Eggplant is an affordable and nutritious vegetable, a common staple on the dinner table. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eggplant is cold in nature and has the effects of dispersing blood stasis, reducing swelling and relieving pain, treating chills and fever, dispelling wind and unblocking meridians, and stopping bleeding. In ancient times, eggplant was included in the emperor's diet. Eggplant is highly nutritious, with its main components including trigonelline, stachydrine, choline, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins A, B, and C. In particular, its sugar content is twice that of tomatoes, and eggplant fiber also contains a certain amount of saponins; purple eggplants are particularly rich in vitamin P.
What kind of eggplant has the highest nutritional value?
Purple eggplants have the highest nutritional value, as their purple skin is rich in vitamins E and P. When choosing eggplants, select newly harvested, tender fruits. At the junction of the calyx and the fruit, there is a light-colored ring. The wider and more prominent this ring, the faster the eggplant is growing and the less mature it is. If the ring is not prominent, it means the eggplant has stopped growing at harvest time, and the flesh has already begun to coarse, the seeds have hardened, and it is not edible.
The effects and benefits of eggplant:
Lowering blood lipids and blood pressure
Eggplant has a good effect on lowering high blood lipids and high blood pressure. The specific method is as follows: Select dark-colored long eggplants, cut them into sections or shreds, mix them with sesame paste and soy sauce, and take them at dinner time to effectively lower and heal high blood lipids.
Protects the cardiovascular system and has antiscorbutic properties.
Eggplant is rich in vitamin P, which can enhance the adhesion between human cells, increase the elasticity of capillaries, reduce capillary fragility and permeability, prevent microvascular rupture and bleeding, and maintain normal cardiovascular function. In addition, eggplant also has the effects of preventing scurvy and promoting wound healing. >>View Cardiovascular Nutritional Supplements
Prevention and treatment of stomach cancer
Eggplant contains solanine, which can inhibit the proliferation of digestive system tumors and has a certain effect on the prevention and treatment of stomach cancer. In addition, eggplant also has the effects of clearing heat and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and relieving pain.
Anti-aging
Eggplant contains vitamin E, which has the functions of preventing bleeding and anti-aging. Eating eggplant regularly can prevent the cholesterol level in the blood from increasing, which has a positive effect on delaying human aging.
What's the healthiest way to eat eggplant in summer?
There are many ways to cook eggplant, but most methods involve high temperatures and long cooking times, resulting in oiliness and significant nutrient loss. Frying eggplant can cause a vitamin loss of over 50%. Of all the ways to eat eggplant, making eggplant puree is the healthiest.
First, eggplant puree requires the shortest heating time, simply steaming over high heat until cooked through, thus minimizing nutrient loss. Second, it uses minimal oil; after steaming and mashing the eggplant, only a little seasoning sauce is needed. Finally, this method allows for the most complete nutrient absorption because it doesn't require peeling the eggplant, which contains a large amount of bioactive substances.
The best dressing for tomato puree is made with olive oil, sesame paste, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt. Olive oil is undoubtedly a healthy oil, sesame paste is rich in calcium, protein, and vitamins, and minced garlic has antibacterial and anti-cancer properties.
