Eggplant is a perennial herbaceous plant that produces purple fruits, originating in Indian tropical regions. There you can see him in the wild. The cultivation of eggplant, which is also called "little blue" or badrijans, was mastered in Europe in the 13-15th centuries. It was then that the fruits of this plant began to be used as food.
Eggplants, whose properties are due to the rich content of elements useful for humans, contain fats and sugars, carbohydrates and proteins. They contain calcium and potassium, phosphorus and sodium, chlorine and sulfur, magnesium and iodine, iron and bromine, zinc and aluminum, molybdenum and copper. In addition, eggplant contains a complex of all trace elements, vitamins PP, B, C, as well as those belonging to group B. The fruits of the plant are low-calorie. One hundred grams of the product contains 24 kcal.
Useful properties of eggplant are highly appreciated by nutritionists. They recommend including this product in the menu of any person to maintain their health. The fact is that in the composition of eggplants there are a large number of substances that are ballast. These include fiber and pectin, as well as many others. These components are practically not digested in the digestive tract and are not absorbed into the body, but at the same time they cope with excess cholesterol more effectively than many medications.
Useful properties of eggplant allow you to use them to prevent the development of coronary disease and atherosclerosis. Eating "blue ones" prevents the development of cholelithiasis. Copper contained in purple fruits improves blood formation, which is used to treat anemia. Eggplant is also recommended for expectant mothers. In addition, purple fruits are an excellent bactericidal agent. Juice from them is used to heal wounds.
The beneficial properties of eggplant are important for patients with diabetes, people with weakened cardiac functions. Dishes from the "blue" should be present in the diet of patients suffering from gout, as they can improve the excretion of uric acid salts from the body.
Useful properties of eggplant are also manifested in connection with the presence in their composition of a huge amount of organic acids. These components of the food product provide invaluable assistance in the work of the intestines. Fiber of violet fruits normalizes the balance of acids and alkalis in the human body.
Eggplant, the beneficial properties of which make them an indispensable dish in the diet of every person, have a bitter taste. It manifests itself in connection with the presence of a special substance in the skin of the fetus - solanine. In large quantities, this element is a poison. However, one should not worry about this. There is little solanine in eggplants; moreover, you can easily get rid of it before preparing fruits. Raw vegetable is cut into cubes, straws or slices, and then sprinkled with salt. After a few minutes, the juice that has come out should be drained, and the pieces washed with cold water. It is worth remembering that the most delicious and useful fruits are those with a blue-black skin, characterized by an elongated shape and a small number of seeds.