Purple tomatoes are now a thing, and they could have some major health benefits

More than just a pretty color, these purple beauties come with a lot of hidden surprises

By Lindsay Parrill November 25, 2022

In the world of good health, nutritionists often advise to “eat the rainbow,” meaning that varying important vitamins and minerals are found all across the color scale of fruits and vegetables. In order to benefit from a multitude of these nutrients, we are told to incorporate as many colorful foods into our diets as we can. Well, it seems we’ll soon have another option in the rather lonely purple category.

The USDA has just recently approved a brand new, genetically modified tomato that’s due to hit the produce section next year. This new variety will have the same sweet tomato flavor we love, the same plump, juicy texture, but with added benefits of a longer shelf life and extra nutritional value. Oh, also, it’s purple.

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We know what you might be thinking? Is this just some silly trend, like the blue, teal, green, and (yes) purple ketchups that tried to compete with the classic red condiment?

While the color is certainly lovely, purple is more than just a pretty face. The royal color itself actually comes with tons of health benefits. British biochemist Cathie Martin worked on pigment production in flowers for over two decades, and found that the purple-hued pigments called anthocyanins are something of an antioxidant Superhero. Found in foods like blueberries, blackberries, and eggplant, anthocyanins have shown to help protect against certain cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. By infusing tomatoes with this pigment, Martin and her team have come up with what will undoubtedly be the next darling of the health food world. According to a 2008 study conducted by Martin and her team, cancer-prone mice who were fed the purple tomatoes lived about 30% longer than those who ate a regular variety. That’s pretty remarkable.

As for their flavor, purple tomatoes are (when blindfolded) indistinguishable from other tomatoes and taste every bit as delicious. So if your main concern is the best-tasting tomatoes for your summertime recipes, worry not— these purple little beauties will take center stage at your picnic table next year.

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There's probably no food product that science has gone back and forth on more than the egg. We know it's delicious. We know it makes a great breakfast food, whether you're scrambling up eggs, perfecting that omelet, or eating them hard-boiled (and that's just scratching the surface of egg-related recipes. But should you eat the whole egg, or just the egg white?

Decades ago, when housewives made gigantic stacks of pancakes for the family every weekday morning (at least, that's what TV told us happened) it was an absolute given that you ate both the egg white and the egg yolk. But then people began worrying about their high saturated fat and cholesterol content — and thus began the debate about egg nutrition, and whether it was healthier to eat the whole egg or just the egg white. Which is it? Here's what you need to know.
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Is erythritol harmful? What a dietitian says new data means for your Keto diet

Erythritol is common in many keto foods - what does that mean for your health?

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While sugar substitutes have been around for more than a century, they didn't really become mainstream here in the United States until around the mid-70s. According to Carolyn De La Pena, professor of American Studies at UC Davis and author of Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners from Saccharin to Splenda, between 1975 and 1984, Americans increased their consumption of artificial sweeteners by 150 percent. This timeline makes sense when you take into account that the late seventies coincided with the start of our crazed diet culture and the revolving door of fad diets.
One such diet that doesn't seem to be going anywhere, however, is the Keto diet. Still hugely popular among Americans trying to shed a few pounds, Keto focuses heavily on limited or no carbohydrates. Because sugar contains carbohydrates, followers of Keto have turned to artificial sweeteners to satisfy those late-night cravings - sweeteners that, more often than not, contain erythritol. Erythritol in particular has become hugely popular because it's much better for baking than other sugar substitutes, has less of an artificial flavor, and will keep the eater in Ketosis, which is key for losing weight on the Keto diet.
A new study has made waves recently because its findings indicate there's a link between erythritol and higher rates of heart attack and stroke (though the study did note that only an association was found — not causation. So should you be worried?
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While some of that sugar substitution has been good for waistlines and health issues that come from obesity, it seems to be causing more and more concern when it comes to other potential health issues. "For example," says LeMoine, "some research indicates the popular sweeteners stevia may have negative effects on the gut microbiome. And the recent study showing correlation between the sugar alcohol, erythritol, and heart attack and stroke."

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Fortunately, if you’re looking to support your body’s own natural melatonin levels but you don’t want to rely on supplements, there are several sleep-aid foods that contain melatonin. Adding any of these foods high in melatonin to your dinner plate or bedtime snack routine may help regulate your sleep patterns over time and help you get more restful sleep. Though little nutritional data exists about the specific concentration of melatonin in different foods, the following foods are known to be particularly high in melatonin.