A Lagos-based naturopath, Mrs Cecilia Ejinkonye, on Thursday called for the consumption of vegetables such as tomatoes, which she said contains cancer fighting property.
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Ejinkonye, a therapist who specialises in Naturopathy in the Somolu Area of Lagos State, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that consuming vegetables would boost the immune system of the consumer.
NAN reports that Naturopathy is a method of treating diseases using food, exercise and heat to assist the natural healing process.
Ejinkonye said that tomatoes have numerous health benefits which have remained unexplored by most individuals.
According to her, tomatoes fruits are rich in lycopene, a natural component also found in some fruits and vegetables, and which contains cancer fighting property.
“Infections and sicknesses use their individual hosts as a hiding place; that is why it is important to eat vegetables, fruits and meals serving as building blocks for the body’s immunity.
“Tomato is considered a vegetable, and its consumption provides great health benefits to the human body apart from improving the flavour of meals consumed by human beings.
“The lycopene found in tomatoes is a good-cancer-fighting agent, and has proved to be a very useful component in combating prostate cancer.
“There are also wrong usages of tomatoes, like over frying the paste in oil, and it is important to note that beyond frying, it can also be eaten raw,” she said.
According to her, tomatoes are low in calories, a one-medium-sized tomato is only about 25 calories, yet it is filled with nutrition.
Ejinkonye said there were infinite ways to include tomatoes in a diet, adding that since they are low in carbohydrate, one could easily add them into their diets as they choose.
“It is also a good source of vitamins and minerals, and they have a high water content, dietary fibre as well as a number of organic compounds,” she said.
Speaking on the COVID-19 pandemic, Ejinkonye stressed the need for Nigerians to eat foods essential in boosting the immune system.