Things You Should Know About Snake Tomatoes, Why It’s Best Alternative To Vine Tomatoes (Facts)

​Snake tomato (Trichosanthes cucumerina) locally known as “elejo tomato” is a variety growing mostly wild in southwestern Nigeria. It is mainly found in the states of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Edo. Snake tomato is a gourd vegetable that grows in tropical regions and is used for culinary and medicinal purposes.

It is a member of the cucumber family and is called by many names in different parts of the world including serpent gourd, snake gourd, pointed gourd, snake squash etc.

Like all plants, vegetables and fruits, snake tomato is packed with phytonutrients.

The edible pulp is highly nutritious with health promoting properties. Other parts of the plant like the seeds and roots are used medicinally too.

In Nigeria, the pulp of ripened fruits is used in cooking to replace tomatoes when cooking stews. Some of the important nutritional contents and properties are below;

They are low in calories.

• They contain high fiber content.
• They contain vitamins A, C and B.
• They contain potassium, phosphorus, iron, iodine, manganese and magnesium.
• They contain flavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenol and lycopene.
• They contain antioxidants and have anti- inflammatory properties.
• They have laxative properties.

Some of their applications are;

1. To bring down fevers.
2. To lower blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood sugar levels because of the fiber.
3. To aid digestion and treat constipation because of their laxative properties.
4. Snake tomato has so many other uses in different parts of the world. These gourds make an excellent replacement for normal tomatoes especially when tomatoes are out of season and are expensive. They are easy to grow and can be grown easily in gardens and backyards. 

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