You must be familiar with this one vegetable. Eggplant or better known as eggplant is a plant originating from India and Sri Lanka. Having the Latin name solanum melongena, eggplant is still closely related to potatoes and leunca. For those of you who often eat this one vegetable, it turns out that eggplant has a number of nutrients and health benefits in it, what are they?
5 Benefits of Eating Eggplant for Body Health
1. Improves Heart Health
Eggplant contains fiber, potassium, vitamins C and B6. These substances are known to help reduce the risk of death from heart disease. Research reveals that eating this one vegetable reduces the risk of heart disease much lower even if a person consumes it in small amounts.
Recent studies have shown that people who eat eggplant have a 34% lower risk of developing heart disease than those who rarely eat it. Eggplant also contains vitamin K which is useful in blood clotting and helps prevent arterial problems from forming harmful plaques that can cause blockage of blood flow.
2. Maintain Blood Pressure
Eggplant contains red-blue flavonoid pigments called anthocyanins. This substance was found to be useful to help lower blood pressure significantly. If blood pressure is stable, of course, it will indirectly reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and blood clots. Eggplant also contains vitamin E which is good for treating and preventing chest pain, blockage or hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.
3. Prevents Cancer
Research shows that eggplant contains polyphenols which are known to have anti-cancer properties. Eggplant has anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid which are antioxidants. Antioxidants as we know are very useful in fighting inflammation and cell damage due to oxidative stress found in the body.
In addition, eggplant can also prevent cancer-causing cells. Eggplant contains vitamin A which is also beneficial in the treatment of cancers such as lung, breast, bladder, oral and skin cancers.
4. Helps Treat Anemia
From the benefits mentioned above, it turns out that eggplant can also help someone who is iron deficient, because eggplant contains many important minerals including iron and copper. This mineral helps improve the health of red blood cells in the bloodstream. Research has shown that eating eggplant can treat anemia, help increase energy, and relieve feelings of tiredness and anxiety.
5. Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
Eggplant contains a lot of fiber and low in carbohydrates. Nutritionists recommend adding eggplant to the daily diet for someone suffering from type 2 diabetes.
A recent study found that eating eggplant can help maintain or prevent type 2 diabetes. More research is needed to support this information.
Eggplant contains high amounts of alpha-glucosidase and angiotensin compounds that can control glucose absorption. Plus, eggplant has phenols that help insulin break down carbohydrates slowly and help control blood sugar levels.
Those are the top 5 health benefits that you get when you eat eggplant. Now that you know what the health benefits of eggplant are, always make sure to include eggplant frequently in your healthy diet. Hope it is useful!
