Question: Are tomatoes bad for you?
I love to eat tomatoes, but someone told me that tomatoes are bad and eating too many will make me sick.
Aleesha - About.com User
Answer: Tomatoes are not bad for you. In fact they are very good for you. Tomatoes contain vitamins and minerals plus they are an excellent source of lycopene and beta carotene. Lycopene is a phytochemical carotenoid found in the red pigment of tomatoes, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In the 17th and early 18th centuries, tomatoes were thought by colonial Americans to be poisonous. They are not poisonous at all.
Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also includes potatoes and egg plant. These vegetables contain solanine, a chemical thought to aggravate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms in some people.
Source: Sari Voutilainen, Tarja Nurmi, Jaakko Mursu and Tiina H Rissanen, "Carotenoids and cardiovascular health." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, No. 6, 1265-1271, June 2006
