It’s been a rough summer for New Mexican tomatoes. Since they became the number one suspect in a nationwide salmonella outbreak, local tomatoes have been shamed and exiled from kitchens across the country. That’s too bad, because tomatoes, also known historically as “love apples” and “wolf’s peaches,” are one of your most powerful nutritional allies when it comes to preventing cancer and heart disease.

The shakeup caused by the tomato recall shows how popular this vegetable has become (a fruit technically — more on that in a second). It wasn’t always so. Unlike chile or squash, the tomato wasn’t that popular with indigenous Mesoamericans until late in their history. By the time the Spanish came to the New World, Aztecs were finally eating tomatoes on a regular basis. 

It’s hard to tell exactly when the tomato came to New Mexico, because evidence is scarce. It’s possible that it didn’t get this far north until the Spanish brought it with them from Mexico. The first written mention of tomatoes in New Mexico wasn’t until 1810. Now of course, the tomato is a cornerstone of our cuisine, appearing in salsas, Spanish rice and atop a nest of iceberg lettuce on the untouched garnish of your enchilada plate. 

The modern popularity of the tomato is excellent news, because few other foods have so many documented health benefits. Tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants like lycopene and vitamins A and C.  They’re also high in vitamin K, potassium, folate, chromium and fiber.  Each of these nutrients has been shown to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but simply eating whole tomatoes has been shown to have a better impact on your health than any one nutrient taken alone as a supplement. Eating tomatoes with a little olive oil improves potency even more.

Gentlemen, take note: tomatoes have proven especially effective at reducing the risk of prostate cancer. But tomatoes aren’t just for boys: it seems promising that tomatoes help reduce the risk of other cancers, like colon and pancreatic. Tomatoes can also help prevent heart disease, the number one cause of death in New Mexico. A high intake of tomatoes can reduce your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol and reduce your risk for atherosclerosis.

If your tomato intake is limited to ketchup on your burger, that’s better than nothing. Just try to reach for the organic. Ketchup is already a great source of lycopene, the phytochemical that contributes to tomatoes’ red color and acts as a key nutrient in cancer prevention. But organic ketchup has three times the lycopene as non-organic brands. Though organic foods have their advantages, organic and inorganic produce usually are nutritionally similar. Ketchup happens to be one of the few exceptions to the rule.

Despite the health benefits, many tomatoes are still off the table as of this writing. The FDA continues to recommend that you avoid round and plum tomatoes from New Mexico unless they are homegrown. But now it’s looking like our tomatoes might have been wrongly convicted. In mid-May, a nurse with Indian Health Services in Shiprock identified tomatoes as the guilty party. Since then, even McDonald’s has chucked tomatoes off the menu, but new cases keep emerging. Now, other foods like cilantro and peppers are being considered as the culprits. By the way, it’s not all tomatoes that are charged with the crime. Cherry, grape and on-the-vine tomatoes are fine to eat. For up to date information on the salmonella scourge, visit fda.gov.

Yeah, yeah, you might find it interesting that tomatoes are good for you, or that a New Mexico crop may or may not have spread salmonella across the country. But I know the real question burning on your mind:  Tomato, fruit or vegetable? Answer: Fruit. Yes, you had it right when you heard it the first time in the fourth grade. The tomato fits the botanical definition of a fruit in that it has seeds and is developed in the base of a flower. Feel better now? I know I do.

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