Now is the time for eggplants and zucchini – the price for them will be minimal until mid-autumn. Until it jumps, you need to use it. Moreover, they are very useful.
But, apparently, not everyone does this. From zucchini they quickly begin to turn up their nose, claiming that they are tired of worse than a bitter radish. And some have never tasted eggplants at all. Often, when I buy them, cashiers are interested in what kind of vegetable it is and how they are prepared. This means that their families do not eat eggplants. And there are many of them. Someone is frightened off by the non-vegetable almost black color, someone is told about the bitter taste (see “AiF” recommends), and still others are simply conservative in food and consume a limited set of foods all their lives. From a nutritional science perspective, this is a catastrophic mistake.
Many are scared off by the bitterness of eggplant and the complexity of their preparation because of this. To remove the bitterness, it is advised to cut them, sprinkle generously with salt for 30 minutes, and then rinse the salt. This is really troublesome. Do not do this, these are recipes from the past. After all, today almost all eggplants, thanks to selection, are devoid of strong bitterness. They only have a light, piquant bitterness that adds a special charm to the dishes.
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Health bomb
Another common mistake is peeling eggplants. Someone does this according to science, pouring boiling water over them and trying to remove the skin like a stocking, someone simply peels it off with a vegetable peeler. This is not necessary. Indeed, a significant part of the benefits of eggplant is concentrated in the peel. There are most of all anthocyanins and, in particular, nasunin. It is he who gives the eggplants their unusual color. A powerful antioxidant, it effectively neutralizes free radicals, protecting our body from aging and all age-related diseases – from cancer to heart attacks and strokes. By preventing lipid oxidation, nasunin primarily protects blood vessels from the formation of plaques and brain cells from premature death – this helps to maintain memory and intelligence in good shape. By blocking the growth of new blood vessels, nasunin behaves simply as an anti-cancer drug (drugs with such an effect are popular today). But in pregnant women, this effect may be superfluous, the fetus needs new vessels. Therefore, it is better for them to peel the eggplant. It is even better to do this with iron deficiency anemia. Nasunin binds aggressive forms of iron, and this is a very beneficial effect. But when it is not enough in the body, it is better not to block iron.
Eggplant flesh is also rich in bioactive substances and is very useful. Its main antioxidant is chlorogenic acid. Despite its threatening name, it is a super-useful substance.
“It helps to reduce weight, protects against diabetes, prevents the development of atherosclerosis,” says physician and gastroenterologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences Konstantin Spakhov… – It has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, and this says a lot about what: today it has been proven that sluggish systemic inflammation in the body accelerates aging and the development of all chronic diseases. One of the main summary indicators of health today is the so-called C-reactive protein. Its level is used to judge the degree of inflammation. So chlorogenic acid effectively fights this inflammation and, in fact, is a universal protective factor.
Eggplant contains a lot of other useful antioxidants that have many beneficial effects (see table). It is important that they are packed in a very dietary “shell” – there is nothing harmful in eggplant and its calorie content is extremely low. This means that you can eat it often and a lot, without fear that the weight will increase. Therefore, when losing weight, this is an irreplaceable product that creates a feeling of satiety with its volume. Plus, in addition, you will receive a decent amount of many vitamins and minerals. “
| Antioxidants Found in Eggplant | |
| Antioxidants | Main effects |
| Nasunin and other dolphinidins | Reduce blood sugar and protect blood vessels and the body from inflammation |
| Kempferol | Reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, especially cancer |
| Miricetin | Anti-cancer activity, protection against thrombosis, antiviral and antimicrobial action |
| Quercetin | Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial action, relaxes muscles and blood vessels |
| Luteolin | Anti-inflammatory action, protection against atherosclerosis |
| Izoramnetin | Protects against liver cancer and atherosclerosis |
| Lutein * | Vitamin A precursor, protects the retina, prevents the development of blindness |
| Zeaxanthin * | Also protects the retina and prevents blindness |
| Beta-cryptoxanthin | Vitamin A precursor, prevents and helps in the treatment of certain types of cancer |
| Tannins | Prevents the development of obesity and atherosclerosis |
| Hydroxycinnamic acid | Protects against the negative effects of cancer chemotherapy |
| * Zucchini is also very rich in these substances. | |
Zucchini is a pumpkin
Zucchini is shaped like eggplant, but it’s a completely different “fruit”. Together with cucumbers, they are part of the Pumpkin family, and the blue ones are Solanaceous, relatives of tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes. Botanists call zucchini “hard-bark pumpkin”. The fruits of this plant can exist in several guises: in addition to zucchini, they can be ordinary pumpkin, zucchini, squash or kruknek (crank is a fruit with a long curved neck). Despite the differences in color, shape and even content, these are the fruits of the same plant species. Their composition can differ dramatically.
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For example, pumpkin has a lot of sugars, and you can get fat from it, and in any zucchini and squash there are very few of them – these are the lowest-calorie gifts of nature. Like eggplants and cucumbers, they are ideal for weight loss and in any quantity. Pumpkin contains a lot of useful beta-carotene, as in carrots, and zucchini contains lutein and zeaxanthin close to it, but they have a different effect – they protect the retina. Zucchini also contains pectin, it has a strong anti-cancer effect, and it removes harmful substances from the intestines. There are less antioxidants and most vitamins in them than in eggplant, and, on the contrary, there is more useful fiber. It regulates the work of the intestines, and therefore, during the season of squash, there are rarely problems with stool.
Zucchini is especially useful when young, as it is now. They should be eaten right with the skin and seeds. The latter are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other active substances. And the peel is almost always the most useful part of any gifts of nature. The darker and more intensely colored it is (zucchini, yellow zucchini), the more bioactive substances it contains (this is also true for eggplants – dark and purple are better than light and white ones). Large zucchini lose their usefulness due to the fact that the skin and seeds become inedible. But they still remain useful, and there is no need to give them up.
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