Tomatoes ,your health and wealth.

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and beta-carotene and Studies show that lycopene in tomatoes is responsible for the deep redness which is a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene is an antioxidant compound and the natural pigment that is responsible for the deep color of several fruits, most commonly tomatoes and watermelons. The primary benefit of lycopene is its ability to help protect our cells from free radicals and scientists have been able to amass quite a significant amount of research that supports the role of lycopene in human health. lycopene does not get converted into vitamin A as does beta carotene. This means the health benefits of lycopene are attributed to its own powerful antioxidant actions. In fact, laboratory experiments indicate that lycopene is a more effective antioxidant than other carotenoids, including beta carotene. The antioxidant benefit of lycopene acts on cancer with some positive results. Lycopene appears to be one of the best measures to prevent cancer, mainly prostate and bladder types. When used in conjunction with a full-complex, natural vitamin E and green tea extract, studies indicate that it may inhibit prostate cancer proliferation by some 90%. Lycopene also acts on prostate cancer, it may help in the prevention of cancers of the pancreas, stomach, breast, cervix, and lung, as well as in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cataracts. A study in postmenopausal women, shown that a lack of lycopene was likely to put women at increased risk of osteoporosis. Lycopene also help with coronary artery disease,infertility,type 2 diabetes cancer prevention, cataracts ,reducing symptoms of menopause,reducing risk of heart disease,relieving pain associated with diabetic neuropathy ,repairing damage from seizures and improving overall bone health. Increase your lycopene intake by adding lots of tomatoes, tomato juices and watermelon to your diet.Nigeria's characteristic inability to meet its local demand for specific agricultural items may seem evident in tomato, whereby despite the country's position as the 14th largest producer in the world (accounting for 10.79 per cent of Africa's production and 1.2 per cent of total world production), it used imported tomato paste worth US$ 360 million. However, after cursory analysis of demand-supply gap, what appears in real term, is not excess demand but on-season excess supply that could not be channeled into production of alternative tomato products. This excess estimated to be about 45 per cent of annual production, is routinely is wasted thereby discouraging sustainable and increasing investment. investment opportunities in tomato production