An Overlooked Green Fruit Can Prevent Cancer And Reduce Blood Sugar At The Same Time

Aiming for a multi-hued array of produce in your diet ensures that you get plenty of nutritional elements. However, it can get a little boring to always reach for the same foods when you're trying to get all the advantages of a colorful plate (which is better for your health). If you're stuck in a rainbow rut, consider adding an overlooked green fruit into your meal plans. As a reward, you'll get tons of flavor as well as potential health benefits like a reduced risk of cancer and better controlled blood sugar.

You may have heard of this fruit before and thought it was a veggie because it looks like a smaller version of a beefsteak tomato. (For the record, tomatoes are technically fruits as well.) It's a tomatillo, and its crunchy, tangy flesh can add a new twist to salsas, salads, stews, and more. Eating tomatillos won't necessarily keep you from ever getting cancer, of course. But tomatillos contain compounds that have been studied for their anticancer properties, such as withanolides. (Here are other unexpected foods that may help you prevent cancer.)

A 2016 review in Springer Nature examined studies regarding the potential for withanolides to be used to prevent or inhibit cancer. The authors found that withanolides seemed to stop the growth of several types of cancer cells, including those involved in the development of skin, breast, and colon cancers.

What gives withanolides their anticancer potential? A 2023 review in Chemico-Biological Interactions suggests that part of the reason is their anti-inflammatory capacities. Additionally, withanolides might be used in conjunction with cancer treatments to improve their overall efficacy.

Regardless of exactly why withanolides work against cancer, a 2021 article in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry suggested leveraging withanolides in fighting cancerous tumors. Especially interesting was the mention of tomatillos directly, thus linking the green fruit with an anticancer reputation. Lastly, findings of a 2006 review in the FEBS Journal point to the cancer chemopreventive potential of compounds in tomatillos.

The potential anticancer advantages of tomatillos alone are a good enough reason to pick up a few on your next shopping trip. On top of that, however, tomatillos may help you modify your blood sugar levels as well. Tomatillos carry a low glycemic index label. Consequently, they are likely good choices for anyone looking for foods that can help you reduce high blood sugar levels. It's partly their fiber content that causes their sugars to be digested steadily, thereby avoiding sugar spikes.

In terms of fiber, a 100-gram serving of tomatillos offers 1.9 grams of fiber. That might sound fairly modest, but every bit of fiber counts. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should be eating between 22 and 34 grams of fiber each day, depending on their age and gender. Thus, adding tomatillos to your diet — whether you enjoy them cooked or raw — can provide a welcome benefit to your overall health.