Study Suggests Home-grown Tomatoes are Healthier

26 Mar 2015 --- Scientists have discovered that home-grown fruit and vegetables may not only taste better but are more likely to be healthier too.

When researching heritage tomato varieties for a BBC television series, scientists at England’s Kew Gardens found that the tomatoes contained high levels of natural flavour-enhancing chemicals.

“Tomatoes grown at Kew can a much higher level of complexity of chemicals than supermarket tomatoes, which are picked early and not matured on a vine,” said professor Monique Simmonds, deputy director of science at Kew. 

“The complexity of chemistry suggest that they are likely to be healthier,” she added. “We found higher levels of lycopene, which is known to have health benefits and contain antioxidants.” 
Lycopene has been found to help unclog blocked arteries, and it thought to be one of the major reasons the Mediterranean diet is so healthy. 

And in a separate study lycopene, which is also found in fruits such as papaya and pink grapefruit, has been found to protect against DNA damage to the skin, according to a study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. 

The study showed that when applied directly to the skin, lycopene activated a critical skin enzyme and therefore reduced inflammation, maintained normal cell proliferation and prevented DNA damage.
Researchers also found that lycopene’s ability to enhance the cells in a person’s skin could also help improve the skin’s texture, tone and elasticity. 

Collagen is the structural protein in the skin which helps keep it healthy and youthful looking. When collagen becomes damaged, a person’s skin can sag and wrinkles can appear. The research also showed that lycopene can inhibit the breakdown of collagen by clocking the collagenase enzyme.