Positive Health Online

‘Ketchup is a sauce of wellbeing’, Tomato Ketchup is a table product used in households, restaurants, canteens, etc. It is used with sandwiches, snack food items and for cooking many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Tomatoes are not available throughout the year and their prices shoot-up during lean season. Further, tomatoes cannot be conveniently utilized on or with certain products, whereas tomato sauce, ketchup and puree can. Tomatoes are perishable but ketchup has a shelf life of ten to 12 months. Hence, this product has become very popular and is used in large quantity.

The tangy sauce originated in the 17th century, in ancient China, as a brine of pickled fish or shellfish called ‘ke-tsiap’, also called catsup and catchup. One hundred years later, New Englanders created the definitive tomato ketchup when Maine seamen returned from Mexico and the Spanish West Indies with seeds of an exotic New World fruit called tomato. The tangy tomato ketchup quickly became a popular sauce for codfish cakes, meat, and other foods. HJ Heinz Co developed one of the first leading brands of mass-marketed ketchup. The classic narrow-neck design of the Heinz ketchup bottle established the norm for the industry.

Nutritive Values of Ketchup
Nutrient    (per 100g)    Water Protein  Fats     Carbohydrates Sodium    Vitamin C   Lycopene	Ketchup 100Kcal 419kJ 68.33g    1.74g    0.49g    25.78g 1110mg  15.1mg    17.0mg	LowSodiumKetchup 104kcal    435kJ 66.58g 1.52g 0.36g 27.28g 20mg 15.1mg  19.0mg	Tomatoes,Year-round  18kcal 75kJ 94.50g .088g 0.20g 3.92 g 5mg 12.7mg 2.6mg

Benefits

Tomato Ketchup is a natural source of the powerful antioxidant lycopene. The human body cannot manufacture lycopene or other carotenoids. In recent years, a number of population studies have indicated that a lycopene-rich diet may lower the risk of certain life-threatening diseases. In fact, experts say that lycopene from packaged, heat-processed tomato products is actually more absorbable in the body than lycopene from garden-fresh red tomatoes. Processed tomato products such as tomato juice, tomato sauce and Tomato Ketchup provide up to five times as much lycopene as an equal amount of fresh tomato.

More good news for those at risk of atherosclerosis, or just trying to avoid it, is that tomatoes in the ketchup are a very good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate. Niacin has been used for years as a safe way to lower high cholesterol levels. Diets rich in potassium have been shown to lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B6 and folate are both needed by the body to convert a potentially dangerous chemical called homocysteine into other, benign molecules. High levels of homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls, are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. All these nutrients work together to make tomatoes a truly heart-healthy food. In a cup of tomato, you will get 11.4% of the daily value for potassium, 5.6% of the DV for niacin, and seven percent of the DV for B6, and 6.8% of the DV for folate.

Dr Edward Giovannucci, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and the Department of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School, examined responses of 50,000 participants in the Harvard University Professionals Health Study that began in 1986. He concluded that the consumption of four vegetables and fruits were associated with lower prostate cancer risk: three of the foods he cited were tomato sauce, tomatoes and pizza. Lycopene is present in each of these. The risk of prostate cancer was one-third lower in men who ate tomato-based products. In another study in northern Italy, a high correlation was drawn between tomato consumption and the lack of cancers of the digestive track. Of the 2,700 respondents, those who consumed seven or more servings of raw tomatoes every week had 60% less chance of developing cancer of the colon, rectum and stomach.

Lycopene: The Facts

•    Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red colour to tomatoes;
•    Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk
of certain diseases, including cancer and heart disease;
•    In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids;
•    Regular high consumption of fruits and vegetables is recommended as part of healthy eating. Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians;
•    “The only nutrient that turned out to have significant preventative value (against prostate cancer) was lycopene,” writes Dr Giovannucci who also found that lycopene was most efficiently absorbed into the body when accompanied by dietary fats (limpids);
•    On-going research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

Other Health Benefits of Tomato Ketchup

•    A large consumption of tomato can help improve skin texture and colour;
•    Tomato is a good blood purifier;
•    Tomato helps in cases of congestion of the liver (protects the liver from cirrhosis) as well as for dissolving gallstones;
•    Tomato is a natural antiseptic therefore, it can help protect against infection. Nicotinic acid in tomatoes can help to reduce blood cholesterol, thus helping to prevent heart diseases;
•    Tomato juice can reduce the tendency toward blood clotting, suggests Australian research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In this study, 20 people with type 2 diabetes were given 250 ml (about eight ounces) of tomato juice or a tomato-flavoured placebo daily. Subjects had no history of clotting problems, and were taking no medications that would affect blood clotting ability;
•    The tomato is highly esteemed as a source of vitamin C, and one medium-sized tomato provides about half of the required daily allowance for adults;
•    It is a significant source of vitamin A and a good source of protein, but most of it is in the seeds;
•    Tomatoes are also rich in fibre and potassium, believed to help cut the risk of heart disease.
•    Tomato juice contains 19 amino acids, principally glutamic acid;
•    Tomatoes are good for the eyes. Lycopene, the most abundant carotenoid in the blood serum, was found to be the key antioxidant that guards against ARMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration), a condition that may cause blindness;
•    Tomatoes are a very good source of vitamin K. The 17.8% of the daily value for vitamin K that is found in one cup of raw tomato is important for maintaining bone health. Vitamin K1 activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors calcium molecules inside of the bone. Therefore, without enough vitamin K1, osteocalcin levels are inadequate, and bone mineralization is impaired;
•    Doctors now know that most people with type 2 diabetes have blood clotting problems called platelet aggregation – their blood tends to ‘clump’ or ‘thicken’ and develop a clot which can eventually lead to a stroke or heart attack. Now a recent Australian study has reported that drinking a glass (250ml) of tomato juice every day is good for anyone with diabetes or who has a tendency to heart troubles;
•    Tomato juice contains no fat and has only 180 kilojoules (43 calories) per glass. Compare that to 440 kilojoules for a soft drink, or 440 for a middie of beer, or 500 for a glass of wine. It is a real help to anyone watching their weight – and most people with type 2 diabetes are carrying more weight than they should.
So next time your kids want to drown their fries in KETCHUP, instead of cringing, be happy that they are offsetting some of the health dangers of fried foods with the lycopene in tomatoes. In fact, when tomato products are mixed with oil rich dishes, the assimilation from the digestive tract to the bloodstream is even greater!

References

1.    Giovannucci E et al. Intake of Carotenoids and Retinol in Relation to Risk of prostate Cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Miracle Nutrient That Can Prevent Ageing, Heart Disease and Cancer. Advanced Research Press Inc. Hauppauge. NY. 1999.
2.    Hanley and Daniel Q. Tomatoes, Oranges, Pasta and Soybeans Studied as Cancer Fighters. AP. 1997.
3.    Scheer and James F. Tomato Power! Lycopene: The Miracle Nutrient That Can Prevent Ageing, Heart Disease and Cancer. Advanced Research Press Inc. Hauppauge. NY. 1999.
4.    Meres P and Julie A. Serum Antioxidants and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Population-Based Case-Control Study. Archives Ophthalmology. 1995.
5. Donald J. and Richard A. eds. Tomato Biotechnology. New York. Alan R Liss. 1987.
6. Gould and Wilbur. Tomato Production, Processing and Technology. 3d ed. CTI Publications. Baltimore. MD. 1992.
7.    Livingston and Alexander. Livingston and the Tomato. Reprint. Columbus. Ohio State University Press. 1998.
8.    Gould and Wilbur A. Tomato Production, Processing, and Quality Evaluation. 2nd ed. AVI Publishing Company Inc. 1993.
9.    Weisburger JH. International Symposium on Lycopene and Tomato Products in Disease Prevention. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1998.
10.    Lazarus et al. Tomato Juice and Platelet Aggregation in Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA. 2004.