What is eggplant?

If you are familiar with Italian, Indian, and vegetarian cuisine, you may have enjoyed dishes with eggplant. The name may be rather misleading (it's neither an egg nor a plant), but when you think about it, the common name for the Solanum Melogena makes perfect sense.

The eggplant is part of the nightshade family in the plant kingdom, a distant cousin to the tomato and potato. It is egg-shaped and may be colored a rich black-purple or white, and has a thick skin. Commonly referred to as a vegetable, the eggplant is actually a fruit, and may grow anywhere from two inches to a foot in length. Eggplants are indigenous to Asia and the Amazon Rainforest, as well as other parts of the world.

Eggplant, of course, is edible and featured in many delicious recipes. It may be fried, grilled, baked, sauteed, and even broiled. If you've been to a restaurant and have enjoyed eggplant parmesean or ratatouille, a delicious vegetable stew with eggplant, then you know just how good it is.

Eggplant tastes great, but is there more to it than that?

If you are the health conscious sort, you'll know that eggplants are low in calories and practically fat-free. One cup of eggplant contains a mere 38 calories, it's a perfect diet food if you're thinking of losing weight.

In addition to this nutritional value, eggplant is rich in flavonoids, which are pigments known to enhance certain qualities of the foods in which they naturally occur. Eggplant is also rich in antioxidants, which is helpful in stimulating the immune system and energy levels of the body, as well as keeping the heart healthy.

Eggplants also contain a compound called terpenes, which are known to lower cholesterol.

Sounds great, but why should I take eggplant extract when I can just eat eggplant?

It is true you can enjoy eggplant in many recipes, but when you think about it, you don't really want to limit your diet to one type of food! Variety is the spice of life, and while a dish of eggplant fritters or ratatouille sounds delicious, it's unlikely you want to eat the same thing every day. A balanced diet with a mixture of good food is best way to go.

Taking eggplant as a supplement, however, will give you the health benefits of eggplant in a more diverse diet. The medicinal properties of eggplant, too, are available in a more concentrated form, so you can get more in one capsule than you might in a dish of eggplant parmesan!

Are there side effects to taking eggplant as a supplement?

Recent research indicates no known side effects to eggplant extract. However, if you are prone to food allergies you may want to consult with a doctor before taking such a supplement.

Where can I buy eggplant extract?

Enter eggplant into Internet search and you are bound to find thousands of relative sites - recipes, supplement info and even eggplant juice. When you shop for Eggplant supplements, however, make sure you are getting the purest extracts of eggplant available, directly from the Amazon Rainforest. Then you can enjoy the benefits of this amazing food every day.