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Tomato Ketchup IS Good for you...
... so “more dip, dip please Daddy”
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Hello. My name is Barry Babister, Managing Director of Help-Me-Park.com.
As with many parents, and I’m the proud father of two girls, I spend a lot of time and energy getting wholesome, good foods into my little ones.
I don’t mind the odd bit of “choc, choc” and I don’t mind the odd packet of “crispies” either. But I found myself gritting my teeth (and trying to stay calm) when my daughters ask for “more dip, dip please Daddy” every time I serve up delicious home cooked food!
So I was faced with a dilemma. Do I let them have tomato ketchup with each meal if it makes them eat their dinner?, or say no and end up in a dreaded mealtime battle? Now we’ve all been there and let’s face it Mums and Dads, it’s not a pretty sight!
Now, I’ve nothing against the red stuff. There’s nothing I like more than a good spanking of that bottle over my bacon butty. But I’ve always thought ketchup was like most things – fine in moderation but not an everyday accessory to food. However, what tomato ketchup is crammed with is a super-food! The humble tomato.
Actually tomato ketchup isn’t the bad guy at the dinner table. Nor is he a down market addition to your condiments. It’s a super-food that could actually help our bodies warn off harmful, even fatal, diseases. |
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FACT: Tomatoes contain Lycopene, a powerful chemical against Cancer |
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FACT: Lycopene is powerful in the fight against Prostate Cancer – reducing the likely hood of contracting the cancer by as much as 21 – 43% if tomato rich foods are eaten three times a week. |
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FACT: Lycopene helps fight against Skin Cancer, as well as fighting the production of cervical, breast and lung Cancer cells |
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FACT: Tomatoes are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Potassium |
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FACT: Lycopene found in tomatoes fights against heart disease and can lower cholesterol |
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FACT: Organic tomatoes have 3 times as much Lycopene has non-organic varieties |
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Well, now I can safely say that I can let my girls have a good old dollop of ‘Tommy sauce’ at meal times as a recent scientific study has shown that tomato based products are actually very good for you, and that includes ketchup!
Did you know?
In the US you can buy red, purple and green Tomato Ketchup when early researchers wondered about colorants affecting the Lycopene levels. However, it’s been proved that in fact it does not. Hence why in the UK mostly our tomato sauces come in red.
What researchers did find however, is that organic tomatoes contain incredibly higher levels of Lycopene.
Tomatoes Powerful in Fight Against Cancer
As well as tomatoes being rich in important vitamins and minerals, tomatoes also contain high levels of Lycopene – a powerful chemical against cancer. As such, by eating a high diet rich in tomatoes cooked in oil you can help your body fight off many illnesses and diseases. Namely, Cancer.
Tomatoes Help Protect Against Harmful UV Rays and Skin Cancer
Topically, with the recent press surrounding suntan lotion use in the UK, mostly that we don’t use enough or use a high enough SPF, eating tomato rich foods can help prevent against skin cancer. An experiment was carried out in Manchester and Newcastle Universities to look at the effects tomatoes have against warning off the sun’s UV rays and those given a tomato paste (55grams) to eat daily developed 33% more natural protection against sunburn than those who didn’t.
Protection Against Prostate Cancer
Eating a high concentrate tomato based food product three times a week can seriously reduce your chances of prostate cancer by around 21 – 43%, says a scientific study by Dr Edward Giovannuci, of Harvard University School of Public Health.
Lowering Cholesterol
Studies in Finland have shown that by eating ketchup with each meal every day reduced volunteers levels of cholesterol by 6% in just 3 weeks!
Best sources of Lycopene are...
According to the New York Tomato Research Council – no, really, it does exist! – the best ways in which to get Lycopene rich foods from tomato based products are:
Tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, tomato soup, tinned tomatoes, tomato juice, vegetable juice, minestrone soup and vegetable soup.
Did you know?
Organic tomato ketchup contains 183mg of Lycopene per gram of ketchup Vs non-organic varieties that contain around 100mg per gram.
Cost Difference of Standard Vs Organic Ketchup
If you’re worried that an organic variety of ketchup will cost you much more, at the moment you’ll find a bottle of 570g Heinz Ketchup is £1.95 in Tesco, whilst the same sized bottle of organic Heinz variety is only £2.57.
So the moral to my story is yes, some things are fine in moderation including ketchup. If your children ask for “dip, dip” then give it to them without a guilty conscientious. Just remember, if you do go through a lot of it, well actually, even just a few dollops a week, it’s best to go organic.
We certainly have in our house!
Bon appetite – Barry, Lyddi and Caitlin |
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