Organic Tomatoes: Smaller But Healthier

Organic tomatoes are smaller, and healthier, than their conventionally grown counterparts.

The tomato is one of the world’s quintessential foods. It can be used in almost any dish imaginable. What would a hamburger be with a good tomato slice? Would pasta taste the same without a thick red tomato sauce? How about something crisp and refreshing to top your salad?

Tomatoes really can do it all. To get the most nutritional content out of your tomatoes though, you might want to buy organic.

Organic tomatoes may be smaller, but they are healthier than their treated counterparts. A new study published in PLOS ONE claims that organic tomatoes can pack up to 40 percent more nutrients, despite their less than intimidating size.

Researchers found that organic tomatoes had significantly higher levels of vitamin C, sugar and lycopene. The biggest benefit is the extra lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color. It has also been proven to lower the risk of strokes.

One theory behind the increased nutrition in organic tomatoes is increased stress to the plant. Without the help of chemicals and pesticides to fight off bugs and pollutants, organic tomatoes are forced to do the work themselves. Lycopene and vitamin C are both chemicals produced from increased stress.

Another health benefit of tomatoes is folic acid, which was recently shown to decrease the risk of autism.

Ultimately, the health value of the tomato will never be in question, unlike eggs. If you want the most nutrition out of you tomato though, it might be worth it to buy organic.

Are you surprised that organic tomatoes, while smaller, are actually healthier for you?