Humanity has been cultivating vegetables for centuries. They enrich the diet with vitamins, make the daily menu varied. The abundance of vegetables allows you to choose for food those that are to your taste. Eggplants are popular among the housewives. Of these, you can cook a delicious dinner, delicious snacks, perhaps familiar to everyone. In addition, they perfectly diversify the winter diet, because they are good in salted and pickled form, combined with other vegetables and used as summer cottages. We will talk about the benefits and harms of eggplants for human health in this article.
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Eggplant Details
These vegetables come from Southeast Asia. In the tropics of India are found in the wild. Indians of South America used eggplants for food long before the opening of the continent by Europeans.
In Europe, they began to eat only in the Middle Ages.. Prior to this, strange properties were attributed to the plant, for example, to cause insanity, they did not eat it.
In the history of Russia, the first mention of this vegetable dates back to the 18th century. At the beginning of the twentieth century. they were successfully grown in the southern regions of the country.
Depending on the variety, large oblong fruits can be 70 cm long. In addition to the usual purple color, plants are bred. with different shades of fruit: white, burgundy, almost black.
Eggplant is a berry rich in vitamins and minerals and belongs to the family of nightshade. Due to its low calorie content (24 kcal per 100 g), it is often used in various diets for those who want to lose weight.
Composition and beneficial properties for the human body
The blue ones, that is the way they affectionately call it in the southern regions of Russia, are very rich:
- various minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, iodine, molybdenum, manganese, magnesium and others);
- organic acids, they have a high content of nicotinic acid, which helps to carry out nerve impulses, folic and ascorbic acids;
- vitamins of group B, A, P;
- sugars and tannins;
- pectins and fiber.
High content of potassium and zinc causes diuretic action and popularity in the diet of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. It relieves swelling, strengthens the heart muscles, removes cholesterol.
Low calorie helps to actively use the vegetable in the correction of weight. Folic acid is responsible for the normalization of blood formation.
Antioxidants that are part of, protect against the development of cancer. Due to the composition of the fruit fiber, improves the work of the digestive tract, liver and gallbladder.
About the benefits of eggplant will tell the program "To live great!":
Possible harm to health and contraindications
With all the utility do not use the "blue":
- during exacerbation of gastritis or ulcers;
- in case of problems with the pancreas;
- with arthritis or gout attack;
- the presence of allergic reactions;
- serious kidney disease.
Few contraindications. In the composition of steamed vegetable stews, eggplants will benefit almost everyone.
The benefits of vegetables
For women
High manganese content make vegetable indispensable for women in menopause and with premenstrual syndrome. Relieves irritability, tearfulness, relieves mood swings.
Useful for pregnant women due to the high content of folic acid, consumption helps to cope with edema, often accompanying pregnancy.
Normalizes the digestive tract during lactation. It helps to diversify the diet, allows you to quickly get rid of excess weight.
For men
Since it is men who are most susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, they need to consume eggplants, which enrich the body with necessary zinc and potassium.
In addition, with high physical exertion, "Blue" show a tonic effect.
Low calorie dishes allows you to control weight, this is true for both men and women.
For kids
Up to one and a half years it is better not to include eggplants in the children's menu. With a lack of iron and low hemoglobin purple berries will help fill the deficit.
They will relieve the baby from constipation and normalizes the digestive tract. The peculiar taste of dishes with this vegetable will surely please the kid.
Important: eggplant is not consumed raw. Cooking in large quantities of oil will not bring the body anything but harm.
How to choose and store
Choose a little undisrupted, smooth and shiny specimens.Wrinkled overripe berries are of no value.
Tastier fruits with thin skin. The darker the fruit, the better the taste.. Excellently stored frozen or dried.
Blot chopped vegetables with a napkin, fold them into a container and place in the refrigerator. So they are stored up to six months. Thawing before cooking is not necessary.
Dried in the open air, ensuring air circulation and protecting from direct sunlight. You can chop fresh eggplants and dry in the oven or dryer for fruit.
When used in the diet, the peel from the vegetable is more useful to cut off.
They are used to make vegetable stews.. Stew over low heat by adding carrots, bell peppers, onions, greens and potatoes. For cooking use 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Remember: when frying "blue" absorb a lot of oil. It is better to bake or stew. They can marinate, salt, cook popular caviar, stew or fry.
They are great with meat or vegetables.. Stuffed with meat or vegetables, eggplant, tasty and nutritious dish.
Eggplant with nuts and eggplant with garlic and greens, video recipe:
Eggplant settled on our table long ago. Good and bright, nothing like the taste, made them popular on holidays and weekdays. They found admirers in different countries.
Cheap and tastyWith proper preparation, these vegetables are able to bring significant benefits to the body.