Tomato sauce is a key element of Mediterranean diet, and therefore good for our health and useful for many recipes. However, not everyone knows that cooked tomato with a light sauté of extra virgin olive oil, onion or garlic contains precious elements such as vitamin C, carotenoids and dozens of antioxidant substances including lycopene – the latter giving tomatoes their typical red colour. All this is useful for the well-being of the heart as well as to prevent various diseases.
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The cooking process is able to fix lycopene. At the same time, it does not alter the beneficial power of this element which activates during digestion protecting the cells of our body from oxidation.
Moreover, after cooking tomatoes become more bioavailable and have a greater probiotic effect in the intestine stimulating the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri, which is fundamental to keep the body in balance. The tomato is a summer fruit that can be used all year round.
ITALIAN ORGANIC TOMATO IN NUMBERS
Speaking about health, in 2019 the turnover of organic tomatoes in Italy was 250 million euros. Consumption is also on the rise, both on the domestic and foreign markets. In the last three years alone, sales grew by about +15% – with an increase in value of over +20%, which clearly shows the consumer’s interest in this product.
