Rich in vitamin c, tomatoes are associated with the formation of kidney stones for a long time. A staple of most households, these tangy and slightly sweet flavored tomatoes are one of the most loved and used vegetables in various recipes, especially Indian food. However, do tomatoes really cause kidney stones?
We are here to discuss the benefits of tomatoes along with the fact whether its relation with kidney stones is a myth or fact.
Benefits of Tomatoes
Solanum Lycopersicum or tomatoes are known as a vegetable, however, botanically they are considered fruit from the nightshade family belonging to South America. They are a key dietary source of antioxidant lycopene that offers various health benefits preventing the risk of cancer and heart disease. You can find a wide variety of tomato colors in the market including red (mature), orange, yellow, purple, and green. Tomatoes are rich in potassium, folate, vitamin C, and K. They have several benefits which are listed below:
- Improve Vision: Tomatoes contain lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein that support vision and improve your eyesight.
- Improve Digestive Health: The fiber and fluid content in tomatoes assists in boosting your gut health.
- Diabetes Management: Tomatoes can come in handy for diabetes type 2 patients. As per the study, diabetic patients who were supplemented with cooked tomatoes encountered a decline in lipid peroxidation within the duration of 30 days.
- Boost Skin Health: As per the 2011 study, the paste of olive oil and tomato helps safeguard your skin from sun damage while increasing the generation of pro-collagen.
- Protect Against Cancer: The lycopene content helps prevent the risk of prostate, lung, ovarian, and stomach cancers.
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Can Eating Tomatoes Cause Kidney Stones?
The answer is no. If eating tomatoes can cause kidney stones, then, most people in India or around the world who consume tomatoes would be suffering from the same disease. They are not to blame for the formation of stones in your kidney.
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What Is The Cause Behind The Emergence of This Myth?
Well, partial information of a fact. Tomatoes consist of oxalates, a naturally occurring molecule that is the cause of stones formation in your kidney. But, this is important to understand that tomatoes do not contain enough quantity of oxalates to form stones as 100g of tomatoes only consist of 5 mg of oxalates. Additionally, experts or doctors recommend only limiting the consumption of tomatoes to those who get diagnosed with kidney stones but do not advise them to quit it completely.
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How To Prevent Kidney Stones
Kidney stone is an underlying health condition that arises due to the deficiency of specific enzymes and the build-up of dissolved minerals. Primarily, this is essential to understand that kidney stones are not the result of the same crystals always. The compounds including calcium oxalate or other related crystals, cystine stones, uric acid, and struvite stones can cause the formation too. Here are a few tips to can follow to prevent the chances of kidney stones:
- Ensure to drink 3 - 4 liters of water every day.
- Avoid a protein diet (dal, milk, or non-veg foods, etc.) if you're facing kidney-related issues.
- Add calcium-rich foods to your diet.
- Decrease the consumption of oxalate-rich foods such as chocolate, coffee, peanuts, etc.
Bottomline
Shunning some specific fruit or vegetable will not assure you that you'll never encounter kidney stones. Besides following any kind of myth, consult a dietitian (virtually) about your meal plan and a doctor for your underlying health condition using The Wellness Corner app. Go for expert advice first before opting for any kind of remedies or myths when it comes to health.