WHY TOMATO (ANTIOXIDANTS) GOOD FOR HUMAN HEALH……….

Tomato is a fruit but it is used in the form of vegetable around the globe, belonging to the family Solonaceae. It is a perennial crop with average height of plants. Its commercial as well as nutritive value is very high. Now the question arises that why nutritive value of tomato is high. Because of the presence of contents like Antioxidants and Lycopene present in it.

WHAT IS ANTIOXIDANTS ….

Antioxidant is a molecule that inhibit the oxidation of other molecule. In the process of oxidation electron from any substance transfer to the oxidizing agent. In the process of oxidation free radicals released and a cycle get started which cause the death of plant, but antioxidants prevent the plant from this injury or death. Antioxidants are present in triplet state of oxygen. So when free radicals comes in cycle ,they receives that and form a molecule.

Antioxidants also differentiated into two parts, enzymatic and non-enzymatic. carotenoid, Lycopene, Ascorbic acids, Proline, Phenol have comes in non-enzymatic and Ascorbic acid oxidase, Superoxide dismutase, Peroxidase, Glutathione, Catalase have come in enzymatic antioxidants. Basically presence and support of enzymes differentiate the enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants.

. Another term reactive oxygen species(ROS) produced in a cell like hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid, and free radicals like hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion. Hydroxyl radicals are unstable and react rapidly with many biological molecules finally cause the DNA damage and cause mutation. Peroxide is also produced from the oxidation of reduced flavoproteins, such as complex.

Enzymatic antioxidants play a important role like, superoxide dismutase , in which superoxide anion breakdown occurs in the form of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, also works as preservatives. Low level of antioxidant causes the oxidative stress that initiate the different diseases. These antioxidants and other contents like lycopene, vitamin-A, vitamin-C are helpful for the prevention of coronary heart disease, lung problem, inflammatory disease, eye and skin problems Sunlight and Oxygen works as oxidizing agent for food. So if we keep fruits in dark due to

antioxidants it will be fresh for long time. Antioxidants also use in industrial purposes also in the form of stabilizers in fuel and in lubricants.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as the natural by-product of normal cell processes, free radicals are more reactive than other molecules that complete their electron shells. In human body the most common source of free radicals is oxygen, when oxygen is present in charged form , its receive the electron from the other molecules and cause DNA damage and overgrowth of cells called tumor or cancer and this damage can not be irreversible. Antioxidants is the very important things that neutralize the free radicals and fervent them to receive electron from their.

If Antioxidants is so important for human health then we need to search the things that are rich of antioxidants. Apple , Lettuces, carrot are rich of vitamin –A and beta carotene, Citrus, orange, Amla is rich of vitamin-C or ascorbic acid. But most importantly Tomato is the only vegetable that provide highest amount of antioxidants, vitamin -A, vitamin -C, Lycopene and beta carotene that help to prevent us to cancer, eye problem and skin diseases. That’s why Tomato is very good for human health.