The eggplant is considered to originate from India where it grew wild, and was first cultivated in China. It was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages by the Moors where it soon became popular. Thomas Jefferson, who happened to be an experimental botanist, introduced eggplant to the United States in 1806. It’s called eggplant in America, aubergine in Europe, and brinjal in South Africa.
China is the world's leading producer, followed by Japan, Turkey, and Italy. The leading U.S. producer is Florida.
The eggplant has a bad rap as being poisonous and detrimental to health. It was believed by superstitious Europeans to induce insanity, and the fact it belongs to the Deadly Nightshade family of plants has done nothing to enhance its dubious reputation.
Health Benefits of Eggplant
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Nutrients
Eggplant is an excellent source of dietary fiber. It's a very good source of vitamins B1, B6 and potassium. It’s a good source of copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and folic acid.
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Cholesterol
Eggplant has been used as a cholesterol-lowering agent, and there are some studies to support that claim. There are however other studies that do not support the use of eggplant extract as a cholesterol lowering agent. Further research is needed to establish its effectiveness in lowering cholesterol.
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Antioxidant
Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out. Lipid peroxidation is the process whereby free radicals damage cells by stealing electrons from the lipids in cell membranes. Findings from research at the University of California suggest that nasunin, an anthocyanin from eggplant peels, is a potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger, and has protective activity against lipid peroxidation.
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Cancer
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels and is a normal process in growth and in wound healing. Angiogenesis also plays an important role in the growth and spread of cancer by feeding the cancer cells with oxygen and nutrients. In a study at the Department of Nutritional Science in Japan, it was established that nasunin, the antioxidant from eggplant peels, is an angiogenesis inhibitor, and might be useful to prevent angiogenesis-related diseases.
Other studies have demonstrated that antioxidant anthocyanins found in eggplant skin and other plants show inhibitory effects on the growth of some cancer cells.
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Nutrient Values of Eggplant per 100g
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Energy Value
147kj
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Sugars
3.20g
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Dietary Fiber
2.5g
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Sodium
1mg
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Zinc
0.12mg
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Potassium
123mg
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Magnesium
11mg
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Copper
0.059mg
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Calcium
6mg
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Vitamin C
1.3mg
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Vitamin E
0.41mg
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Vit. B3 (Niacin)
0.600mg
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Vitamin B6
0.086mg
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Vit. B1 (Thiamin)
0.076mg
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Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
0.020mg
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Eggplant should be avoided by individuals suffering from gout. References:
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
PubMed. PMID: 10962130
PubMed. PMID: 16076105
PubMed. PMID: 17194516
PubMed. PMID: 17706416
PubMed. PMID: 15207376
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