Eggplant 9 Remarkable Health Benefits & 3 Surprising Risks

Eat the king of vegetables and makes your life like king- Healthy & Fit

The eggplant conjointly referred to as aubergine, garden egg, guinea squash, melongene, and brinjal, sometimes has an egg-like form and a vibrant purple color. The dark purple version of eggplants is best known, the shape, size, and color will vary from little and rectangular to long and skinny, and from shades of purple to white and green. 

Eggplants are known for having a unique range of health benefits, including an ability to build strong bones, reduce the symptoms of anemia, and increase cognition. Eggplant is also good for weight loss, controlling diabetes, improving cardiovascular health and as a boon to the digestive system. 

Botanical Name: Solanum melongena

Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae, Solanum melongena, grown for its often purple eatable fruit. 

The plant species is believed to have begun in India, where it continues to grow wild. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory. 

Eggplant is believed to have originated in India and it has been cultivated there as well as in China for close to 1500 years. In Sanskrit, literary references to eggplant can be found dating back to 3rd century A.D. The use of different types of eggplant is also documented in Chinese history within a period of 7th – 9th century A.D. Aubergine, as it is known in the United Kingdom, first appeared in a British botany book in the 16th century. Later, this vegetable was introduced to different countries via different trade routes. 

Eggplant grows best in warm climates and a temperature range of 70-85 °F is ideal. Rich, well-drained kind of alkaline soil is also best suited for the till age of this vegetable. This plant requires about 5 months of warm weather before it can bear fruits. 

Some of the more popular variation include the Thai Yellow Egg, the Japanese White Egg, the Ping Tung Long, the African Garden Eggs and the Chinese Round Mauve.  

Eggplants are good sources of dietary fiber, a necessary element in any balanced diet. Fiber is essential for gastrointestinal health, as well as for regular bowel movements. It bulks up a stool so it passes more easily through the digestive tract, while also stimulating peristaltic motion, the contraction of the smooth muscles that help food pushed out of the body. 

Fiber also stimulates the secretion of gastric juices that facilitate the absorption of nutrients and the processing of foods.

MAIN THING: Due to dietary fibers rich in eggplant improves your digestive system.

Eggplants contain a minimum amount of fat or cholesterol and high water content, they are very healthy food for people trying to lose weight or fight obesity.

Fiber is also very stuffing, which means it impedes the release of ghrelin, the hormone which tells our mind that we are starved again. By filling us up, eggplant is one of the many sources of products that help reduce appetite. This diminishes the chances of overeating, so weight loss attempts are more successful.

MAIN THING: Low fat and high fiber content filling you up can help to loose the weight.

Eggplant peel has a high amount of Solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides which are used in the treatment of skin cancer cells. 

Eggplant has also Polyphenols that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, prevent the development of tumors and stop the spread of cancer cells. Anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid in eggplant work as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Chlorogenic acid can also affect cleansing enzymes inside of cells, which boost cancer cell death.

MAIN THING: Eggplant has anti cancer properties helps to prevent the cancer.

Eggplants are great for people at a high risk of bone degradation and osteoporosis. They contain phenolic compounds, which have been reduced signs of osteoporosis, stronger bones and increased bone mineral density.

Eggplants also have significant amounts of iron and calcium, also increase bone health and overall strength. 

Copper in eggplant maintains collagen formation of connective tissue and bones.

MAIN THING: Minerals like iron, copper, calcium and phenolic compounds responsible for healthy bones.

A lack of iron can be very bad to overall health and it can manifest as a condition called anemia. Anemia is characterized by headaches, fatigue, weakness, depression and even cognitive malfunction. Eggplant has a high amount of iron which combats anemia. 

Eggplants are also very rich in copper, addition essential component of red blood cells, just like iron. Without these two minerals, the red blood cells in the body cannot function normally.

MAIN THING: Eating eggplant and keep red blood cells healthy.

Phytonutrients and potassium which acts as a vasodilator assisting in widening blood vessels could be considered “brain boosters,” delivering more oxygen-rich blood to the brain. 

Eggplants are wonderful sources of phytonutrients, which boosting cognitive activity and general mental health. They not only defend against free radical activity but also increase blood flow to the brain.

MAIN THING: Eggplant contain abundant Phytonutrients and minerals like potassium helps to improve brain health.

Bioflavonoids in eggplants are great for reducing blood pressure, which reduces the strain and stress on the cardiovascular system and improving the health of the heart.

Eggplants reduce the presence of bad LDL cholesterol in the body and stimulate the uptake of good HDL cholesterol. The balance of cholesterol in the body is constantly fluctuating based on the foods which are eaten by men. The more HDL cholesterol is better. Reducing LDL cholesterol levels can prevent heart attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis.

MAIN THING: Vegetables like eggplant regularly consume can help to keep your heart healthy.

Eggplant has high-fiber content and low amounts of soluble carbohydrate, that regulator glucose and insulin activity within the body. So consumption of eggplant is more beneficial for diabetic patient and also prevent associated condition with diabetes.

MAIN THING: Diabetes prevents by consuming eggplant.

Eggplants are a fruitful source of folic acid, which makes them a tasty and useful snack for pregnant women. Adequate amounts of folic acid directly protect infants from neural tube defects.

MAIN THING: Consuming eggplant helps in pregnancy.

Nasunin and iron absorption: Nasunin, a phytochemical find in eggplants, connect with iron and removes it from cells. 

Solanine and inflammation: Eggplants are part of the nightshade family. Nightshades contain alkaloids, including solanine, which may aggravate arthritis or inflammation.

Oxalates and kidney stones: Eggplants contain oxalates. Oxalates can contribute to kidney stone formation. Kidney stones can lead to acute oxalate nephropathy or even kidney death. 

Choose eggplants with smooth, shiny skin. The fruit should sense heavy for its size and have no defect, tan patches, or bruises. Wrinkled, loose skin is a sign of age, and the fruit will be more bitter. little eggplants have fewer seeds, thinner skin, and tend to be sweeter, more tender, and less bitter. 

When selecting an eggplant, press your finger lightly against the skin. If it leaves a light imprint, it is ripe. If it is too soft, it is too old and will be bitter. Check the blossom end of the fruit. A larger scar in this area generally means fewer seeds.

Wrap the eggplant in a paper bag. Place the whole eggplant in the bag. Don’t cut it before storing it, since cut eggplant squeeze very quickly. 

If you don’t have a paper bag, try wrapping the eggplant in paper towels and putting it in an unsealed plastic bag or vented bowl. 

Store the eggplant in a room 50 to 54 °F in temperature. 

If your kitchen is hot, try storing your eggplant in a dry, well-open garage, cellar, or basement. 

Store the eggplant separately from ethylene-producing produce. 

The more you are able to isolate eggplant from other fruit, the better off it will be. If you keep eggplant near fruit such as bananas, it may ripen almost immediately. Use it right away if this happens.