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Health benefits of aubergines
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Aubergines are strictly speaking classified as berries! They are a good source of fibre, folic acid, potassium and anthocyanins (an anti-oxidant) – all of which are beneficial to health.
Researchers at the US Agricultural Service in Beltsville, Maryland, have found that aubergines are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. The predominant phenolic compound found in all varieties of aubergines tested was chlorogenic acid, which is one of the most potent free radical scavengers found in plant tissues. Benefits attributed to chlorogenic acid include antimutagenic (anti-cancer), antimicrobial, anti-LDL (bad cholesterol) and antiviral activities.
When laboratory animals with high cholesterol were given eggplant juice, their blood cholesterol, the cholesterol in their artery walls and the cholesterol in their aortas (the aorta is the artery that returns blood from the heart back into circulation into the body) was significantly reduced, while the walls of their blood vessels relaxed, improving blood flow. These positive effects were likely due not only to nasunin but also to several other terpene phytonutrients in eggplant.
More below on aubergines from the pubmed website – peer-reviewed primary research reports in the life sciences. Pubmed is a free database accessing primarily the Medline Database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The US National library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database:
Effect of eggplant on plasma lipid levels and reversion of endothelial dysfunction in hpercholesterolaemia:
In hypercholesterolemic rabbits egg plant juice significantly reduced weight, plasma cholesterol levels, aortic cholesterol content in the arterial wall and increased the endothelium-dependent relaxations.
Cardioprotective effects of raw eggplant:
The results of this study demonstrated eggplants as containing potent cardioprotective compounds judging by their ability to increase left ventricular function, and reduce myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.
| Nutrition | per 100g | per half aubergine | RDA women | RDA men | RDA child |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 15 kcal | 20 kcal | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 1.2 g | 3% | 2% | 5% |
| Carbohydrate | 2.2 g | 2.9 g | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Total Sugars | 2.0 g | 2.6 g | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Total Fat | 0.4 g | 0.5 g | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| Fibre | 2.0 g | 2.6 g | 11% | 11% | 17% |
| Salt | 0.0 g | 0.0 g | 0% | 0% | 0% |