Last Updated on July 2, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Brinjal is the Indian name of the popular vegetable that is called Aubergine in Britain and Eggplant in America and other parts of the parts. In India, the Hindi term for Brinjal is called – Baingan.
This rather popular Asian vegetable is well known for the numerous benefits it can have on one’s health.
Listed below are the health benefits of eating brinjals, based on science:
1. Superfood for diabetic patients
Brinjal is a good option for people who have diabetes too. They are very low in the Glycemic Index (GI = 15). The fewer amounts of calories and carbohydrates assist in keeping the sugar levels safe and under control.
People with diabetes have to maintain that extra level of care when it comes to calories in one’s diet. Including them does not spike up your calories or your sugar levels.
Therefore, you can consume brinjals without cutting out on other meal options, making it a diabetes superfood. Hence, you can easily have them, and they will also aid in reducing your blood sugar levels.
They also have other nutrients that control and prevent many side effects that are caused or heightened due to diabetes.
2. Brinjal is Rich in Fiber
Fiber is one of the most essential nutrients that one can include for overall well-being. Brinjals are enriched with this assisting fiber.
Fibre has excellent effects on one’s digestive functions. Fiber aids a slower pace of digestion. This, in turn, carries out an efficient absorption and release of nutrients.
The richness of fiber is also useful for regulating healthy blood sugar levels. Fiber is very crucial to be added to the diabetic diet.
Fiber helps to prevent and reduce constipation. It is efficient in providing laxatives to one’s gut and excretory functions.
It also provides enough food for the gut bacteria that assists in promoting good colon health.
Therefore, adding brinjals can also bring the necessary amount of roughage that is needed by the body.
3. Keeps blood healthy and enriched
The presence of Folate in brinjal is an excellent supplement for the blood. It is effective in the production of Red blood cells.
This is also good for keeping away anemia. The property of brinjals to enhance the quality of blood is also very beneficial for women who are pregnant.
4. Great agent for promoting Weight loss
The few calories in brinjals are the main reason that these vegetables are best for promoting weight loss. They induce not only many good nutrients but also aid efficient and healthy body weight.
It is necessary to cook the brinjal in the right ways to fit into your weight-watched diet. Numerous recipes make the low-calorie brinjal great for weight watchers.
Keeping the proper weight of the body is crucial to avoid many health complications. It also benefits people with diabetes, as controlling weight is an important part of diabetic health maintenance.
5. Rich in numerous anti-oxidants
Antioxidants are primary nutrients to keep the body healthy from within. It also repels many external factors that can be harmful to one’s health.
They prevent the harm caused by free radicals in the body. It helps prevent potential chronic diseases such as cancer, kidney failures, etc.
The phytonutrients in brinjals, including the phenolic compounds, are such important antioxidants that the body can benefit from.
6. Protection against cancer
Apart from the safety that is provided by the anti-oxidant qualities of brinjals, other elements also keep away cancer-causing factors.
The presence of Glycoalkaloids is also very helpful in keeping away the risks of developing skin cancer. This is very useful for the overall health of an individual.
Nightshade plants such as brinjals have been tested to discover the presence of SRGs (solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides). These compounds have shown affirmative results in fighting and killing cancer cells efficiently.
7. Improves heart health
Eggplants are also good for keeping cholesterol levels under control. It can lower blood cholesterol and also keep away the vulnerability of developing cardiac complications.
Experiments have shown results of lowered bad cholesterol levels in the body upon consuming brinjals.
Brinjal juice is also a therapeutic option in maintaining good heart health. It can also be eaten as cooked dishes to improve heart functioning and reducing the chances of heart attacks.
What are the side-effects of eating brinjals in excess?
Well, as usual, the universal truth of balance best applies to your diet too. It is very important to limit your dietary options for the best results and no side effects. Here are some side-effects of brinjals:
- The richness of calcium oxalates in the body can be harmful in accumulated in excess amounts. They can give rise to kidney stones.
- The presence of solanine in nightshade plants is also seen in brinjals. They can lead to gastrointestinal discomforts.
- The seeds of brinjals can have allergic reactions. Often people complain about irritations on the tongue after consuming brinjals.
If you tend to suffer from any of these allergic or uncomfortable reactions, it is best to restrict this vegetable. The key is to find out what foods suit your body in what quantities. It is the key way of reaping the advantages.
How to choose the best quality brinjals?
The brinjal is available in a variety of sizes ranging from a lemon size to a grown bottle-gourd size. This vegetable is rather easy to find anywhere.
It is important to choose the right and fresh brinjals for the best tastes and health benefits.
When picking out brinjals, make sure they are firm to hold. If they are soft and squishy, they can be worm-infected, stale, or too old. Usually smaller varieties have lesser seeds and can be less bitter too.
Also, ensure that the green tip of the brinjal is fresh and green. Avoid choosing those brinjals that are blemished, have spots, cuts, or holes.
After selecting and buying the best brinjals, you should clean them well using water. Then you are ready to use these as the basic ingredients for your yummy curries. They can be used in many dishes and can be cut into cubes, thinly sliced, chopped as per choice, or even roasted as a whole.
What is the Nutritional value of Brinjal?
A cup of brinjal is a very efficient amount for an everyday brinjal curry or fry or other dishes. A cup of brinjals is around 126 grams of it. Let us see what the nutrients found in it are:
| Sl. No. | Nutrients available in 1 cup brinjal | Amount available |
| 1. | Calories | 30 |
| 2. | Carbs | 5 g |
| 3. | Protein | 1.76 g |
| 4. | Fats | 0.37 g |
| 5. | Fiber | 7.93 g |
| 6. | Phosphorus | 59.22 mg |
| 7. | Magnesium | 18.90 mg |
| 8. | Calcium | 22.68 mg |
| 9. | Potassium | 252.0 mg |
| 10. | Iron | 0.47 mg |
| 11. | Zinc | 0.25 mg |
| 12. | Sodium | 3.78 mg |
| 13. | Vitamin A | 93.24 mcg |
| 14. | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.05 mg |
| 15. | Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) | 0.06 mg |
| 16. | Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1.13 mg |
| 17. | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.13 mg |
| 18. | Vitamin C | 15.12 mg |
| 19. | Vitamin K | 12.97 mcg |
| 20. | Vitamin E | 0.10 mg |
| 21. | Folic Acid | 42.84 mcg |
Now that we have seen the very many nutritional elements and composition of the brinjal let us see the benefits it has on your health.
References
- https://www.indianjournals.com/ijor.aspx?target=ijor:aerr&volume=24&issue=1&article=008
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rizliya-Visvanathan/publication/274642349_Antioxidant_Activity_and_Total_Phenolic_Content_of_Different_Skin_Coloured_Brinjal_Solanum_melongena/links/5524ee3c0cf2b123c5175e70/Antioxidant-Activity-and-Total-Phenolic-Content-of-Different-Skin-Coloured-Brinjal-Solanum-melongena.pdf
- https://cshperspectives.cshlp.org/content/11/10/a034678.short
- https://bioticainternational.com/ojs/index.php/biorestoday/article/view/527
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211601X16000274
- https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3732/ajb.1500539
