Tomato – Moonglow
Solanum lycopersicum
This variety of tomato, Moonglow, was found to have Tetra-cis-lycopene by the non-profit organization Heritage Food Crops Research Trust, located in Whanganui, New Zealand. Moonglow was the winner of SSE 2007 Heirloom Tomato Tasting, and has Tetra-cis-lycopene in the amount of 4.88, measured as mg per 100gm fresh weight.
Tetra-cis-lycopene is only found in certain varieties of golden-orange tomato and it has a different molecular structure to the type found in red tomatoes, from which the health benefits can only be absorbed in the intestines if the tomato is cooked and eaten with a fat. Not all golden-orange tomatoes contain tetra-cis-lycopene, some get their color from beta carotene.
Read the “Benefits” section below for more information about Tetra-cis-lycopene and why it’s important for cancer prevention.
Height: Indeterminate
Lycopene: 4.88
Acid: Mid-range
Days to Harvest: 85
Fruit Size: 8 oz to 10 oz
Deer Resistant: no
Fruit: Meaty
Fruit Color: orange
Plant Color: green
Life Cycle: annual
Spacing: 2′ to 3′
Juglone Tolerant: no
Sunlight: full
Soil: well-drained
Water: consistent
Design Styles: food garden, potager
Days to Maturity: 85
History
Moonglow is an heirloom variety, meaning it is open-pollinated, with seed passed down through the generations.
This variety is good for home gardens, make sure it receives good airflow to prevent disease. Moonglow keeps well, it is a thick walled lower-acid tomato without a lot of juice.
Uses
These are ways you can use Moonbeam tomatoes in your kitchen:
* fresh eating
* sauces
* drying
* salsa
Design
Tomato plants are not typically thought to be a design element in the garden, although indeterminate types can be trained and pruned to grow up on a trellis, or a make-shift trellis, such as garden fencing or a cattle panel.
a mid-sized cherry tomato.
Benefits
By choosing Moonglow, you’ll have the health benefits of a higher lycopene content, which is a carotenoid.
Lycopene has been shown to prevent cancer, and provide other health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
In studies conducted to determine the differences between lycopene and tetra-cis-lycopene, it was found that the tetra-cis-lycopene, with it’s different structure was vastly superior in terms of absorption, plus it stayed in the body longer.
It’s also been found that tangerine tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. This is in contrast to red tomatoes, which would need to be cooked to gain the greatest health benefit.
Parting Thoughts
Moonglow, like most heritage varieties, doesn’t meet the high production levels required of commercial growers. The only way to get all the health benefits is buy from a local farmer or gardener, or to grow it in your own garden.
According to Dr. William W. Li in his book Eat to Beat Your Diet, “…lycopene activates thermogenesis in brown fat (found in the body) and staves off the creation of new fat cells. It is also anti-inflammatory and can starve cancer and fat by reducing their blood supply.”
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