The eggplant is a delicious vegetable with which you can vary a lot. Baked, grilled and used in the casserole; The eggplant surprises again and again with its delicious taste. The eggplant is an easy-to-prepare delicacy on the barbecue. Eggplant has a deep purple skin and has light green tender vegetable flesh on the inside. Eggplants are great for peeling before eating; that tastes different. NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Shiny sponge vegetable
• Fibrous vegetables
• Minerals and vitamins in eggplant
• Nasunin in eggplant
• Polyphenol-rich vegetable
• Surplus of iron
• Eggplant eating tips

Shiny sponge vegetable

In English-speaking countries the eggplant is called eggplant. That’s because the plant has a bit of an egg shape. In the Netherlands we use the French word aubergine which is corrupted via Persian, Arabic and Castalan from the Sanskrit word “vantinganah” which means “vegetable that cures flatulence”. The skin has a beautiful shiny almost black but certainly dark purple-magenta color and is mirror smooth. The vegetable flesh is tender, spongy and can be marinated well because it absorbs many flavors. The vegetable itself tastes quite neutral but subtly tasty and there is a hint of bitterness.Eggplant that still has to grow. / Source: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons (PD)

Fibrous vegetables

Eggplants are averagely healthy. They are not among the healthiest vegetables, but they are reasonably healthy. It does contain a surprising amount of fiber. These help to better digest the food nutrients. Eating aubergines therefore ensures that all other nutrients are better absorbed into the blood. That is why the deep purple vegetable with the smooth skin is a valuable addition to your plate. 100 grams of eggplant contains 14% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) in fiber.

Minerals and vitamins in eggplant

There are many minerals in eggplants. Manganese contains 12% of the RDA per ounce of eggplant. This delicious vegetable also contains molybdenum (7% DV), potassium (7% DV), copper (6% DV) and magnesium (4% DV). The eggplant contains a number of important vitamins. It contains folic acid, also known as vitamin B11 (6% RDA). It also contains vitamins K (4% DV), C (4% DV) and B (3% DV). These do not seem to be spectacularly high values, but you have to remember that in practice you eat at least twice as much of the eggplant, plus there are also nutrients in potatoes or rice, which you eat with your meal. Moreover, you eat 3 meals a day, so you ultimately get enough nutrients. In addition, there are many phytonutrients in vegetables that are also very healthy but are not included in the RDA schedule for vitamins and minerals established by governments.Aubergine sales in India / Source: Arne Hückelheim, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Nasunin in eggplant

An important phytonutrient in eggplant is nasunin. This substance, which falls under the polyphenols, is very good for the brain. Nasunine is a strong antioxidant that protects cell membranes against free radicals. The cell membranes of brain cells in particular are protected by this substance. The cell membrane of cells is the outer shell of a cell and consists almost entirely of lipids, a type of fat. The membrane ensures that waste products can go out and nutrients can come in.

Polyphenol-rich vegetable

In addition to nasunin, the eggplant contains a total of 13 important polyphenols. Of these, chlorogenic acid is the most notable. Chlorogenic acid is one of the strongest phenols with antioxidant activity. It works, among other things, as an antivirus, antibacterial and anti-cancer mutation component. The entire immune system is strengthened by eating eggplant and it has an additional cancer-fighting food in eggplant.Three types of eggplant: white, the well-known dark purple and long thin purple. / Source: JE Fee, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.0)

Surplus of iron

In addition to protecting brain cells, nasunin has another important function. It can dissolve a surplus of iron in the body. Iron is of course an important mineral. Some people are deficient in it. But too much iron is also very bad. Sitting happily, nasunin can act as an iron chelator. A chelator bonds with another substance so that a build-up of substances, in this case iron, can be safely removed from the body.

Eggplant eating tips

Because the vegetable meat is spongy, all kinds of marinades are well absorbed. A garlic oil tastes delicious over a fried or roasted eggplant. This plant is ideal for roasting on a barbecue or swivel barbecue. It is an excellent vegetable for the vegetarian barbecue. You can also eat the eggplant peeled. Most polyphenols are found close to the peel, so it becomes slightly less nutritious. Because the phenols are a bit bitter, the vegetable tastes very different when you peel it. It is a great vegetable for frying and adding to pasta with cheese. A pasta with tomato sauce is slightly less suitable because it absorbs all the moisture from tomatoes. A cooled grilled eggplant can easily be mixed in a salad with lettuce leaves.