There are several benefits to growing organic seed and plants that have become side-lined by new and genetically modified varieties. One is serving an environmental cause by helping to preserve the biological diversity of the planet. Also one may find other unexpected qualities in older varieties. They may be more resistant to modern diseases, or contain beneficial compounds previously unknown. An example of this is in the tangerine tomato.
Fairly recent research has suggested that this variety contains a special kind of lycopene that is more easily available to human beings. Lycopene is also present in reds but not in the same form. Tangerines have it in the form of tetra-cis-lycopene, and this is more readily absorbed by the body. Tests showed quite marked differences in the consequences of eating red versus tangerine tomatoes. This was put down to the presence of tetra-cis-lycopene. It makes the valuable lycopene more readily available to the body.
Apparently the discovery of tetra-cis-lycopene is sufficiently significant to have permitted the manufacture of a pill that is claimed to help furring up of the arteries and the prevention of heart disease. This pill is made from the compound found in tangerine tomatoes.
Oxygen is inhaled with every breath that we breathe. Some of it forms free radicals within the body that are essential for a healthy immune system. Other free radicals can be harmful, especially those that come from polluted oxygen. They may cause cancers and heart diseases.
Antioxidants from some foods can do much to ameliorate the harmful effects of oxidants. Strawberries, dark leafy vegetables and tomatoes are known to have anti-oxidant properties that have beneficial effects. This is because they contain lycopene which is a powerful anti-oxidant. The most recent studies suggest that the type of lycopene contained in yellow plants is more readily available to the immune system.
The plant is an extremely adaptable and has spread all over the world. It is grown in open ground, in tunnels greenhouses and pots. Although people once thought it poisonous it is now grown in huge volumes and constitutes a large world wide industry.
It cannot tolerate frost and needs to be protected against fungal diseases and pests. However, a tangerine tomato plant that is planted in good soil and well cared for will be an extremely rewarding and health giving plant. Under some circumstances it will grow like a weed.
Learn more about Tangerine Tomato. Stop by Sam Segal’s site where you can find out all about Tomato and what it can do for you.