Tomatoes are a fruit and a vegetable.

• botanical information
• history
• nutritional information
• selection
• storage
• juicing
• magick correspondences and uses
• health care
• Chinese herbology
• external skin care
• cautions and contraindications

botanical information:

    Botanical name: Lycopersicon esculentum

    Common name: tomato

    Use the botanical name when ordering seeds (bulbs, etc.) or when looking up information in the library. Common names vary by nation, culture, and region, and sometimes the same common name is applied to different plants.

history:

    History: Tomatoes were introduced into Greece in 1815.

nutritional information:

    Tomatoes helps keep the liver clean and healthy.

    Tomatoes are a food that increases sexual energy and enhances fertility.

    A study at Finland’s University of Oulu in 2008 showed that drinking 13-1/2 ounces (oz.) of tomato juice and one serving of tomato ketchup per day for three weeks resulted in a 13% drop in bad LDL cholesterol levels. The antioxidants in tomatoes (especially lycopene, beta-carotene, and gamma-carotene) caused this result.

    A condiment is a preparation to enhance the flavor or enjoyment of an herb, vegetable, or fruit. Tomato ketchup is a condiment.

    See also Chinese herbalism below for Chinese gender and Chinese flavor.

cooking information:

selection:

    Reason to choose organic:
    Tomatoes have the number 29 highest pesticide load of 45 common fruits and vegetables studied in 2006 by the Environmental Working Group and is therefore a prime candidate for switching to organic. The EWA explains, “While washing and rinsing fresh produce may reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them. Peeling also reduces exposures, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the peel. The best option is to eat a varied diet, wash all produce, and choose organic when possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.”
    According to USDA and FDA tests on commercially grown foods collected between 2000 and 2005, tomato has a 46.9% (percentage) of samples tested with detectable pesticides, a 13.5% (percentage) of samples with two or more pesticides, a 0.6 average number of pesticides found in a sample, an average of 0.029 parts per million of all pesticides found, and 16 different pesticides found in use growing tomatoes. These toxic pesticides don’t apply to organic foods.

storage:

    Storage: Eat tomatoes within a week (seven days) of purchase.

    Juicing: A small squeeze of fresh lemon, Persian lime or key lime juice adds zing to tomato juice.

    Juicing: A dash of celery salt or black pepper can also improve the flavor of tomato juice. Fresh lemon juice, celery salt, and black pepper can be stirred into tomato juice with a celery stalk.

magickal correspondences and uses:

    Magick food for love spells: Tomatoes and recipes using tomato (or tomato sauce) are appropriate food for love spells, such as the Aphrodite New Moon love spell, Hecate black candle love spell, or Isis Full Moon love spell. See the article on foods for more information on using food magick in spells.

health care uses:

    Health Notice: Attempting to be an amateur doctor is potentially dangerous to your health. This web page is not professional medical advice. Nothing on this website should be considered as a substitute or replacement for professional medical advice. Persons should seek the advice of qualified health providers. Self-medication should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care. Please confirm all self-medication with your doctor or health care professional. See the article on healing for recommended healers.

Chinese herbalism:

    Chinese gender: yin (cool)

    Chinese flavor: slightly sour

external care:

    External skin care: Lycopene from tomatoes in Rhonda Allison Cherry Jubilee Enzyme: “Filled with enzymes rich in antioxidants. Mask includes cherry puree, pomegranate, lycopene from tomatoes, and red berries. The primary benefit of this enzyme is the natural polyphenols (flavanoids) that are incredibly rich in antioxidants. This formula contains potent anti-aging value that fights against free radical damage and aids in building healthy skin tissue. It is the deterioration by free radicals that causes the internal aging of the skin.” Rhonda Allison Cherry Jubilee Enzyme

cautions and contraindications:

    Toxic to animals: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center has determined that tomato plant “has been reported as having systemic effects on animals and/or intense effects on the gastrointestinal tract.” —ASPCA

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