17 Benefits of tomato soup
Tomatoes are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain lycopene, which has powerful antioxidant properties.
It is delicious, nutritious, and healthy. It’s also a great way to get your daily dose of vitamin C. In fact, studies have shown that eating just two cups of tomato soup per week can reduce the risk of heart disease by 50%.
Tomato soup is also a great source of fiber, potassium, folate, magnesium, and iron. And since tomatoes are low in calories, you won’t feel bloated after eating them.
If you’ve never tried tomato soup before, here’s how to make it from scratch. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and tastes even better than canned soup.
How to Make Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized onions
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes (about 6 medium)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Cut the tops off the onions and peel them. Peel and chop the garlic. Put the onions into a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and drain the water. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot along with the oil. Stir well to coat all ingredients in oil. Cover the pot again and cook for 20 more minutes or until the onions are soft.
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Chop the remaining pulp finely. Place the chopped tomatoes into a bowl. Sprinkle the red wine vinegar on top and stir well. Let sit for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
When the onions are cooked, remove the pot from the stove and add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Serve hot.
health benefits of tomato soup
1. Highly nutritious
Tomato soup is packed full of nutrients, including vitamins C and K, folate, potassium, fiber, lycopene, and antioxidants.
One cup of tomato soup contains over 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, and half of the daily recommended intake for vitamin K. Tomatoes are also rich sources of potassium, folate, fiber, and lycopene.
Tomato soup is also a great source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid, and zinc.
Tomato soup also provides B6, copper, manganese, selenium, and zinc.
And finally, tomato soup is a great source of protein, containing 8 grams per serving.
2. Rich in antioxidants
Tomato soup is rich in antioxidants because it contains lycopene, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Antioxidants help protect cells against damage by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that cause cell damage. They’re produced naturally when we breathe, exercise, eat, and drink.
Free radicals are also created during normal metabolism. The body produces them at a rate of about 1 per second. But our bodies produce fewer free radicals than we consume, thanks to antioxidant foods like tomatoes.
3. May have cancer-fighting properties
Tomato soup has been shown to reduce the risk of certain types of cancers. The most common type of cancer associated with tomato soup consumption is prostate cancer.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego found that men who drank two cups of tomato juice daily had a 30 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who didn’t drink any tomato juice.
Another study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating tomatoes may help prevent breast cancer. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who ate three or more servings of tomatoes each week were 40 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who rarely consumed tomatoes.
Although these studies aren’t conclusive, they suggest that tomato soup may be beneficial for reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.
4. Promotes healthy skin
Tomato soup is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects against sun damage. Lycopene helps protect against wrinkles, too.
Lycopene is found in tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, cranberries, and red wine.
5. Improves bone health
Tomato soup is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect bones against osteoporosis. Lycopene is found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, and cranberries.
Lycopene may help prevent osteoporosis because it increases calcium absorption in the body, helping bones grow stronger.
6. May reduce risk of heart disease
Research shows that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, helps protect against cardiovascular diseases. And studies suggest that drinking tomato juice daily may be beneficial for lowering cholesterol.
But there’s no need to drink gallons of tomato juice every day. One cup of tomato sauce contains only 1 mg of lycopene, which is equivalent to just 0.3% of the recommended daily intake of lycopene. So you can easily fit this amount into your diet.
And remember, when it comes to health benefits, moderation is the key.
eating too many tomatoes may have serious health consequences.
7. May enhance male fertility
Tomato soup may be beneficial to men who suffer from infertility problems. Tomato juice contains lycopene, a phytonutrient that helps improve sperm quality.
8. Boosts immunity
Tomato soup is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that boosts immune function. Lycopene helps fight off colds and flu viruses, and it may help prevent cancer.
Tomatoes are also loaded with vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and iron. They’re a great way to boost your immune system and keep you healthy!
9. Blood Circulation
The high levels of vitamin C in tomatoes make them an effective treatment for people suffering from poor circulation. Vitamin C improves blood flow by increasing collagen production in the walls of arteries. This makes the skin smoother and healthier looking.
10. Reduces stress & anxiety
According to research conducted at the University of Maryland Medical Center, tomato paste reduces stress and anxiety in mice. Scientists believe that one reason for this effect is due to the presence of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. Serotonin is produced naturally in the brain, but its level decreases as we age. It has been suggested that supplementing the diet with foods containing natural sources of serotonin could help alleviate depression symptoms.
11. Relieves constipation
One cup of tomato soup contains about 2 grams of dietary fiber. Fiber helps move waste through the digestive tract and prevents constipation.
12. Improves vision
tomato soup is a good source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, all of which are essential nutrients needed for eye health. Lutein is important for protecting eyesight, while zeaxanthin protects eyes from damage caused by ultraviolet light. Beta-carotene keeps the retina healthy and supports night vision.
13. Promotes weight loss
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition showed that eating canned tomatoes along with other vegetables helped volunteers lose more weight than those who ate the same number of calories but didn’t include tomatoes. Tomatoes contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which breaks down starches in food and turns them into energy. PPO is present in large amounts in tomatoes, so they’re ideal for use in cooking or baking.
14. control blood sugar level
A study published in Diabetes Care suggests that consuming tomato products may help control blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Researchers suggest that lycopene found in tomatoes may reduce insulin resistance, a condition where cells become less sensitive to insulin and glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes.
15. Helps lower cholesterol
Eating a serving of cooked tomatoes daily (about 1/2 cup) was shown to significantly decrease total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that adding just half a cup of chopped tomatoes to the diet of overweight adults led to significant reductions in triglycerides and small dense LDL particles.
16. They Could Fight Aging
tomato soup is antiaging because it increases the activity of SIRT1, a protein that plays a key role in preventing cellular aging. According to a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, sirtuins increase calorie burning and protect against obesity and metabolic syndrome.
17. Boost Your Mood
Drinking tomato soup boosts our mood because they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that makes your body produce serotonin, a chemical messenger that affects how you feel. When you eat a meal rich in tryptophan, your body produces serotonin. So if you’re feeling blue, have some tomato soup!
Conclusion
In conclusion, tomato soup is very beneficial for human health, especially for people suffering from chronic diseases. This vegetable is high in vitamin C and low in sodium, making it perfect for diabetics. Moreover, it’s also a great way to boost your immune system.
