The Health Benefits of Eggplant

Brief History of Eggplant
Nutrients in Eggplant
Beetroot for Type 2 Diabetes
Eggplant for Cholesterol Reduction
Eggplant for Cancer Prevention
Glycemic Index of Beetroot
Adverse Reactions from Beetroot

Brief History of Eggplant

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. By the 18th century, both the French and the Italians cultivated eggplant, which they called aubergine. Other names for eggplant are melongene or brinjal. Thomas Jefferson, who happened to be an experimental botanist, introduced eggplant to the United States in 1806.

Nutrients in Eggplant

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. Nasunin, an anthocyanin from eggplant peels, is a potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenger, and has protective activity against lipid peroxidation.

NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Eggplant, raw	Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	102 kJ (24 kcal)
• Carbohydrates	5.7 g
Dietary fiber	3.4 g
• Fat	0.19 g
• Protein	1.01 g
Thiamine (Vit. B₁)	0.039 mg
Riboflavin (Vit. B₂)	0.037 mg
Niacin (Vit. B₃)	0.649 mg
Pantothenic acid (B₅)	0.281 mg
• Vitamin B₆	0.084 mg
• Folate (Vit. B₉)	22 μg
• Vitamin C	2.2 mg
• Calcium	9 mg
• Iron	0.24 mg
• Magnesium	14 mg
Phosphorus	25 mg
Potassium	230 mg
Zinc	0.16 mg
Manganese	0.25 mg
A comprehensive breakdown of nutrients can be found in the Nutrition Database where this food can also be added to a meal planner.

Beetroot for Type 2 Diabetes

The National Diabetes Education Program, Mayo Clinic and American Diabetes Association recommend an eggplant based diet as a choice for management of type 2 diabetes. The rationale for this suggestion is the high fiber and low soluble carbohydrate content of eggplant.

Study results indicate that phenolic-enriched extracts of eggplant inhibit enzymes that provide a strong biochemical basis for management of type 2 diabetes by controlling glucose absorption and reducing associated high blood pressure (hypertension).

Eggplant for Cholesterol Reduction

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.

Cancer Prevention

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.

Glycemic Index of Eggplant

In a study to determine the GI of various vegetables, it was concluded that eggplant has a low GI of 15.

Adverse Reactions from Beetroot

Eggplant should be avoided by individuals suffering from gout.

The Health Benefits of Plums and Prunes

Brief History of Plums Nutrients in Plums & Prunes

The Health Benefits of Spinach

Spinach originates from Asia or Persia where it grew in the wild, and has been cultivated in China for the past 2000 years. The Moors introduced spinach into Spain in the 11th century, and

The Health Benefits of Lentils

Brief History of Lentils Nutrients in Lentils

The Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric powder is made from the Curcuma longa shrub by fist drying and then crushing the stalk of the plant. Turmeric was used in ancient times on the Indian subcontinent to treat

The Health Benefits of Brown Rice

Brief History of Brown Rice Nutrients in Brown Rice

References:
1. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
2. Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
3. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
4. Noda Y, Kneyuki T, Igarashi K, Mori A, Packer L. Antioxidant activity of nasunin, an anthocyanin in eggplant peels. Toxicology. 2000 Aug 7;148(2-3):119-23. PMID: 10962130.
5. Matsubara K, Kaneyuki T, Miyake T, Mori M. Antiangiogenic activity of nasunin, an antioxidant anthocyanin, in eggplant peels. J Agric Food Chem. 2005 Aug 10;53(16):6272-5. PMID: 16076105.
6. Azevedo L, Alves de Lima PL, Gomes JC, Stringheta PC, Ribeiro DA, Salvadori DM. Differential response related to genotoxicity between eggplant (Solanum melanogena) skin aqueous extract and its main purified anthocyanin (delphinidin) in vivo. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 May;45(5):852-8. PMID: 17194516.
7. Kwon YI, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. In vitro studies of eggplant (Solanum melongena) phenolics as inhibitors of key enzymes relevant for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Bioresour Technol. 2008 May;99(8):2981-8. PMID: 17706416.
8. Botelho FV, et al. Effects of eggplant (Solanum melongena) on the atherogenesis and oxidative stress in LDL receptor knock out mice (LDLR(-/-)). Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Aug;42(8):1259-67. PMID: 15207376.
9. Carol Ann Rinzler, The New Complete Book of Food. A Nutritional, Medical, and Culinary Guide