Are Tomatoes Bad for You? An Ayurvedic Perspective

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Are tomatoes bad for you? Good question. And one people have been asking for centuries.

Ever since the Spaniards brought tomatoes to Europe, nightshades have been subject of controversial debate. Southern Europe said yes, embracing the tomato, which would fundamentally change Mediterranean and especially Italian cuisine.

Northern Europe said no, calling the tomato 'wolf peach' instead because they belong to the often poisonous nightshade family.

In the East, the controversy continues - Chinese medicine says yes, they clear summer heat. Ayurveda says no, they stimulate heat and desire, and strain the liver causing toxic build-up.

Whatever your personal philosophy on tomatoes, they are a near ubiquitous addition to world cuisine. So what is the secret behind their popularity and integration into world cuisine?

Tomatoes & Desire

Any Italian chef will testify to the passion and warmth of tomato. Cooked tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes are downright zesty and pungent. They have a meaty, hearty feel that warms the belly.

I'll never forget my walks through the New Mexico desert as an Ayurveda student. Wild relatives of the tomato were growing everywhere, quite comfortable in the hot, dry high-altitude deserts.

The red color of tomatoes seemed to echo the warmth of the southwestern climate, best approximated by August in other landscapes. Fortunately, this is exactly when tomatoes ripen.

Astringent taste and dryness dominate the body and emotions in late summer, just like in the New Mexico desert.

In contrast, tomatoes are plump and juicy with a hint of sweetness. And they ripen just in time to restore your virility and juiciness in the dry season.

Tomatoes are also sour which means they:

• Rehydrate your salivary glands
• Moisten your mouth
• Stimulate your taste buds which tend towards blandness in early autumn.

Heat Up Your Digestion

Tomatoes are strongly acidic, making them both stimulating and sour. For some they are even irritating.

Their sourness not only hydrates salivary glands, but your entire digestive tract as well, as their acidity heats up your digestion and makes your digestive glands juicy.

On the other hand, a tomato’s high acidity may also irritate your GI tract. For this reason, those with GI inflammation should avoid tomatoes, tomato sauces and sun-dried tomatoes.

Also, be aware that the more tomatoes are cooked, (as in tomato sauces and sun-dried tomatoes) the more these irritating qualities become concentrated, pungent and hot.

For die-hard tomato fanatics, such as my Italian American family, a pinch of baking soda in the sauce will neutralize some of these irritating acids, but also much of the flavor.

Note: The flesh of tomatoes is easy to digest, but their skins and seeds may be irritating and too difficult to digest for some. In that case, tomatoes are easily skinned and seeded.

And don’t forget cherry tomatoes, which are generally less irritating.

Cool Your Blood

On hot summer days, raw tomatoes can cool your blood. Their high vitamin A content clears liver heat and supports detoxification. So go ahead, pick a juicy tomato off the vine and bite in.

A Funky Fruit

As a member of the nightshade family, tomatoes also have a funkiness. These funky chemicals can ultimately irritate the body, especially the joints.

Crush a tomato leaf and sniff to experience the funkiness of nightshades first hand. The leaves and stems contain tomatine and solanine, both poisonous substances.

Use caution with tomatoes if you have arthritis, are easily irritated, or have an aggressive, hotblooded temperament (Pitta).

On the other hand, tomatoes are high in lycopene a potent antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic. They are high in vitamin A, a Pitta pacifying substance that benefits the liver, blood and eyes. They are also high in vitamins C and E.

About Tomato

Today, tomatoes are famous for their high levels of the anti-oxidant lycopene. They are also known as a nonlethal fruit making it safe to throw rotten ones at bad performers on a stage. Ayurvedically, tomatoes are sweet and sour. They aggravate Pitta in the digestive tract, but cool the blood.