysfunction when they used maca. Maca did not affect the level of estrogen or other hormones in this randomized, double-blind, placebo – controlled study.

Also, laboratory tests have shown that the levels of estrogen or testosterone did not react positively when maca was added in the supplementation.

Antistress Effects

Maca extract administered in rats showed reduction in several markers related to stress: stress – induced ulcers, elevated levels of corticosterone, glucose-lowering process and increased mass of adrenal glands. Maca also eliminates the reduction of free fatty acids in plasma produced by stress.

Manuel Sandoval at Albany Medical College showed that a culture of blood cells in the laboratory, was protected from oxidation because of the use of maca extract.

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According to a report published in “Chemical food ” in 2002, this result was shown due to the ability of certain components contained in maca, probably flavonols to prevent oxygen radicals. Isothiocyanates in maca extract also have antioxidant effects .