The nightshade family includes the vegetable known as eggplant (Solanum melongena), which is actually a fruit with a teardrop form. It comes in a variety of hues and forms and is also known as aubergine. Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals found in eggplant are what give it its health advantages.
The inclusion of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins A and C (which aid in shielding bodily cells from oxidative damage), and minerals in eggplant is what gives it its health advantages. Consuming eggplant can assist improve diabetes problems, heart health, cancer risk reduction, and cognitive performance.
We have covered the nutritional value of eggplant, how to incorporate it into your diet, its potential hazards, and its health advantages in this post. Go on reading!
Health Benefits of Eggplant
The aubergine, often known as an eggplant, offers fibre and a variety of nutrients. This vegetable with little calories is part of the Mediterranean diet.
1. Rich in Many Nutrients
Because they are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, and fibre, totally eggplants are a nutrient-dense food.
82 grammes (about one cup) of raw eggplant has the following nutrients in it:
- Calories: 20
- Fiber: 3 gm
- Protein: 1 gm
- Carbs: 5 gm
- Manganese: 10% of the RDI
- Potassium: 5% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 3% of the RDI
- Folate: 5% of the RDI
Niacin, magnesium, and copper are among the other minor nutrients found in modest concentrations in eggplants.
2. Rich in Antioxidants
Eggplants are rich in antioxidants and a range of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Antioxidants are molecules that aid in defending the body against harm done by dangerous elements known as free radicals.
Antioxidants may aid in the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease, according to studies.
Anthocyanins, a type of pigment with antioxidant effects that gives eggplants their vivid colour, are particularly abundant in eggplants.
Nasunin, an anthocyanin found in eggplants, is particularly advantageous.
In fact, numerous research conducted in test tubes have shown that it is successful in preventing cell deterioration brought on by dangerous free radicals.
3. May Promote Heart Health
According to some reports, eggplants have antioxidant characteristics that could support heart health.
In a study, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine discovered that eggplant, both raw and cooked, exhibited cardioprotective qualities. The polyphenol nasunin, found in eggplant, has heart-healthy properties.
Eggplant juice may lower plasma and aortic cholesterol levels, according to a different study done on hypercholesterolemic (high cholesterol) rabbits. Additionally, eating eggplant regularly could lower high blood pressure in people who are under stress.
4. May Control Blood Sugar Levels
Consuming more eggplant in your diet could help control your blood sugar levels.
This is mostly due to eggplants’ high fibre content, which allows it to travel through the digestive system undamaged.
By decreasing the rate of sugar digestion and absorption in the body, fibre helps lower blood sugar levels. Slower absorption reduces spikes and crashes and maintains constant blood sugar levels.
According to additional studies, polyphenols, or natural plant components, are present in foods like eggplant and may help lower blood sugar by increasing insulin secretion and decreasing the absorption of sugar.
Eggplant extracts that were high in polyphenols were the subject of one test-tube study. It shown that they could lower the activity of particular enzymes that affect how well sugar is absorbed, hence lowering blood sugar.
Eggplants are a good fit for the current diabetes dietary guidelines, which call for a high-fiber diet full of vegetables and healthy grains.
5. Help With Weight Loss
Eggplants are a great complement to any weight loss strategy because they are high in fibre and low in calories.
Fiber can increase fullness and satiety while moving through the digestive system slowly, which can help people consume less calories.
A cup (82 grammes) of raw eggplant has just 20 calories and 3 grammes of fibre.
In addition, eggplants are frequently substituted in recipes for higher-calorie foods with higher fibre content.
6. May Have Cancer-Fighting Benefits
Solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides are abundant in extracts from eggplant peel (SRGs). These substances may aid in the treatment of skin cancer because they have anti-cancer characteristics. The SRGs may cause cancer cell death, according to research from Australasian Medical Research.
A conventional combination of solasodine glycosides has been demonstrated to be beneficial in the treatment of both malignant and benign human skin cancers, according to a second study by the University of Queensland.
7. May Improve Cognitive Function
Eggplant phytonutrients may prevent damage to the membranes of brain cells. They can also make it easier for messages to be transferred between cells, maintaining memory function.
Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and neuronal degeneration may be caused by free radicals in the brain. By scavenging these free radicals, nasunin, a strong antioxidant found in eggplant peels, may prevent brain problems. This enhances mental performance and lowers the possibility of neural disorders.
8. Very Easy to Add to Your Diet
Eggplant is highly adaptable and simple to include in your diet.
With a drop of olive oil and a quick sprinkle of seasoning, it can be roasted, baked, grilled, sautéed, or any combination thereof.
It can also be used to replace a variety of high-calorie foods with low-calorie alternatives.
By doing so, you can eat less calories and carbs while also upping the amount of fibre and nutrients in your meal.
Eggplant Nutrition Profile (Facts)
Calcium, iron, magnesium, and a number of other vital minerals that support your body’s healthy operation are abundant in eggplant. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 82 grammes (or 1 cup) of eggplant contain.
- Energy: 20.5 kcal
- Protein: 0.8 g
- Water: 75.7 g
- Fiber: 2.46 g
- Carbohydrate: 4.82 g
- Vitamin K: 2.87 μg
- Manganese: 0.19 mg
- Potassium:188 mg
- Folate: 18 μg
- Iron: 0.189 g
Phytonutrients like nausinin and chlorogenic acid, polyphenolic compounds, fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins B6 and E, and minerals are also found in eggplant.
It’s simple to include eggplant in your diet. We’ve covered how to prepare it and incorporate it into your diet in the sections below.
Are There Any Side Effects of Eggplant?
1. May Cause Allergies
As a member of the nightshade family of vegetables, eggplants are known to cause allergic responses.
They may, in extremely rare circumstances, produce allergic reactions in some individuals due to a particular lipid transfer protein (24). Breathing problems, edoema, and hives are some of the symptoms. Rarely, anaphylaxis can also be brought on by eggplant (a hypersensitive condition). Stop eating eggplant if you have any adverse symptoms, and see a doctor.
2. Might Impair Iron Absorption
An anthocyanin found in eggplant peels called nasunin binds to iron and draws it out of cells. It chelates iron, to put it another way. It might reduce the absorption of iron. Even though further research is necessary in this area, it is best if those with low iron levels stay away from eggplant.
3. May Cause Solanine Poisoning
The natural poison present in eggplants is called solanine. Consuming too many eggplants might make you sick, nauseous, and sleepy.
Low- to moderate-level consumption of eggplants may not be harmful. However, in the event of any emergency, seek medical advice.
Conclusion
Eggplant is a nutrient-rich, low-calorie meal with a high fibre content that has a number of possible health advantages.
Eggplants are an easy and delicious addition to any healthy diet, helping with everything from blood sugar control and weight loss to lowering the risk of heart disease.
They work nicely in many different dishes and are also highly flexible.
Sources:
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338402175_Nutritional_Content_and_Health_Benefits_of_Eggplant#:~:text=It%20also%20contains%20low%20calories,%2Dlipidemic%2C%20and%20hypotensive%20etc
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- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268285627_Topical_Solasodine_Rhamnosyl_Glycosides_Derived_From_the_Eggplant_Treats_Large_Skin_Cancers_Two_Case_Reports
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