HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARDEN EGG (AUBERGINE/EGGPLANT)

Garden Eggs

I recently saw garden eggs and immediately found my next blog topic. Garden eggs were heavily featured in my childhood days. Not that there are now nonexistent, but I just do not buy them anymore. After conducting my research however on its health benefits. I think I should stop and buy a few the next time I see them. I have always know garden eggs as an Eastern Nigerian food. I doubt you’ll attend an Igbo event where garden eggs are absent.

In Nigeria, Garden eggs come in two colours, dark green and yellow-white. It is mostly eaten raw, as a snack, but can also be made as a sauce/stew. It is usually quite bitter, especially the green ones. I nearly forgot, it is also accompanied with groundnuts, or a groundnut paste among the Igbos. Garden egg is a fruit, but classified as a vegetable. Garden Eggs are also known as aubergines in Britain, and eggplants in the United States. Aubergines are usually deep purple in colour and much bigger in size than garden eggs. Aurbergines are also available in Nigeria, although very few people consume them.

Aubergines

Garden Eggs are an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). It is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and niacin. Thiamin (vitamin B1) is required for normal growth and proper functioning of the heart and nervous system while Niacin (Vitamin B6) is needed for cellular respiration.

Garden Eggs/Aubergines are high in fiber and low in fat and therefore recommended for those managing diabetes or managing weight concerns. Research shows that one major health benefit of garden egg is that it helps to lower blood cholesterol and lower high-ocular pressure (glaucoma). To lower cholesterol however, one must pay attention to the cooking method and other ingredients which may contain bad fats. Garden Eggs are also high in bioflavonoids, which are known to control high blood pressure and relieve stress

Aubergines are rich in antioxidants, specifically nasunin found in aubergine skin, which gives it its purple colour. Nasunin is not only a potent antioxidant, protecting the fatty acids essential for healthy brain function, but it also helps move excess iron out of the body. Iron is an essential mineral but excess iron in the body can result to health complications.

Aubergine, unlike the Garden Egg, is mostly consumed cooked. Although you may eat aubergine raw, it is more advisable to cook it as research shows that some people experience gastrointestinal discomfort due to its bitterness.

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

Fabila's Fitness Club

Search This Blog