So, why should you care about eating more eggplant and keeping the purple skinned veggie a greater part of your regular diet? Eggplants contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals, and perhaps more importantly, they contain certain phytonutrients which in turn encourage greater levels of health-boosting antioxidant activity. Without further ado, let’s look now to the 10 main reasons your next meal should include eggplants in some shape or form!
1. Brain Cell Strengthening
Eggplants and their renowned glossy deep purple skin contain an anthocyanin phytonutrient called nasunin. Nasunin is a powerful antioxidant, which actively seeks out and destroys active radicals that left unattended to, pose as risks to the health of your brain’s cellular membranes.
2. Heart Health Improvement
We’ll look specifically to a study in which a controlled group of animals were prescribed fixed levels of eggplant juice, and thereafter went on to show marked reductions in their artery walls’ and aortas’ cholesterol levels; and also, the walls with their blood vessels showed signs of relaxation as well. The study went on to attribute such health improvements to the nasunin and “other terpene phytonutrients” within the eggplant juice.
3. Effective Weight Loss Aid
Some specialists recommend consuming one glass of eggplant juice per meal, so your body doesn’t absorb the meal’s fats. How does this work though? Well, the saponin present in the eggplant juice simply put stifles your body’s ability to absorb fats, while also improving kidney function through acting as a diuretic.
4. Lower Blood Pressure
A recent clinical study has associated the anthocyanin’s present within eggplants, when consumed, with decreased blood pressure.
5. Elite Free-radical Hunter
Eggplants contain high levels of chlorogenic acid, which has been proven as one of the most capable free radical scavengers on the planet!
6. Just 35 Calories per Cup
The low-calorie and high-fiber content in eggplants makes this purple glossy vegetable the perfect candidate for a weight loss diet; the high fiber content leaves you feeling fuller for a longer period of time due to your body’s improved ability to absorb more water.
7. Lower Oxidative Stress
The high levels of bioflavonoids within eggplants help shield your cell membranes against sustaining free radical driven damage, and as an after-effec, cut back on your body’s experienced level of oxidative cancer-causing stress.
8. Curbs High Blood Sugar
Certain studies shown that eating foods, on a regular basis, high in fiber content can cut your risk at developing diabetes by up to 20%! What’s more is those results were achieved from participants getting their fiber from whole grains; eggplants might even be more effective!
9. Tons of Tasty, Diet-friendly Options
There are some incredible meals made with eggplant, including the eggplant and roasted red pepper stack. This particular recipe calls upon in-season veggies to make this dish a timely candidate for your late spring/early summer afternoon feasting. Spicy food lovers will find their palettes pleasantly entertained by the included jalapenos!
10. The Ultimate Anti-carcinoma Combatant
A certain study has found that eggplant cream with concentrated amounts of SRG can help shrink, and eradicate (with enough time) both basal and squamous cell carcinoma tumors; yes, and even more shocking is that these tumors were put to rest permanently.