Health benefits and harms of consuming eggplant
Eggplant is one of the most beloved vegetable crops in the world. The particular interest in vegetables stems from the versatility of eggplants, which can be fried, stewed, baked, and served boiled. At the same time, dishes with them invariably turn out to be tasty, nutritious and healthy.
What are the beneficial properties of eggplants, and what in their composition is worthy of the most attention of people looking after their health?
Why eggplants are useful: features of the composition of vegetables
After culinary processing, this valuable vegetable not only absorbs the aromas of the products with which it is cooked, but also transfers its taste and those useful substances that are included in eggplant to the dishes.
The main advantage of fresh fruits is the abundance of fiber, pectin, and macro- and microelements that are vital for human life. These substances mainly determine the properties of eggplants. Despite the fact that the greenish pulp of the vegetable is rich in potassium, iron and phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, vitamins are also present in it. These are ascorbic acid, vitamin PP, or niacin, as well as a number of B vitamins: B1, B2 and B5.
This composition of the vegetable determines the health benefits of eggplant, including the ability to interfere with the absorption of bad cholesterol and reduce the already existing levels of this substance in the blood. Potassium in eggplant dishes actively affects the heart and blood composition, fiber helps cleanse the body and support the digestive processes.
The nutritional value of a 100-gram serving of eggplant consists of:
- 5.5 grams of carbohydrates;
- 0.9 grams of protein;
- 1.3 grams of dietary fiber;
- 0.2 grams of organic acids;
- 0.1 fat.
If we add that 100 grams of eggplant, depending on the variety, contains only 24-28 kcal, then we can talk about the value of this culture as a dietary product in demand with excess weight and obesity.
The health benefits of eggplant
The importance of the beneficial properties of eggplant for the body and the need to include this vegetable in the diet of a wide range of people is determined precisely by the biochemical composition of the fruit.
As the number of people with cardiovascular diseases is growing steadily around the world, a variety of eggplant dishes can be of great help in preventing these serious ailments. Vegetables high in fiber, potassium and other substances contribute to:
- removing excess fluid from the body;
- do not allow cholesterol to be absorbed, which eventually blocks the vascular bed and disrupts the blood supply to organs and tissues;
- actively remove toxins from the intestines;
- normalize digestion and metabolic processes in the body.
All these properties of eggplant are useful for people of mature and older age who are at risk for heart disease, blood vessels, and also more often than others suffering from indolence of digestion, edema and high blood pressure.
With proper cooking, the value of eggplant as a dietary, healthy vegetable does not diminish.
The exception is frying fruits, during which the pulp is literally soaked with oil, and instead of benefit, harm from eggplant is simply inevitable, especially if a person has problems with digestion and the pancreas.
Thanks to ascorbic acid and other vitamins, eggplants are recommended as a preventive measure:
- during the period of seasonal colds;
- during exhausting physical exertion and active mental work.
The pectins contained in vegetables also contribute to the list of beneficial properties of eggplant, which also stimulate the digestion of food and improve metabolism.
These valuable vegetables are absolutely harmless for diabetes. In addition to the therapeutic and prophylactic effect for atherosclerosis and heart problems, eggplants are useful in detecting signs of osteoporosis and osteochondrosis:
- Vitamin C takes care of the state of the immune system and replenishment of energy reserves.
- B vitamins are responsible for the ability to work, the work of the nervous system and the mental balance of a person.
- Zinc and manganese in the fresh pulp of the fruit help to rehabilitate and counteract dangerous conditions such as stroke.
- Potassium and iron actively improve the composition of the blood, which is shown in case of anemia and decreased tone and pressure.
To fully experience the benefits of eggplant, and reduce the harm from their use to a minimum, it is better to eat these vegetables boiled, stewed or baked.
How are eggplants useful for weight loss?
Due to the low calorie content of eggplant and the high concentration of dietary fiber and trace elements in vegetables, dishes with purple fruits are desirable in a diet for weight loss.
What are the health benefits of eggplants, in a period when the body suffers daily deprivation due to the "scarcity" of the diet?
Firstly, with the help of eggplants and other vegetables, the menu for losing weight can be diversified and saturated with delicious and healthy dishes. In addition, eggplants are useful for the presence of iron and copper, magnesium and potassium, vitamins and organic acids. With such a diet, the body will not be depleted, but will use the accumulated fats for the benefit of health.
The best way to cook eggplant is by boiling, stewing and baking gently, without using oil. In this case, the dish will retain a low calorie content, retain the taste inherent in vegetables and the beneficial properties of eggplant.
You should not give up the use of eggplant for people suffering from chronic diseases of the digestive tract and stomach in remission. A slight irritating effect of the fruit on the mucous membrane only activates the digestion processes without causing any harm.
Eggplants are extremely useful for gout... These vegetables are able to prevent the accumulation and deposition of uric acid salts, which negatively affect the joints, as well as disrupt the functioning of the gallbladder and kidneys.
During pregnancy and lactation, the woman herself can determine the benefits and harms of eggplants by the presence or absence of signs of an allergic reaction.
The main thing is that fresh young fruits that do not contain nitrates and other toxic substances are used for food.
Is it possible harm from healthy eggplants?
The most serious mistakes made when eating eggplant are:
- the use of old fruits that have lost their elasticity for food, which accumulate corned beef as they grow;
- frying the fruit, during which the slices absorb the oil, which is not harmful for people with digestive problems.
If it is impossible to refuse delicious dishes with fried slices, it is recommended to soak the eggplants from 10 minutes to half an hour in cold salted water before heat treatment.
During this time, not only will the risk of fat absorption decrease, but also the concentration of corned beef, which is hazardous to health, will decrease, and the beneficial properties of eggplant will remain unchanged.
You should not get carried away with vegetable stews and other dishes with eggplant for people suffering from exacerbation of peptic ulcer or gastritis, as well as in the acute phase of urinary and cholelithiasis.