Tomatoes are a common vegetable and fruit in our daily life, which is not only bright in color and juicy in taste, but also rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Tomatoes are rich in carotene, vitamin C, and B vitamins, and are known as the magic fruit of the dish.
The most important nutrient in tomatoes is lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that scavenges free radicals in the body and protects cells.
Tomatoes also contain organic acids such as malic acid, citric acid, and sugars, which can promote the secretion and digestion of gastric juice, which is beneficial to the health of the gastrointestinal tract.
Tomatoes themselves are a very healthy food, but if you eat tomatoes that have been injected with hormones, they can cause adverse effects on the body.
Hormones are substances that regulate the growth and development of living organisms, and plants also have their own hormones.
However, in order to improve the yield and appearance of tomatoes, some people will use synthetic plant hormones or plant growth regulators during the growth of tomatoes, which can interfere with the normal growth of tomatoes and lead to a decrease in the quality of tomatoes.
Eating hormone-boosted tomatoes will interfere with the body's endocrine system, affect the balance of hormones, and lead to various problems such as abnormal growth and development, precocious puberty, and menstrual disorders.
So, when you go to the market to buy vegetables, how can you tell if tomatoes have been injected with hormones?
In fact, as long as you pay attention to the following four aspects, you can see the tomatoes that are naturally ripe and hormone-boosted:
1. Look at the color
Naturally ripened tomatoes with a uniform and vivid color, with no green or other unripe parts.
Tomatoes that have been injected with hormones have uneven colors, some parts will appear dark red or light red, and some parts will have green or yellow, because the action of hormones causes the tomatoes to ripen at an inconsistent rate.
2. Shape
Naturally ripened tomatoes with a round and full shape and a smooth surface with no obvious angularities or irregular shapes.
Tomatoes that have been injected with hormones have a flat or sharp shape, a rough surface, and obvious cracks or nodulous protrusions, which is due to the uncoordinated growth of tomatoes due to the action of hormones.
3. Look at the weight
Naturally ripened tomatoes are of moderate weight, the juice and flesh inside are relatively full, and the taste is better. Tomatoes that have been injected with hormones are light in weight, have less juice and pulp in them, and have a poor taste.
4. Look at the pedicle
Naturally ripened tomatoes have a light green or green pedicle with a circular depression underneath, and the more ripe this depression becomes.
The pedicle of a tomato that has been injected with hormones is dark green or red, and there is no depression underneath or the depression is very shallow, which is because the action of hormones causes the pedicle of the tomato to not fall off completely.
Tomatoes are a very nutritious food, but if you eat tomatoes that have been boosted with hormones, they will have adverse effects on the body.
Therefore, when we buy tomatoes, we must see whether the tomatoes have been injected with hormones.
Choose tomatoes that ripen naturally so that you can enjoy the true taste of tomatoes and enjoy the health benefits of tomatoes.
The next time you go to the market to buy tomatoes, you have to distinguish them carefully, and don't buy hormone tomatoes at home!
Editor丨Zheng Wei