Did You Know? 6 Health Benefits Of Garden Egg

Obiamaka Angela Udevi

4 years ago

Garden egg is a vegetable that can be found in the streets and local markets in Nigeria. It is a type of eggplant and it belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae. While Garden egg is called anyala, añara or afufa in Igbo, it is called igba in Yoruba and gayen gauta in Hausa. Garden egg is used in the preparation of meals like abacha and garden egg sauce. But it can also be consumed on its own or enjoyed with groundnuts or spicy peanut butter. In Igboland, the garden egg is often used as kola in private and public gatherings. In those gatherings, it is typically served and enjoyed with spicy peanut butter known as ose oji.

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Before we go into our topic for today, permit me to ask the following questions. How often do you eat garden eggs? Do you eat it regularly especially when it’s in season or are you the type wey no fit use money buy am, the type wey dey only chop am for events? If you belong to the first category, then, well done. But if you belong to the second category, nwanne, repent. Garden egg is great food. Here are some of its health benefits:

It aids digestion

I’ve once shared a story on this platform about my past struggles with constipation. I thank God every day that it’s a thing of the past now, but it didn’t become so overnight. I stopped having constipation when I made the choice to include fibrous foods in my daily diet. One of those fibrous foods is garden egg. This food helps to reduce constipation and it improves digestion as well. Those who have gastrointestinal issues are therefore encouraged to befriend this food.

It’s Good for Pregnant Women

If I’m to ask, I’m sure you’ll tell me that you have a pregnant friend or relation. What kind of gifts do you bring when you go visiting? Please, don’t tell me coke or ice cream oh! She doesn’t need all that sugar nah. Get her some garden eggs. They are rich in nutrients which the pregnant woman and her foetus needs. Folic acid is one of such nutrients. It is good for pregnant women and it protects their infants from neural tube defect.

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It Promotes Weight Loss

Weight watchers and the members of the Fitfam Club, get in here. Green garden eggs are great for weight reduction. This is because they are low in carbohydrates which is important for weight management. This simply means that those who want to shed some weight should eat garden eggs. Also, those who want to retain their normal body weight should also eat garden eggs.

It helps to Maintain Blood Pressure Levels

Garden eggs contain a high amount of calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. These minerals help in maintaining electrolyte balance in the body. They also assist in neutralizing sodium effects in the body thus controlling blood pressure levels.

It Prevents Anaemia

Not all medicine is expensive. Some are pretty affordable; and because they are, they are often overlooked especially since they are not the usual tablet or syringe doctor’s prescription. Garden egg is a vegetable that has medicinal value. It is a good source of iron which helps to increase the production of red blood cell in the body. Garden eggs are also rich in copper which is an important component in the red blood cell. Pregnant women, sickle cell patients and all those with anaemia are therefore encouraged to eat garden eggs.

It Lowers Blood Sugar

Garden egg has the ability to lower blood sugar and reduce glucose absorption in the body. These qualities are probably due to the fact that it contains low soluble carbohydrates. These same qualities also make it a great food for diabetics; moreover, its regular consumption will go a long way in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Now that you know the health benefits of garden eggs, please, learn to eat them. References Pulse Nigeria Fine Lib Guardian Nigeria Featured Image Source: Pulse NG

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