Eggplant, also known as aubergines, a common vegetable, is native to tropical Asia. Eggplant is mostly purple or purple-black, light green or white, round, oval, and other shapes.

It is rich in nutrients, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other nutrients. It reduces cholesterol and has a specific adjuvant remedial effect on dysmenorrhea, chronic gastritis, and nephritis edema.

There are many ways to eat eggplant, but most of them have high cooking temperatures and a long time. As a result, they are not only greasy but also have a high nutritional loss. For example, the vitamin loss of fried eggplant can reach more than 50%.

Nutrient contents and benefits of eggplant

Purple eggplant tree

A good source of vitamin P (Flavonoid) for the body

Eggplant is rich in vitamin P. It contains 750 mg of vitamin P per 100 grams. Among the different varieties of eggplant, the purple eggplant epidermis contains more vitamin P.

Vitamin P can enhance the adhesion between human cells, strengthen the elasticity of capillaries, reduce brittleness and permeability, prevent microvascular rupture and bleeding, and promote wound healing. If you love to eat barbecue, eat roasted eggplant with minced meat daily. It is not only delicious but also good for your health.

Eggplant contains vitamin C, which helps to reduce oxidation.

Eggplant is also rich in vitamin C. It is suitable for women who love beauty. Vitamin C contained in eggplant can help reduce the oxidation rate in the body.

At the same time, it can also help you reduce the cholesterol level in your blood and help you avoid some diseases, because of high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

Eggplant contains solanine that inhibits the proliferation of tumors.

A substance called solanine in eggplant can effectively inhibit the proliferation of tumors in the digestive system. As a result, it can help to prevent and treat gastric cancer.

In daily life, normal people should eat more eggplant. This is because it tastes delicious and can unknowingly prevent and treat gastric cancer. But, unfortunately, some people have a higher chance of getting various diseases, mainly because they don’t like to eat popular food, so they can’t prevent these diseases.

A good source of potassium for the body

Eggplant can also provide a large amount of potassium for the human body. Potassium participates in the whole process of human energy metabolism. For example, it can maintain the average pressure in human cells and the normal excitability of human nerves and muscles.

Severe potassium deficiency in the human body may cause cerebrovascular rupture. In addition, potassium has the effect of balancing blood pressure.

Eggplant benefits for the body

Eggplant benefits

Clearing away heat

Eggplant is cold food. It has the effects of clearing heat and activating blood circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. It can help to clear away heat and relieve heat in summer.

It is especially suitable for people who are easy to get prickly heat. Insist on taking steamed eggplant every day. In the long run, it has the effect of treating internal hemorrhoid bleeding and improving constipation.

Reduces blood fat and blood pressure

Eggplant contains saponins, which can protect the liver and reduce blood cholesterol. In addition, it can promote the synthesis of protein, lipid, and nucleic acid in the body, improve oxygen supply function and blood flow, and improve immunity.

Eggplant has a good effect on reducing high blood fat and high blood pressure. You can cut it into pieces or strips, mix it with sesame sauce or soy sauce, and eat it. Taking it at dinner can effectively reduce and self-heal blood pressure.

Protects the cardiovascular system

Eggplant contains vitamin P, which can prevent damage to vitamin C and strengthen capillary wall elasticity. Also, it can enhance human cell immunity, reduce capillary brittleness and permeability, prevent vascular rupture, and protect the regular cardiovascular system.

In addition, eggplant has the effect of preventing and curing diseases and promoting wound healing.

Eggplant pieces

Anti-aging

Eggplant contains vitamin E, which has the functions of preventing bleeding and anti-aging. In addition, eating eggplant regularly can not increase the cholesterol level in the blood, which is a positive point in delaying human aging.

Anti-gastric cancer

Medical research results found that the anti-cancer performance of eggplant is high. It is several times higher compared with other vegetables with the same effect. Thus, it is a strong anti-cancer player. In addition, it can inhibit the reproduction of digestive tract tumor cells and has an excellent inhibitory effect on gastric cancer and cecal cancer.

Eggplant contains Solanum nigrum, which can inhibit the proliferation of digestive system tumors and has a specific effect on preventing and treating gastric cancer. In addition, eggplant has the effect of clearing cancer fever.

Side effects of eating more eggplant

Eggplant dish

May cause allergic reactions

Some common reactions of eggplant allergy are throat swelling, nausea, itching, and rash. However, the allergic reaction caused by eggplant is not as severe as that caused by members of the eggplant family, such as tomatoes, potatoes, and green peppers.

Some people may be allergic to eggplant and may experience some gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms.

Provides excess potassium and fiber

Eggplant is very high in folic acid, potassium, and fiber. The whole 458g eggplant meets 29% of the daily potassium demand. But because almost all vegetables contain potassium, you may consume more than you need.

Furthermore, too much fiber can lead to constipation, difficulty in nutrient absorption, and diarrhea.

Can cause kidney stones

Eggplant contains a large amount of oxalate. Its high concentration in body fluid can form crystals and cause stones in the kidney or gallbladder. This is why people with kidney or gallbladder diseases are often advised to avoid eating eggplant.

Antidepressants are not effective.

If you take antidepressants, you’d better eat a small amount of eggplant because it is known to interact and prevent antidepressants from working correctly. Eggplant contains a small amount of tyramine, an amino acid that can constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure. In addition, it will affect the absorption of antidepressants.

White eggplant in a tree

Can stimulate menstruation

Eggplant is essentially a diuretic. For this reason, pregnant women are advised not to eat it often because it can stimulate menstruation.

In addition, eggplant is also a good source of plant hormones, which helps treat premenstrual syndrome and amenorrhea. Although this is an advantage of eggplant, the same benefit is a disadvantage for pregnant women.

May cause poisoning

Eggplant is a good source of nitrate, which can naturally transform into nitrite in the stomach. These nitrates then react with the protein’s amino acids to form nitrosamines.

Cooking these nitrate-rich vegetables, such as eggplant, and then cooling them at room temperature will increase the speed of bacterial enzymes and convert nitrate into nitrite.

Foods with high nitrate content are harmful to children.

Solanine is basically insoluble in water. Therefore, solanine cannot be removed by blanching, boiling, and other methods. When cooking, add some vinegar to help destroy and decompose solanine.

The best way to prevent solanine poisoning is naturally to control intake. However, under normal circumstances, eating about 250 grams of eggplant in a meal will not cause any discomfort, so there is no need to be too afraid.

The foods that shouldn’t eat with eggplant

Counter foods of eggplant - infographic

In addition, if you eat eggplant raw, it will lead to poisoning. This is because there is a toxin called solanine in raw eggplant, and there is a lot of solanine in germinated potatoes, so don’t eat germinated potatoes and raw eggplant.

However, you can not declare that eating raw eggplant will not be poisoned. Therefore, when there is a feeling of numbness in the lips, you need to be vigilant.

I believe everyone has seen eggplant. Eggplant has high nutritional value, which can regulate the normal blood circulation of the body and lower cholesterol. In addition, eggplant can also absorb fat and play a role in weight loss.

In short, it is a kind of food suitable for all ages. Therefore, I suggest that you might as well eat some eggplant, as there are many benefits to eating eggplant.

Author

Sam Perera, Founder of Stethostalk, is a food safety follower and organic food lover. He has completed the PLANT-BASED NUTRITION Cornell Certificate Program, Cornell University, US. Before this, he worked for a few years in IT services. A dedicated follower of nature, he believes in healing with natural foods. In his free time, he loves Gardening, Blogging, and traveling.