Close Menu
Urban Ag News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Urban Ag News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    SUBSCRIBE
    • Greenhouse
    • Vertical Farm
    • Business
    • Technology
    • Functional Food
    • Climate
    • Education
    • Organics
    Urban Ag News
    Home»Blog»EatThis»Have you had your BLT today? Part 3: Tomatoes
    EatThis

    Have you had your BLT today? Part 3: Tomatoes

    By Janet ColstonNovember 2, 2020Updated:August 6, 2021No Comments4 Mins Read
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email WhatsApp

    Bell pepper, Leafy greens and TOMATO 

    By Janet Colston

    These are the most common salad items added to our weekly shopping basket and they supplement our food plates adding nutrients to our diets. We want to delve deeper into their additional phytonutrients and this week it’s the ubiquitous Tomato. 

    Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

    Is it a fruit or a vegetable? This is a question that often comes up when people discuss tomatoes. The answer is it’s both; the botanical definition of a fruit is a ripened flower ovary that contains seeds whereas vegetables are roots, leaves, or other secondary parts and generally lower fructose content [1]. Nutritionists consider the tomato a vegetable as they are more likely to be added to savoury dishes although cape gooseberry (physalis peruviana), also called ground cherry tomato or husk tomato is often added to sweet desserts in the UK. Although the ground cherry comes from the same nightshade family (Solanum) as tomatoes, they are a completely different fruit. Tomatillos (physalis isocarpa), also called wild husk or green tomatoes are one of the oldest cultivated plants. Domesticated by the Aztecs as early as 800 BC, they are a great source of nutrition and usually added to pickles and sauces [2].

    Tomato consumption is known to reduce risk the of heart disease, cancer and reduces UV damage

    Tomatoes contain all the major carotenoids including alpha and beta carotene, lutein and lycopene [3]. They are particularly high in lycopene linked to many health benefits [4]. Lycopene is a naturally occurring red/pink carotenoid pigment found in many other fruits including pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya and guava. 

    Image from Vectorstock

    Lycopene has been extensively studied for anti-cancer effects linked to a reduction of the risk of prostate, stomach, pancreatic, lung, breast and skin cancer [5][6][7][8][9]. Consuming just 16mg of lycopene from tomato paste daily can dramatically reduce the severity of sunburn and help prevent age related macular degeneration [10][11]. It is generally thought that a diet rich in lycopene can help you live longer and protect the heart, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke [12] and reduce the chances of premature death by nearly 40% [13]. The average intake of lycopene in the US is around 8mg/day [14], much higher than other countries around the world [15].

    The CDC recommends 10 strategies to help increase consumption of vegetables in diets to prevent obesity [16]. Making a basic tomato stock is an easy way to access health promoting ingredients. We love chef Andrew Zimmern’s tomato stock recipe, why not give it a go with peppers, tomatoes and spinach.

    Growing Tomatoes

    Growing tomatoes in hydroponics can require a degree of knowledge but once mastered growing is straight forward. Generally they are started in ever increasing rockwool cubes and dripper at the base. Temperature range should be around 75-85 Fahrenheit and not allowed to drop below 60 at night. Remember tomatoes need lower nitrogen and higher potassium levels in a tight pH range 5.6-5.8 to ensure good flowering and fruiting. More detailed information is available from Hort Americas with their short course on hydroponic production of vine crops. The “Tomato Greenhouse Roadmap” from Hort Americas is designed to be a step by step guide to growing tomatoes.

    Remember!
    The CDC recommends the following measures in regard to COVID-19.
    How to protect yourself • What to do if you are sick
    Disclaimer: We are not doctors and do not prescribe this blog as a medicinal alternative to bona fide medical advice should you contract seasonal flu or Coronavirus.


    Janet Colston PhD is a pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.

    Share this:

    • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
    • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
    • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
    • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
    • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
    Janet Colston

    Contributing writer for Urban Ag News and Co-founder of The Functional Plant Company. Janet Colston PhD is pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.

    Related Posts

    Choose your banker crops well and you will laugh all the way to the bank

    March 31, 2025

    Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? 

    January 13, 2025

    Can CEA save Ginseng?

    November 6, 2024
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    About UAN

    Urban Ag News strives to be the leading science communicator for the commercial hydroponics, greenhouse vegetable, vertical farming and urban agriculture industries. Read more...

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Donate
    • Subscribe to our Newsletter
    • Jobs in Urban Agriculture
    © 2025 CHIGGINS CONSULTANCY

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.