Health Benefits Of Eating Eggplant

Retrieved from: Health Remedies

• Although iron is essential for many biological process in the body, excess accumulation of iron is not beneficial and causes certain harmful effects in the body. Increased accumulation of iron causes rise in the production of free radicals in the body and is associated with high risk of heart disease and cancer. Hence, it is necessary to remove the excess iron to reduce the free radical production. This can be done by nasunin, a phytonutrient present in eggplant.
• Other beneficial effects of chelating iron are protecting blood cholesterol from peroxidation, reducing the rate of free radical damage in joints and preventing cellular damage that can promote cancer formation.
• Nasunin, the potent antioxidant, also shields the brain cell membranes from any kind of damage and injury. This is really important as the membrane protects the cells from free radicals, allowing the entry of nutrients and exit of harmful wastes. It also receives instructions from messenger molecules telling what activities the different cells should perform.
• Another important function of eggplants are that they act as antimicrobial, antiviral, antimutagenic and anti LDL, all of which is attributed to the action of a phenolic compound, chlorogenic acid, found in abundance in the vegetable. The acid is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in the tissues of plants.
• The plant also has a high source of dietary fibers, which is helpful for the proper functioning of the digestive system, and also acts against coronary heart disease.
• The potassium content in the vegetable helps to strike a balance in the salt intake and maintain a good hydration level.
• The potassium level also plays a vital role in regulating the blood pressure of the body.
• For those of you who are planning to go easy on your diet and lose some extra weight, you can opt for eggplants as they are very low in calories and also have high moisture content. Hence, brinjal or eggplants can be safely and effectively used to control obesity.
• Eggplants are also used to reduce glucose levels of type II Diabetes. This is attributed to the fact that the vegetable contains low levels of carbohydrates and high fiber levels. In fact, the vegetable is regarded as a natural method of controlling diabetes.