Cherry tomatoes are normally smaller in size and juicier than normal tomatoes. They are also packed with many healthy nutrients which are different from the normal tomatoes. When used, they also add more than color to your diet or salad, and]they are known for their low calories and rich in a number of nutrients that are good for ones overall health. Cherry tomatoes go for Rwf 4, 000 or 6, 000 per kilogram depending on where one buys them from, while the normal tomatoes range from Rwf 800 to 1,000. According to nutritionists, cherry tomatoes contain as much potassium as a medium banana with 400 milligrams. For this reason, its believed that eating more potassium-rich foods may help lower ones blood pressure. Also, a high intake of potassium increases ones body’s ability to excrete sodium, help to improve fluid balance and lessen pressure on your arteries. Cherry tomatoes are also excellent sources of vitamin A, which plays as a major antioxidant and maintain healthy skin. Consumption of natural food items rich in flavonoids has been found to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. According to studies, adults need 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day, and eating cherry tomatoes can help one meet almost 10 percent of their daily needs. Fight off diseases Joseph Uwiragiye, head of nutrition department at University Teaching Hospital (CHUK ) says its also evident that the compounds in cherry tomatoes help in fighting oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between antioxidants and free radicals in the body. Also, he says cherry tomatoes have nutrients that help in fighting different diseases. Besides, he says these tomatoes are also known for fighting heart diseases. He explains that this is so because of their rich in plant compounds, which also prevent the clumping of platelets in the blood, which may eventually lead to blood clots and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Studies also indicate that regularly eating foods rich in phenolic acid (found in cherry tomatoes) may help lower blood pressure. Uwiragiye says eating more potassium-containing foods, such as cherry tomatoes, may reduce blood pressure and heart disease risk. In addition to this, cherry tomatoes may offer anticancer properties, particularly against breast and prostate cancers. Cherry tomatoes also contain lycopene, a flavonoid antioxidant, which is a unique phytochemical compound found in tomatoes. Uwiragiye says they also possess more of this antioxidant, and together with carotenoids, lycopene may decrease the risk of certain cancers and heart disease and also help to keep the immune system healthy. Nutritionists say that cherry tomatoes can also help one lose or maintain weight because they are low in calories. For instance, its known that 10 cherry tomatoes, which is about a cup, have only 30 calories. This means that if one is on a 1,500-calorie diet, those 10 cherry tomatoes only meet 2 percent of the daily calorie needs.
