Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is rich in benefits. Plants that came from India can be easily found around us. Besides its high fiber and rich in vitamins B, eggplant also contains minerals such as magnesium and manganese. Color purple eggplant contains anthocyanins that can prevent high blood pressure and hepatosis (vitamin E deficiency disease). Anthocyanins can also improve vision at night. Eggplant is also beneficial to reduce fat and cholesterol and lower the blood sugar in our body. Eggplant extracts can inhibit the enzyme that cause of type 2 diabetes.
In many countries, the eggplant is often used as traditional medicine for various diseases such as nervous, nervous spasms and convulsions due to content of strychnine, scopolamine, scopoletin, and skoparon present in eggplant fruit. In addition, the eggplant is also used to treat epilepsy.
These vegetables can also treat diseases such as measles, chicken pox, alcohol dependence and burns. Eggplant is dried in Korea is often used to treat diseases such as rheumatism, lumbago and stiff hips.
Nutrition Fact of Eggplant
Eggplant is very low in calories and fats but rich in soluble fiber content. It contains good amounts of many essential B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (B3). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish and required for fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
Further, this vegetable is an also good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron and potassium. Manganese is used as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Potassium is an important intracellular electrolyte helps counter the hypertension effects of sodium.
Nutritional value per 100 g based on USDA | |
|---|---|
Energy | 104 kJ |
Carbohydrates | 5.88 g |
Sugars | 3.53 g |
Dietary fiber | 3 g |
Fat | 0.18 g |
Protein | 0.98 g |
| Thiamine | 0.039 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.037 mg |
| Niacin | 0.649 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.281 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.084 mg |
| Folate | 22 μg |
| Vitamin C | 2.2 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.3 mg |
| Vitamin K | 3.5 μg |
| Calcium | 9 mg |
| Iron | 0.23 mg |
| Magnesium | 14 mg |
| Manganese | 0.232 mg |
| Phosphorus | 24 mg |
| Potassium | 229 mg |
| Zinc | 0.16 mg |
Health Benefits of Eggplant
1. Lowering tense nerves
The content of scopoletin and scoparone contained in eggplant believed to reduce the psychological shock and reduce stress. Besides eggplant also can prevent epilepsy and other causes of stress.
2. Preventing Cancer Risk
According to a study in Japan, proving that eggplant is one of the vegetables that can prevent cancer risk. This is caused by the content of inhibitors in these vegetables.
3. Prevent Atherosclerosis
Based on the results of experiments conducted on rabbits, that rabbits given menunjukankan eggplant continuously proven to reduce fat in their arteries so as to avoid the risk of atherosclerosis.
4. Lowers Risk of Heart Attack
Because fiber content, beta carotene and anti-oxidants that high makes eggplant, becoming one of the plants that can prevent someone from having a heart attack when consumed regularly.
5. Lowering Hypertension
Eggplant has a degree or amount of potassium is quite high at around 217mg / 100gram. Potassium content is high enough to effectively prevent hypertension.
