It's such an amazing feeling to bite into a juicy cherry tomato. As soon as you sink your teeth in, there is an explosion of juices, flavours and textures. They are as yummy as they come. Cherry tomatoes may seem tiny and cute, but they also pack a nutritive punch just like their bigger, more rotund cousins. These delicate little fruits are great for pastas, baked savoury dishes, sauces, soups and salads. They also make great pre-dinner snacks.
What is a Cherry Tomato?
As the name suggests, a cherry tomato is a tiny tomato approximately the size of a cherry of a little bigger. It is believed to be a genetic admixture between wild currant-type tomatoes and the garden variety ones.
South America was the first country where cherry tomato was cultivated. From there, it went to Europe and the rest of the world. British grocery chain Marks and Spencer had a role to play in popularising the cherry tomato.
Cherry tomatoes are used as a primary cooking ingredient, as an addition to salads or simply as a snack. Although the majority of varieties are red, cherry tomatoes also come in shades of orange, yellow, purple, and green.
Another amazing fact about cherry tomatoes is that they’re easy to grow, and even one plant will bear a steady crop of bite-size fruits all season. There are a few varieties one can choose from when planting.
Cherry tomato nutrition
A 100 grams of cherry tomatoes contain the following nutrients:
| Nutrient | Measure |
| Calories | 3.1 |
| Sodium | 0.8mg |
| Potassium | 40mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0.7g |
| Protein | 0.1g |
| Vitamin A | 2.8% |
| Vitamin C | 3.9% |
| Calcium | 0.1% |
| Iron | 0.3% |
Health Benefits of Cherry Tomato
Nutritionally, cherry tomatoes are not much different from regular tomatoes. They are full of health-promoting phytochemicals which fight degenerative diseases.
Cherry tomatoes contain phenolic compounds; carotenoids like lycopene and beta carotene; vitamins A, B, C and E; glycoalkaloids like tomatine.
The bioactive components of tomatoes have antioxidant, anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties.
Like their larger cousins, even cherry tomatoes are more nutritious when they cooked, which makes certain phytochemicals more bioavailable.
Here are some of the health benefits of eating cherry tomatoes:
- Promotes skin health
- Reduces oxidative stress
- Has anti-cancer properties
- Improves heart health
- Prevents chronic diseases
- Prevents stroke
- Boosts bone health
Prevents risk of chronic diseases: There are compounds in cherry tomatoes that fight oxidative stress and free radicals in your body that may be responsible for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart and kidney disease.
Improves eye health: Tomatoes contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These substances protect the eyes from the damage done by the blue light emitted by smartphones and digital devices. They also reduce eyestrain and degeneration of vision.
Improves heart health: Tomatoes are rich in heart-protective phenolic compounds that reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage. Lycopene also works by reducing bad cholesterol and blood pressure.
References:
1. US Department of Agriculture
2. Chaudhary, P., Sharma, A., Singh, B., & Nagpal, A. K. (2018). Bioactivities of phytochemicals present in tomato. Journal of food science and technology, 55(8), 2833–2849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-3221-z
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