Tomato is a popular food, frequently seen on Vietnamese family dining tables. However, there are different opinions on how to eat tomatoes, whether eating them raw or cooked is better, and whether it is necessary to remove the seeds and skin when cooking to avoid poisoning.
Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung (National Nutrition Institute) stated that tomatoes have many nutritional values, rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A. On average, 100g of ripe tomatoes meets 13% of daily needs for vitamin A, B6, and C. In addition, tomatoes also contain many minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, nickel, cobalt, iodine, and organic acids in the form of citrate salts and malates.
The nutrition expert encourages the consumption of tomatoes in daily meals. Regarding the question of how to eat tomatoes properly, whether to cook them or remove the seeds and skin when cooking, he believes that this is a personal preference.
We should only avoid eating tomatoes that are crushed, damaged, and unripe. Both cooking and eating raw tomatoes provide many nutritional benefits.
The tomato skin contains powerful antioxidants that help prevent cancer cells from forming and inhibit the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels. Therefore, people can use the tomato skin instead of removing it.
Should you remove tomato seeds and skin when cooking? (Illustration)
Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Duy Thinh, an expert in Biotechnology and Food Technology, believes that tomato skin is not toxic when eaten. However, there may be a risk of poisoning from eating the skin in some cases, when the tomato fruit is contaminated with preservatives, eaten raw, or not properly washed.
There is no scientific evidence that tomato seeds can cause poisoning. In fact, people have been cooking and eating both the skin and seeds of tomatoes for a long time without any unusual effects. However, tomato seeds do not have much nutritional value and are difficult to digest, usually mixed with waste and excreted.
In terms of nutrition, eating raw tomatoes is better than cooked tomatoes. However, this is a type of fruit with a high risk of chemical contamination, so consuming raw tomatoes should be considered.
Source: VTC News