Eggplant is an ingredient often found in Chinese cuisine. There are endless ways to cook it, but there are a lot of people who hate eggplant. For many years, eggplant has been at the top of the Taiwanese hate food list. According to a survey by the Taiwan Cancer Foundation, only 6% of them like eggplant. But eggplant is actually very nutritious, and its health benefits are countless. The following benefits of eating eggplant may change your negative impression of eggplant. Is eggplant actually a fruit? Eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae family. According to nutrition or the eating habits of ordinary people, eggplant is usually considered a vegetable, but from a botanical perspective, eggplant should be a fruit. According to the botanical definition, fruits are the ovary parts of the mature seeds of a plant, while vegetables are the edible parts of the plant itself. So the next time you cut into an eggplant, you'll notice that eggplant is a fruit with seeds.

High nutrient density. Eggplant is a highly nutrient dense food. In addition to being rich in fiber, it contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, magnesium, potassium, folate and other nutrients. Eggplant peel has antioxidant properties and may prevent dementia. Eggplant also contains many antioxidants. Antioxidants can resist the damage caused by free radicals to the human body, help delay aging, and reduce the risk of various diseases. In addition to its bright purple color, eggplant skin also contains large amounts of anthocyanins (anthocyanins) and solanone glycosides. It also has powerful antioxidant properties that help protect brain cells and prevent memory loss and cognitive decline associated with aging. Usually, as long as you eat it with the skin on, you can get the best amount of anthocyanins. The skin of eggplant is rich in antioxidants, which can prevent dementia.

Lutein prevents macular diseases. The potential role of lutein in preventing macular degeneration is well known, and eggplant also contains lutein and zeaxanthin. Lower cholesterol and protect the heart. The fiber, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin B6 and anthocyanins contained in eggplants are all heart-healthy nutrients. In animal experiments, it was found that hypercholesterolemic rabbits had lower cholesterol and triglycerides after consuming 10 c.c. Eat eggplant every day for two weeks, both indicators of heart disease risk.

Another study found that eggplant has heart-protective effects. Whether eating eggplant raw or cooked, the animals not only had better heart function but also had less severe heart attacks. It's worth noting that both studies were limited to animal and test tube experiments. More research is needed on the actual effects of eggplant on the human body. Eggplant is also rich in dietary fiber, which can slow down the rate of absorption and digestion and prevent excessive fluctuations in blood sugar.