Eggplant Nutritional Value

You must be loving its deep glossy purple color, but do you really know about the eggplant nutrition facts? Eggplants are round, oblong shaped vegetables, that are found in various colors like deep purple, white and lavender and at times even orange. They are available all throughout the year in markets, but are best to be bought in between august and October because that’s when they are in season.

The eggplant, also known as the purple pear, belongs to the family of nightshade vegetables, known as 'Solanaceae'. Other members of this family include, tomatoes and bell peppers and the eggplant grows in a way, very similar to that of tomatoes. Speaking of eggplant nutritional value, one must know for a fact, that as compared to other vegetables, the nutritional value of an eggplant may not be that high. However, it still contains some very essential nutrients and even some medicinal properties that, are highly beneficial for the human body.

Nutritional Value of Eggplant

Eggplants are rich sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals and contain very less calories. This makes it an ideal component of the low fat diets and the diets of those working on weight loss. Other essential minerals contained in eggplant include potassium, manganese, magnesium and copper. Eggplants are very important sources of phytonutrients, which is obtained from their deep purple color.

Dietary Fiber
Eggplants provide dietary fiber in abundance which is essential for regulating and facilitating smooth bowel movements. The dietary fiber in eggplant also helps, lower blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. One cup serving of eggplant would contain approximately 10% of the recommended dietary fiber.

Vitamins
Eggplants contain vitamins like vitamin C and b-vitamins, but they are not very high in content. One cup cooked serving of eggplant would contain approximately 2-5% of the recommended vitamin B1, vitamin B-3, vitamin B-6 and vitamin C.

Nicotine
A very interesting nutritional fact about eggplants are that they contain trace amounts of nicotine, which is absolutely harmless to the body. The nicotine levels in eggplants are way less than that in cigarettes.

Potassium
One cup serving of eggplant contains around 3% of the recommended potassium intake. The potassium in the eggplants is beneficial for those suffering from low blood pressure levels and it also regulates the beating of the heart.

Calories
Calories and fats are something, that the eggplant contains the least and this is what makes it a healthy component of daily diet.

Phytonutrients
This is the most important nutrients that eggplants contain. They contain phytonutrients like flavonoids, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. The flavonoid Nasunin in eggplants, has high levels of antioxidant properties and is known to be a scavenger of free radicals, thus protecting the cells of the body. Nasunin is also known for its ability to protect the fats surrounding the cell membrane of the brain. The chlorogenic acid it contains is known to be the most potent antioxidant that displays antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor abilities and plays an important role in the prevention of many diseases.

Eggplant Nutritional Facts

The table below has some detailed information on the eggplant nutritional facts.

Nutrient	Content
Dietary Fiber	10%
Vitamin C	3%
Calcium	1%
Iron	1%
Thiamin	2%
Riboflavin	2%
Niacin	3%
Pantothenic Acid	2%
Vitamin B6	3%
Potassium	5%
Phosphorus	2%
Magnesium	3%
Zinc	1%
Copper	3%
Cholesterol	0%

Eggplants can be baked, steamed or roasted to be eaten. You can also try making different eggplant recipes. It can also be a component of salads, pastas and sandwiches. Make it a part of your daily diet and enjoy the nutritional value of eggplants.