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What do tomato products have to offer?Tomato products can be easily integrated into a well balanced diet and are nutritious, convenient, and affordable. Products like sauce, juice, soup, whole canned tomatoes, and salsa can play a prominent part in a healthy and varied diet. No fruit or vegetable contributes more nutrients to the American diet. In addition to being convenient and affordable, tomato products are packed with vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and fiber. Both soluble and insoluble fiber helps with digestion, and tomatoes contain both. Fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, are low in calories and can provide a weight management benefit. Some tomato products also have enough soluble fiber to deliver heart health benefits. Tomatoes are a great natural source of lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant that fights disease. There is a large body of serious scientific research that suggests that consumption of tomato based products has a promising role in heart health, reducing the risk of cancer, and diabetes prevention and management; however, more than just tomatoes' famous ingredient, lycopene, is involved, the researchers say—added proof that healthy foods beat supplements most of the time. Accumulating evidence suggests that a concerted, synergistic action of various micronutrients is more likely to be the basis of the disease-prevention activity of a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Lycopene is fat soluble which means that in order for the body to absorb it, some fat like olive oil or cheese, must be consumed with it. When tomatoes are cooked, their nutritional value is enhanced because the lycopene is more bio-available. With regards to lycopene, tomato products are, in fact, better for you than fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes and tomato products provide 85% of lycopene to the American diet. Convenient & Economical
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