The benefits and harms of eggplant for the body. Is eggplant a berry or a vegetable?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Eggplant is a he althy natural product that can enrich your body with a vitamin complex and diversify your diet. They do not need to be marinated or stewed for several hours to get a delicious dish. Any housewife will cope with it, and not only. In this article, we will tell you what are the benefits and harms of eggplant for the human body, and also answer the main question: is it a berry or a vegetable.

What is this?

From the botanical point of view, eggplant is a berry, but since we use it not in jam, but in meat and vegetable dishes, in everyday life such a fruit began to be simply called a vegetable, adding it to the total number of plant products. Eggplant is still a berry for one simple reason: it is the fruit of nature-modified nightshade. On our table we can observe a whole family of Solanaceae. We eat tomatoes, potatoes and peppers, although they are all distant relatives of oneplants.

Berry cultivation

Eggplants are highly valued in India and China. There, the berry grows in wild places, sometimes not accessible to humans. For the sake of nutritional properties, the ancient peoples collected beautiful fruits, saved the seeds and grew them on their plots. Thanks to these countries, we got acquainted with an amazing natural gift. For this we can safely thank Alexander the Great, who brought valuable seeds to Europe. Over the centuries, people have learned to cultivate eggplant.

After reading the history of the fruit of the Solanaceae family, you will be surprised. Initially, Europeans grew a berry, which often led to a change in human behavior. Fertilizers, soil and climate brought hallucinogenic fruits that radically changed the psyche of people. After such repeated experiments, eggplant was banned in Europe, and people tried not to grow the berry, so as not to go crazy.

In Russia, this plant began to be grown in the 17th century and, surprisingly, he liked the local climate. The Russian people did not face the problem of the Europeans, so they boldly cultivated this crop.

Useful properties

Eggplant is a unique berry, because it contains vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Include a wonderful fruit in your diet, and you will saturate the body with iron and potassium, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Vitamins C, B and PP will improve your immune system, as well as get rid of the signs of colds. Only 100 grams of the product will be able toto give your body a number of irreplaceable components that rarely get into it with food. Eggplant will saturate you with copper, phosphorus and magnesium.

Want to improve intestinal motility? Then use a berry from the Solanaceae family. The fruits contain a large amount of fiber, which will cleanse the intestines of toxins, toxins and heavy metals.

Be he althy

The benefits of eggplant for the human body are invaluable and underestimated. Such a wonderful product is on the shelves in the supermarket, and we neglect this gift of nature. Let's find out how the berry affects the functioning of our organs:

• Regular consumption of nightshade family fruits will improve your heart function. In addition, eggplant is an excellent prophylactic against atherosclerosis. This is because the berry is able to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, and also helps to avoid the development of plaques and depletion of the walls of blood vessels.
• Eggplant is able to normalize blood pressure, especially the fruit is useful for those who suffer from hypertension.
• Berry removes bile from the body, normalizes the digestive tract.

• This is a dietary product, so eggplant is often recommended by nutritionists.
• Scientists have proven that the fetus affects the body at the cellular level. If there are any inflammatory processes or non-healing wounds, then the vitamin complex will have a regenerating effect on the affectedplots.
• Include eggplant in your diet, and you will notice how sleep has become stronger, overall he alth is better, body tone is higher. The reason is simple: the berry has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and calms if you are in an agitated state.
• Eggplant is a powerful aphrodisiac that stimulates male potency, improving sensitivity and increasing desire.

How can eggplant hurt?

Now we are familiar with the benefits of eggplant for the body, but let's look at the dangerous properties of the berry. Despite the fact that the fruits of the Solanaceae family improve intestinal motility, they should not be used for peptic ulcers and gastritis. In the second case, eating a berry is not forbidden, but it is better to do it in moderation.

When choosing eggplants, pay attention that they are not overripe or underripe. In such fruits, the level of solanine significantly increases, which has a negative effect on the human body. At best, you can get by with mild indigestion, at worst - poisoning and dehydration. An overripe fruit is not difficult to distinguish: the stalk is darkened, the skin is soft and wrinkled. A ripe berry, ready to eat, has a brilliant color, elastic skin and a whole stalk.

Cooking and preserving useful substances

To preserve all the he alth benefits, eggplant is recommended to be fried without oil on the grill or on the grill. Before cooking, it is best to cut it and soak for 30 minutes in cold, slightlys alted water. Fry eggplant slices for 5-7 minutes on each side. You can change the classic brazier for an oven or a grill pan.

No less useful will be the use of the fruit in conjunction with other vegetables. Try to stew zucchini, potatoes, carrots and green beans in tomato juice, add some greens, garlic and s alt to the dish. Both adults and children love this stew.

Eggplant Unexpected Facts

What do you know about this berry? Just the fact that it is actively sold during the harvest season and quite rarely - in the winter? These facts will definitely make you wonder:

• In many countries, this unusual fruit is called very original - little blue ones. This is because the skin has a blue-black color. If you cut open the skin with a sharp knife and then run a white paper towel across the cut, you may find a slightly purple color.
• There are several types of eggplant in nature, but we are familiar with only one. This berry is so unique that it comes in white, pink, and striped with purple hues. Unfortunately, we mainly cultivate only one species. If you get lighter varieties, then they do not need to be soaked in water to get rid of bitterness. Pay attention to the photo of eggplant to know which berry to choose for your dishes.

Such a varied diet

Thanks to our ancestors, we know how to preserve aroma and tasteberries for a long time. We bring to your attention options for preparations for the winter, which will provide you with a vitamin complex.

• "Teschin language". Pickled tongues are a favorite appetizer at any feast. Cooking is quite simple: peel the eggplants, cut them into slices, fry in a small amount of oil, put in a sterile jar and pour over the garlic marinade. Such s alting can be stored all winter.
• Delicate caviar. Eggplant paste can be added to sandwiches and eaten just like that with a spoon. The secret of the recipe is to stew the peeled berries. For taste and aroma, fry carrots, onions, garlic. Add spices and grind the stew with a blender.
• Dried peel. Are you making preparations for the winter season? Do not rush to throw away the rough skin. Rinse it, spread it evenly on the dishes and let it dry. Dry eggplant can be used for hypertension and for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Now you are familiar with the benefits and harms of eggplant for human he alth. Definitely, this berry has much more pluses than minuses, so feel free to go to the store and get the most ripe fruits. Show your imagination in the kitchen - and your culinary delights will surprise your family and friends.