Reasons not to eat tomatoes

Do you like tomatoes?  Well, there are reasons not to eat tomatoes but there are also very good reasons to eat them too!

Big boy or cherry tomatoes

I’ve never been a huge fan of a fresh tomato but I do love tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce.  I also don’t mind tomatoes with some mozzarella – heck, I love pizza sauce as well.

So, what is your favorite tomato?  There are so many varieties:  Big boy, yellow, red, orange, and cherry tomatoes.  There are so many vitamins in tomatoes so if you love them, why would I be even suggesting that there are reasons not to eat tomatoes?  Let’s dive in:

Reasons not to eat tomatoes

For me, the biggest reason not to eat tomatoes is if they are not organic.  Each year, the EWG provides a list of the Dirty Dozen and tomatoes are on that list for this year.  This means that they recognize that there is pesticide residue on the tomato so it would be best to not eat the conventional variety.  Even the EPA recognizes that pesticides can be harmful to human health.

It’s known that pesticides can be problematic to human reproductive health so if you’re trying to get pregnant or know someone who is, eating non-organic foods from the Dirty Dozen list should be avoided.  They can also cause skin issues and can be potential endocrine disruptors.

Health benefits of eating organic tomatoes

Now that you know that non-organic (or conventional) tomatoes shouldn’t be eaten, here are some health benefits of eating organic tomatoes:

The number 1 reason to eat tomatoes or tomato products like sauces is that they have so much Vitamin C.  As you probably know, Vitamin C is necessary for not only our immune system but also for our skin looking it’s best.  This vitamin helps boost collagen production.  As we age, we need all the help we can get to keep our skin looking plump and elastic.  Vitamin C does just that!  Get the glow you want back and start eating tomatoes – organic ones!

So, now that you know that organic tomatoes are wonderful to keep you healthy and your skin glowing, go out and make yourself a batch of tomato sauce!  Yum!

Other foods you shouldn’t eat:

• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Bell peppers
• Corn