Vallauris Market

Vallauris Market
Originally uploaded by frenchrivieralife.com.

Look at all the lovely tomatoes. Most people know that tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable. According to research, tomatoes are one of the only dietary sources of an anti-oxidant called "lycopene", which has been proven to help reduce the risk of several different types of cancer, including prostate, stomach, lung, pancreatic, colorectal, and cervical. According to many natureopaths, tomatoes may also help reduce circulation problems and help keep blood clots from forming in the bloodstream - much the way aspirin and blood thinning medications do.

Tomatoes are also an excellent source of, vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, folic acid and other B vitamins, iron and fiber.

Something that's interesting is that lycopene is more readily absorbed into your body when you eat cooked and processed tomatoes, instead of raw.