- Series:Plants, Transcript English
1 Corinthians 3:16
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Could pizza be good for you? Research into tomatoes has shown that tomatoes, especially cooked, have powerful health benefits. That’s because tomatoes have a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, in addition to beta carotene, other B vitamins, vitamin C and other important minerals. A four-ounce tomato can provide you with one-third the recommended daily amount of vitamin C.
A European study of 1,300 men suggested that those who consumed the most lycopene in their food cut their heart attack rate in half, compared to those who had less lycopene in their diet. Another study that lasted five years followed the eating habits of 48,000 men. Those who ate 10 servings a week of cooked tomatoes, in whatever form, had one-third the rate of prostate cancer of those who ate less than two servings a week. Cooking tomatoes, as you would for pizza and pasta sauce, makes five times more lycopene available to you than eating the same amount of raw tomatoes. That’s because cooking breaks down the cell walls of the tomato, making the lycopene more available for digestion. Watermelons and pink grapefruit also have lycopene, but only as much or less as cooked tomatoes.
Our bodies are called temples of the Holy Spirit by Scripture. God has richly provided us with healthy foods to keep our temples healthy. Even pasta sauce and pizza offer us health benefits in addition to tasty dining.
Prayer:
I thank You, heavenly Father, that You have given me the means to take care of my temple. Help me to use them. Amen.
Notes:
Mayo Clinic Health Letter, September 1998. Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay. (PD)
