There is More to Ketchup than Good Taste
May 13, 2011When you are eating ketchup, what do you taste? Some tomatoes and maybe some artificial tastes . But, does anyone ever taste lycopene? It is a strong anti-oxidant and it is very important for our bodies.
So, why is lycopene important to our body? In our body there is something called a free radical. Free radicals are free electrons (unpaired) electrons that are attached to atoms or molecules. These free radicals can oxidize most of the molecules in our body. However these little devils are known to oxidize the DNA molecules in the cell nucleus. If this happens then the body has an increased chance of getting cancer and other deadly diseases. So Lycopene in the tomatos eats these free radicals and stops them from oxidizing the DNA molecules.
Some of you may be wondering what “oxidize” means. The Statue of Liberty in New York is really made of copper. When the French first made it and handed it over to the United States it was the color of a penny, a nice brown, gold color. If you ever keep a penny for around 5 years the color of it starts to become light green. This happens because the copper molecules mix with the oxygen molecules in the air and they form a new substance called copper oxide. When the molecules mix, there is a new color that is formed on the substance. This is what has happened to the Statue of Liberty. The copper of the statue has become a complete light green due to the mixing of molecules over the years. The process of mixing oxygen with other substances such as copper is called oxidation.
Believe it or not, there are many antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. For example, Red Carrot, Watermelon, Papaya and many more. Now that I think of it what would have happed if we had put ketchup all over the Statue of Liberty to prevent it from changing color. That would be something not only to see but also to eat!!!
