Love brinjal? 5 more reasons to gorge on them

Aubergine or brinjal is more than just a weight-loss promoter. We suggest you indulge in them and for good reasons.

Written By: Aishwarya Iyer | Updated : July 16, 2018 11:20 AM IST

Brinjal or eggplants have tons of culinary uses! What's more, they are delicious and moreover, they have all the health benefits you could ask for. Kids, especially love them and there's so much you can do with this vegetable. You may have known of its weight-loss properties, but there's much more to this yummy veggie. Here are 5 health benefits of aubergine or brinjal:

Weight loss
If you thought this veggie will lead you to guilt-filled indulgence, you're wrong! The vegetable has high water content and also has high amount of fibre, which makes you feel fuller. This means a higher satiety value, aiding weight loss. Apart from this, they are low in calories with 100 gms of the vegetable containing just 25 calories.

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Heart health
Though the vegetable has tons of benefits, in particular, it's benefits for the heart are comparatively less known. A study named, 'Cardioprotective properties of raw and cooked eggplant (Solanum melongena L),' in the journal 'Food & Function' it was concluded that eggplants contained potent cardioprotective compounds. Aubergine is a rich source of fibre, potassium, Vitamin B-6 and phytonurients. Like flavanoids, they lower the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, the presence of antioxidants in them keeps your arteries healthy.

Prevents Cancer Eggplants contain the anthocynains acid which work as antioxidants and are known to fight cancer. Moreover, this acid aids in fighting inflammation and oxidative stress related damage in the body. Given these properties, they prevent tumour from spreading to other parts of the body. A study named, 'Anthocyanins and their role in cancer prevention' published in the journal, 'Cancer Letters' concluded, "Anthocyanins have been shown to exhibit anti-carcinogenic activity against multiple cancer cell types in vitro and tumor types in vivo."
Fights anaemia Anaemia is a troubling disease caused due to the lack of iron in the body. It causes headaches, giddiness, migraines, fatigue, depression and can be bothersome for cognitive functioning. Therefore, consuming iron on a daily basis could prevent the disease. Aubergines, which have a good amount of iron, helps in combating anaemia.
Promotes bone health Brinjals are said to be good for people with weak bones and those suffering from osteoporosis. The vegetable contains Vitamin K which is known to improve bone density and promotes overall bone health. Especially for women in postmenopausal stage, who are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, this veggie can do wonders! Consuming high amounts of vitamin K can help in preventing sprained ankles and even in healing of help broken bones.

References:

1: Das S, Raychaudhuri U, Falchi M, Bertelli A, Braga PC, Das DK.

Cardioprotective properties of raw and cooked eggplant (Solanum melongena L).

Food Funct. 2011 Jul;2(7):395-9. doi: 10.1039/c1fo10048c. Epub 2011 Jun 10.

PubMed PMID: 21894326.

Wang, L.-S., & Stoner, G. D. (2008). Anthocyanins and their role in cancer prevention. Cancer Letters, 269(2), 281 290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2008.05.020

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