The tomato: such a controversial food, right?

I mean, really... Is it a fruit? Or a vegetable?

Botanically, they're considered fruits, but a lot of consumers seem to consider them as vegetables. Needless to say, tomatoes are very healthy foods regardless of what they're categorized as.

Tomatoes are probably one of the healthiest fruit choices out there.

First off, tomatoes are clearly not as sugary as apples or bananas. In fact, it only has 22 calories. You'd probably be burning more calories from slicing and eating the tomato!

But, they also have so much more than that to offer. They're full of tons of natural vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, K, B1-B7, C, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Chromium, Phosphorus, Choline, Folate and Zinc.

Being rich in Vitamin K, they will help strengthen your hair, make it shinier and speed up hair growth and revitalization. Tomatoes also do wonders for your skin by fighting acne and preventing damage to your skin cells.

Amazingly enough, they also are able to reduce heart disease, stop blood clots, prevent stroke and reduce cancer risks - all thanks to the nutrients tomatoes contain, like Lycopene. And, for those surrounded by second-hand smoke: tomatoes help reduce the damage from smoking by acting as a shield against carcinogens.

Tomatoes also reduce stress & tension, protect your eyesight and keep your bones healthy.

So, are you on board yet?

If not, here are some reasons why tomatoes are the perfect food for a balanced diet:

・Improves digestion and lowers chances of constipation

・Speeds up the fat-burning process

・Helps restore biochemical balance, if you're diabetic

・Acts as the perfect snack, since they are juicy, sweet and filling

・Enhances the flavors in food and freshens up the taste

Tomatoes are very versatile, so they're easy to integrate into different meals and dishes. Instead of starving yourself in order to diet, it's smarter to simply replace what you usually eat with natural, whole foods such as tomatoes. You'll be doing your body a huge favor!