"Food Truth" Series | Can tomatoes whiten your skin? Talk about the benefits of eating tomatoes

As a common vegetable, tomatoes are delicious and nutritious whether eaten raw, cooked or made into soup. In the eyes of many people, tomatoes also have the effect of whitening the skin. Is this really the case? This article will show you how to do it.

Can tomatoes really whiten your skin?

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene. Vitamin C can inhibit the production of melanin, thus achieving a whitening effect. Lycopene has an antioxidant effect, which can remove free radicals in the body and protect skin cells from damage, thus playing a whitening role. However, the vitamin C content of tomatoes is only 10-20 mg/100 g, and vitamin C is only for external use. It does not mean that eating foods rich in vitamin C will definitely whiten your skin.

Therefore, the whitening effect of tomatoes is not so obvious, and only by eating them for a long time can you see the effect.

What are the benefits of eating tomatoes?

1. Lubricate the intestines and promote bowel movements

Tomatoes are rich in organic acids such as malic acid and citric acid, which can promote the secretion of gastric juice, increase the concentration of gastric acid, and help digestion and moisturize the intestines.

2. Regulate blood pressure

Tomatoes contain potassium, which can promote the excretion of sodium in the blood. It has the effects of lowering blood pressure, diuresis, and reducing swelling. Eating them in moderation can help regulate blood pressure.

3. Nutritional supplement

Tomatoes contain many nutrients, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium, sugar, etc. In addition, they also contain lycopene, glutathione, niacin, citric acid, malic acid, flavonoids and other substances, which are very beneficial to health.

Author: Liu Sinian and Lan Haobo from Luoyang Normal University

Review expert: He Jialiang, associate professor of the School of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology