The amazing benefits of eggplant for your health
Eggplant has many benefits that benefit your health, heart, and mind provided it is prepared healthily. Learn about the values and benefits of eggplant.
The eggplant is one of the distinctive fruits of its wonderful purple color, and it comes in a variety of shapes, some of which are rectangular and some of them are oval, and its colors vary between white, green, and purple.
Whichever type of eggplant you choose, they all contain many beneficial nutrients.
In our next article, we will tell you about all the evidence and facts about the benefits of the famous purple eggplant.
Eggplant benefits
Several studies have found evidence that proves the relationship between consuming a variety of vegetables and fruits daily and a lower risk of many chronic diseases.
Also, increasing the consumption of plant foods, such as eggplant, reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, and promotes healthy skin and hair.
Here are the details of these benefits as follows:
1. Lower cholesterol
Studies have shown a relationship between eating eggplant and lowering cholesterol in the blood.
In a 2014 study conducted on laboratory animals, it was found that rabbits that ate eggplant juice had a significant decrease in weight and cholesterol levels.
In laboratory analyzes of the phenolic compounds in eggplant, the results of which were published in the journal Agricultural Research in 2004, it was found that eggplant contains high amounts of chlorogenic acid.
This acid is a powerful antioxidant in fighting free radicals, and it works to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and acts as an antimicrobial, antiviral and carcinogenic.
2. Promote cardiovascular health
Eggplant contains nutrients that promote cardiovascular health, such as dietary fiber, powerful antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, which play an important role in:
- Reducing the levels of fats and cholesterol in the blood.
- Strengthening the work of the heart and arteries.
- Maintain regular blood pressure and levels.
Several studies indicate that eating foods containing certain flavonoids, including anthocyanins, has a significant role in reducing inflammatory markers and lowering the risk of heart disease.
3. Weight loss
It is known that eating foods high in dietary fiber, as in eggplant, contributes significantly to increasing the feeling of satiety and reducing appetite and thus reducing the number of calories consumed during the day.
And eggplant is basically a food that is high in nutritional values, low in calories, and does not contain fat, so including it in your diet may contribute to weight control or weight loss.
4. Cancer resistance
It was found that the polyphenols contained in eggplant have anti-carcinogenic effects, and this is enhanced by the eggplant’s content of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, as they are:
- It protects the body from damage caused by free radicals and thus disrupts and prevents the growth of tumors and the spread of cancer cells.
- Stimulate the action of enzymes and detoxification processes of cells.
5. Enhance cognitive functions
The results of some studies, as in a study published in 2000, indicated the following:
- The anthocyanins in the peel of the eggplant are a powerful antioxidant that protects the lipids that make up the cell membranes of the brain against oxidation and free radicals, which contributes to enhancing the transport of nutrients and waste products to and from cells.
- Anthocyanins prevent nerve infections, facilitate blood flow to the brain, helps prevent age-related mental disorders, such as Alzheimer's, and enhances memory.
6. Eggplant benefits for skin and hair
Eating eggplant helps in getting healthy skin and healthy hair. Let us introduce you to these properties that eggplant may add to you:
- Clear skin: The richness of eggplant in minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber helps maintain the health of the body, which is reflected in the external appearance of healthy, flawless skin.
- Freshness and moisture of the skin: thanks to the high water content of eggplant, vitamins, and minerals that maintain skin moisture and freshness.
- Fighting wrinkles and signs of aging: Eggplant contains powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals and protect cells.
- Maintain healthy hair: Eggplant contains a group of minerals and vitamins that nourish the scalp and hair roots and maintain and strengthen hair health.
7. The benefits of eggplant for pregnant women
There may be some types of foods that are not recommended to be eaten during pregnancy, as they pose a risk to the health of the fetus, but eggplant is not included in them. On the contrary, adding it to your daily diet may benefit you and your fetus:
- Eating eggplant is safe during pregnancy, and adding it to a healthy, calculated pregnancy diet can help you consume a large amount of the essential nutrients that your fetus and body need for a healthy pregnancy.
- Promote the growth of the fetus, as it is a source of vitamins E and C, and some minerals, such as magnesium and potassium, which are important for the growth of the fetus and its cells.
- Boosting immunity It is a source of several important antioxidants.
- Promote your digestion and prevent constipation, as it is a high source of important dietary fiber.
But if you decide to eat eggplant during pregnancy, you should consider the following things:
- Avoid eating fried eggplant, as the frying pans themselves may cause you discomfort and lead to satiety or increase symptoms of nausea, acidity, and heartburn, so eat it grilled or grilled, and use it in healthy recipes as in the Baba Ghanoush recipe.
- Always make sure to wash the eggplant well before eating it, to avoid any contamination with any kind of microbes, bacteria, or dust, as eating any type of vegetables that are not washed well may increase the risk of toxoplasmosis, premature birth, or some serious diseases.
Types of eggplant
There are many types of eggplant, the most famous of which are:
- White Eggplant: A small white eggplant that spreads in Egypt and is usually used in Makdous and Mahshi.
- Japanese Eggplant: A dark purple eggplant with long, thin fruits.
- Chinese eggplant: Similar to Japanese, except that it is lighter in color.
- Thai eggplant: green in color and has a more bitter taste than others.
- Indian eggplant: sweet in taste, small fruits, and reddish in color.
- American Eggplant: It has large fruits and a dark color, similar to Italian eggplant.
The nutritional value of eggplant
In eggplant, anthocyanins are responsible for giving it its dark purple color, and it is usually concentrated in the eggplant skin, so it is advised not to get rid of the peel and eat it to obtain high nutritional value, as it is also a rich source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium.
Here is what 100 grams of eggplant contains, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA):
| Nutritional value | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Calories | 25 calories |
| carbohydrates | 5.88 g |
| Proteins | 0.98 g |
| Fats | 0.18 g |
| Dietary fiber | 3 g |
| Sodium | 2 milligrams |
| Calcium | 9 milligrams |
| Iron | 0.23 milligrams |
| magnesium | 14 milligrams |
| phosphorous | 24 milligrams |
| potassium | 229 milligrams |
| vitamin C | 2.2 milligrams |
How to prepare eggplant
In the following, we will review the different methods of cooking eggplant:
1. Steam cooking
How you prepare and cook your pandan plays a big role in increasing or decreasing its nutritional value.
It is usually recommended to use the steaming method as the best option for cooking eggplant and to maintain its high values without any increase in fat or calories.
A study published in 2007 found that when eggplant was steamed, it increased its binding to bile acids in the body, which means:
- Increasing its effectiveness in reducing cholesterol and lipid levels in the blood.
- Lower risk of heart disease.
2. Roasted eggplant
It is usually recommended to prepare eggplant in healthy ways, including grilling and baking in the oven, as this will contribute to maintaining its nutritional values, and with fewer calories and fats, which makes it suitable for all health conditions.
3. Fried eggplant
It is advised to avoid using the oil-frying method for eggplant when preparing it, especially since eggplant is one of the vegetables that tend to absorb high levels of oil.
The percentage of oil absorbed by the eggplant can be reduced if it is emptied of air and water by salting it before frying and leaving it for 30 minutes and then washing it.
But in any case, it will absorb a percentage of the oil, which makes us go back to the fact that the method of frying is unhealthy, and it is preferable to replace it with grilling or baking in the oven.
Are there any side effects or risks to eating eggplant?
Here are a few caveats and things you should be aware of:
1. bitter taste
The polyphenols in eggplant are responsible for its bitter taste, and the higher the levels of this antioxidant, the more bitter the taste.
Scientists hope that in the future eggplants will be genetically modified so that they maintain their nutritional values but taste better.
2. Effect on iron absorption
It was found that eggplant contains a chemical compound known as nasunin, which binds to iron and works to remove it from the cells.
This may benefit those who suffer from problems of increasing iron levels in the body, but of course, it is not recommended for those who suffer from low levels of it, as in cases of anemia.
3. Increased chances of developing kidney stones
Eggplant contains oxalate, which contributes to the formation of kidney stones.
When ingesting large amounts of oxalate, can lead to kidney disease, which can be life-threatening.
Therefore, those who are prone to kidney stones are advised to avoid foods high in them, including eggplant.
Conclusion
Including eggplant in your healthy diet in a balanced way, taking into account the healthy method of preparing it, so that we avoid frying it and focus on adding it raw or grilled.
Which will greatly contribute to supplying our bodies with many benefits and antioxidants that enhance our immunity against diseases.