Interesting Tomato Facts

Tomatoes have been a staple of the American diet and with good reason.

These healthy fruits contain powerful nutrients that help protect against heart disease, premature aging, and certain cancers, especially prostate. Lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their rich reddish hue is a powerful cancer-fighting agent.

Starting with the basics, tomatoes contain large amounts nutrients. A single tomato contains 53 percent of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C. They also contain 15 percent DV of vitamin A, 8 percent DV of potassium, and 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of iron for women and 10 percent RDA for men.