Protect Your Skin This Summer With This Superfood

The Amazing Power of Tomatoes

Not using sunscreen may increase the risk of skin cancer and other UV rays effects. Fortunately, one superfood may help protect you from these effects when you don't have sunscreen on. Tomatoes are a superfood for many reasons, but many people don't know it can protect them from the harmful effects of the sun. In addition to protection, it can beautify your skin.

Tomatoes are high in lycopene, a carotenoid and phytochemical. The lycopene is what is responsible for tomatoes being red. It's an antioxidant, which can ward off free radicals in the body. Free radicals damage cells, which increase the risk of cancer.

The body does not naturally produce lycopene. The only way to get it is by eating red fruits such as tomatoes. A study on the BBC.Co.UK website found women who ate 55 grams of tomato paste every day increased their skin protection by 30 percent.

In addition to protecting people's skin, lycopene can also boost pro-collagen. This molecule protects against and reverses the effects of aging. People's skin becomes loose and dry as they age, but collagen keeps the skin firm and hydrated.

How to Add Tomatoes Into Your Diet

The United States Department of Agriculture reports the United States produced over 2 billion pounds of tomatoes and people ate 20.37 pounds per capita in 2011. Tomatoes are readily available from grocery stores and farmer's markets. This makes it easy for you to eat your daily serving of tomatoes, whether it is in a sandwich, as pasta sauce or in a cooked dish.

You don't need to eat many cups of raw tomatoes to reap their benefits. You can consume tomato products such as sauce, puree, and soups. It can be quite easy to get your daily serving when you use them in your cooking. Additionally, if you eat salad often, tomatoes are an easy addition and go with a variety of different salad types.

Start Today

There's no better time than now to start protecting your skin with the beneficial properties of lycopene. Have a veggie omelet with tomatoes for breakfast, enjoy tomato bisque for lunch, and add tomato sauce to your pasta for dinner. On a warm day, there's nothing better than having a cool, fresh snack of sliced tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top. There are many ways to incorporate tomatoes into your diet. Start eating them today!

Protecting Your Skin with Tasti-Lee

Tasti-Lee tomatoes were naturally developed to give you that homegrown, farm-fresh tomato flavor with the convenience of supermarket availability. As such, they are easy to buy and taste great in anything! Find out which stores carry Tasti-Lee by visiting our website at http://tastilee.com/stores.php.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Noelle_Renee_Allen