Garden egg or eggplant is known mostly by many people as a fruit that is edible. On the other hand, it has so many health benefits and can help us live a healthy life.
Garden egg could be eaten raw or boiled in order to make it soft and smooth to make yam sauce. The garden egg plant, apart from being a source of vegetable, also has numerous health benefits, which are essential for the overall development of the human body.
Its acceptability cuts across religious, tribal, cultural and ethnic groups in Nigeria.
In Africa, eggplant is a highly valued delicacy and constituent of the African food. It symbolizes fertility and blessings. It is served during wedding ceremonies in some communities across the African continent.
Garden egg can also help in weight reduction; it is the perfect recipe for achieving weight loss within a short period of time because it is very low in calorie content.
The fruit has been recognised by health experts as an anti-ulcer remedy for ulcer patients; it can be used to treat ulcer. Although the consumption of garden egg cannot prevent ulcer, the anti-ulcer content in the fruit suppresses the effect of the ailment.
Garden Egg also has an anticancer component, which can be used to fight cancer. It is also known for regulating blood pressure and maintaining the function of the heart. This is because of the low soluble carbohydrate content in eggplant which controls glucose absorption and reduces the risk of hypertension.
A study jointly conducted by the former Director of the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control, late Prof. Dora Akunyili , C. Ogbogu and S. A. Igwe, and published in the year 2003 issue of the journal of Ethnopharmacology on ‘Effects of Garden Egg on some visual functions of visually active Igbos of Nigeria’ found out that eating plenty of garden eggs can help lower eye pressure in persons suffering from glaucoma.
