Purple Tomatoes Are Now A Thing, And They Could Have Some Major Health Benefits

In the world of good health, nutritionists often recommend "eating the rainbow," meaning that there are many important vitamins and minerals in all colors of fruits and vegetables. We are told to include as many colorful foods as possible in our diet to get the most of these nutrients. Well, it looks like we'll soon have another option in the lonely purple category.

The USDA recently approved a new genetically modified tomato that should be in grocery stores next year. This new variety will have the sweet tomato flavor we love, the same fleshy, juicy texture, but with the added benefits of longer shelf life and higher nutritional value. And it's purple.

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Do we know what you're thinking? Is ketchup a silly trend trying to compete with classic red condiments in colors like blue, green, green and (yes) purple?

Although the color is certainly beautiful, purple is more than a pretty face. The royal color itself brings many health benefits. British biochemist Cathy Martin has worked on color production in flowers for more than two decades and discovered that purple pigments called anthocyanins are like antioxidant superheroes. Anthocyanins, found in foods such as blueberries, blackberries and eggplant, help protect against cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. By combining tomatoes with this color, Martin and his team have discovered what will be the next hit in the world of healthy food. In A 2008 study by Martin and his team found that cancer-prone mice fed purple tomatoes lived 30% longer than regular tomatoes. That's wonderful.

In terms of taste, purple tomatoes (when the eyes are covered) are indistinguishable from other tomatoes and have a sweet taste. So if your main concern is the sweetest tomatoes for your summer recipes, don't worry, these little purple beauties will take center stage on your picnic table next year.

Post-purple tomatoes are popular today and can have great health benefits, they appear in the guide for the first time.

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