Tomatoes are naturally rich in lycopene. Lycopene is a phytochemical, which is a compound from plants that is active in the human body. Many studies have shown that lycopene can lower the risks of heart disease and some types of cancer.
Research by food scientists indicates that lycopene is more “bio-available” from cooked tomatoes. Just a few minutes of cooking was enough to raise the lycopene value. Even greater increases were seen after 30 minutes of cooking. Cooking decreases vitamin-C value, but the boost in lycopene may make eating cooked tomatoes better for your health than eating raw tomatoes.
Tomatoes are featured widely in Mediterranean cuisine. Therefore, enjoying Mediterranean dishes is one way of getting more lycopene in your diet.
Consider what you have learned about Mediterranean cuisine as you answer the questions that follow.