Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Fiber

Grape tomatoes are full of beneficial fiber. You need fiber in your diet so that your intestines can push out waste. This process allows you to have bowel movements and keeps you regular. Women need between 22 to 28 grams of fiber each day, but men need as much as 28 to 34 grams. Snacking on a 3-ounce serving of grape tomatoes packs about 1 gram of fiber into your diet.

Vitamin C

Grape tomatoes are chock-full of vitamin C. This water-soluble vitamin is not stored in your body, so it is imperative to get it in your daily diet. Vitamin C aids in wound healing, forms protein required for skin cell formation and keeps your immune system healthy. As an added bonus, vitamin C helps rid your body of damaging free radicals that destroy healthy cells. Women must get 75 milligrams of daily vitamin C and men need 90 milligrams, says MedlinePlus. Enjoying a 3-ounce side of grape tomatoes provides about 6 milligrams of the vitamin.

Lycopene

Red and orange fruits and vegetables, such as grape tomatoes, are rich sources of a vitamin-A compound called lycopene, a powerful phytochemical that has antioxidant properties. In 2005, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago published a lycopene study in the "Biochimica et Biophysica Acta" journal. Research participants were all diagnosed with prostate adenocarcinoma, a type of prostate cancer. For three weeks prior to surgery, participants consumed pasta with tomato sauce as a way to add lycopene to their diet. In this short time frame, researchers observed that oxidative stress and DNA damage to prostate tissues diminished significantly. Adding grape tomatoes to your meals promotes antioxidant activity in your body from lycopene. This can reduce damage to cells and tissues and possibly lower your risk of developing prostate cancer.

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