Health Nutrition & Diet 8 Health Benefits of Eggplant and Tips on How to Eat More Serve up some nutritious eggplant parm, please. By Seraphina Seow Seraphina Seow Seraphina is a health writer with a background as a registered dietitian. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 20, 2024 Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Kristy Del Coro is a registered dietitian nutritionist, RDN, and professionally trained chef with more than 10 years of experience in the field of culinary nutrition. Her strong background in nutrition science, sustainable food systems, and culinary education makes her exceptionally qualified to write about food that is good for us and the planet—while not sacrificing flavor. Learn More Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Close Photo: Alexat25/Getty Images Eggplant has so many health benefits, and they are an excellent meat-free stand-in. For starters, these famous nightshade vegetables carry anthocyanins, a natural plant pigment found in several fruits and veggies that do your body a lot of good. Eggplants are also packed with fiber, which plays a role in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar maintenance in the body. A lot of what makes eggplants so tasty (at least to eggplant fans) has to do with the way they’re cooked. Bad eggplant can be a real turn-off—but good eggplant is really good. We asked nutrition experts to explain eggplant nutrition and the top health benefits of eggplants, so you have tons of excuses to start grilling, baking, rolling, and tossing it into pasta on the regular. Talia Follador, RDN, LDN, is a registered dietitian and the owner of Follador Nutrition Services. Mckenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN, is a fertility and prenatal dietitian at Feed Your Zest Nutrition & Wellness. Eggplant Nutrition Information Eggplants can be a surprisingly divisive vegetable—you either love ’em or hate ’em. It could be its stark difference in textures: The insides are soft, while the skins are chewier. It could also be that eggplant haters have never had the pleasure of eating a well-prepared eggplant dish that builds on its mild, versatile flavor and tender, silky texture. But eggplant doesn't only taste amazing; it's also packed with key vitamins and nutrients. Here's what one cup of cubed eggplant contains: Water - 75.7 gramsCalories - 20.5 kcalProtein - 0.804 gramsFat - 0.148 gramsCarbohydrates - 4.82 gramsFiber - 2.46 gramsSugar - 2.9 gramsCalcium - 7.38 milligramsIron - 0.189 milligramsMagnesium - 11.5 milligramsPhosphorus - 19.7 milligramsPotassium - 188 milligramsSodium - 1.64 milligramsZinc - 0.131 milligramsCopper - 0.066 milligrams Eggplant Health Benefits If you’re not much of a fan right now, it might be worth trying them again, because eggplants a are low-key nutritional powerhouse. Here are some of the biggest benefits of eating eggplants. 01 of 08 Improves Gut Microbiome Most healthy adult women should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day (38 grams for men), and eggplant can help you get there: A cup of cubed eggplant provides you with about 2.5 grams of fiber. Proper, regular fiber intake from a variety of plant sources (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds) is beneficial for managing healthy cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and gut microbiome function, says Talia Follador, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian. Eating 5 to 10 grams per day of soluble fiber can help to lower cholesterol,” Follador says. Of the fiber present in eggplant, around 20 percent is soluble fiber (a cup of cubed eggplant offers 0.5 grams of soluble fiber), which helps your body get rid of cholesterol that would otherwise be reabsorbed and stored in the body, explains Mckenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN, fertility and prenatal dietitian. Caldwell adds that fiber is important for healthy bowel movements and supporting healthy gut bacteria. Soluble fiber can also help to control your blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, Follador says. In your stomach, soluble fiber absorbs liquid and swells up, so it takes a longer time for it to pass from the stomach to the intestine, explains Follador. This slows down how quickly carbohydrates are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, preventing blood sugar levels from spiking too quickly. “Soluble fiber also binds to some of the carbohydrates, which prevents them from being absorbed into the bloodstream,” says Follador. 02 of 08 Reduces Inflammation Eggplants contain two types of antioxidant plant chemicals called polyphenols: anthocyanins, mostly in the eggplant skin, and chlorogenic acid, mostly found in the pulp. Both anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid act like antioxidants in your body. “Antioxidants help your body get rid of things called reactive oxygen species, or ROS, which are a waste product from damaging things we're exposed to in the environment, whether that's pollutants in the air, water or soil, UV rays from the sun—just being a human in general produces waste, even exercise produces some ROS,” Caldwell says. When ROS levels in your body are too high, it can lead to excessive inflammation, which can cause cell breakdown, weaken the immune system, and damage DNA, Follador says. Anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid help keep your body from producing too much ROS, minimizing cell damage that can lead to chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. 03 of 08 Lowers Blood Pressure Eggplants provide you with potassium, an essential mineral that plays a role in keeping blood pressure within a healthy range. “Eating a diet rich in potassium can help the blood vessels relax, which lowers blood pressure,” Follador says. Additionally, potassium counters the effect of sodium, which raises blood pressure. When potassium from food enters your bloodstream, your kidneys end up removing more sodium from your blood, which in turn lowers your blood pressure. It’s important to remember that if you have kidney disease or are on medications that affect how the body handles potassium, you need to speak to your doctor about how much potassium you can have per day. 04 of 08 Boosts Metabolism Speaking of essential minerals, eggplants are also a source of manganese, which aids in carbohydrate and fat metabolism, the process your body uses to break down food components, like carbohydrates and fat, to use them as energy, Follador says. The body uses manganese to produce enzymes that break down carbohydrates and fat into these smaller, usable components. This lesser-known mineral also plays a part in producing antioxidants to prevent high levels of ROS in the body. 05 of 08 Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease Studies have shown that the antioxidant vitamins in grilled eggplants—such as vitamin A, vitamin C and β-carotene—as well as some of the polyphenolic components have cardioprotective properties. Essentially, these antioxidants scavenge free radicals, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which are both key contributors have cardiovascular diseases. While more research needs to be done about grilled vs. raw eggplant—and how cooking methods impact heart health—eggplants are known to help prevent heart disease. Research finds that the regular consumption of eggplant can, therefore, enhance heart health by improving left ventricular function and reducing myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. 06 of 08 Combats Chronic Diseases Eggplants have antioxidant capabilities that counteract oxidation. Oxidation is harmful to your health and a culprit behind many diseases, including cancer. For example, eggplant has been shown to protect against DNA damage and mutations, which can help prevent the spread of cancer. The radical-scavenging activities of the antioxidants—primarily derived from the phenolic compounds in eggplants—inhibit urethane-induced mutagenicity. The antioxidants also help protect human lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that play a critical role in regulating the immune system. 07 of 08 Boosts Brain Health Eggplant is a major source of nasunin and various phytonutrients. Nasunin is known to protect cell membranes from oxidative damage. It also reduces free radical activity in the brain, which can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Meanwhile, phytonutrients (such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins) have been known to improve cognitive ability and boost brain health overall. These compounds also have strong antioxidant properties that improve neuronal communication and blood flow to the brain, ultimately protecting brain cells from oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. They have also been recognized for boosting mood and reducing anxiety. 08 of 08 Improves Respiratory Health Because eggplant has antioxidant compounds, like nasunin and other anthocyanins, that can help treat obesity and its associated complications, it has been shown to help improve respiratory health. After all, obesity is a risk factor for respiratory diseases, as well as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and more. Eggplant is also a good source of vitamins A and C, which are essential for maintaining healthy mucous membranes and immune function, both of which are also essential for respiratory health. Eggplant Recipes You'll Love Want to eat more eggplants but not sure how to get started? You can do so much with this versatile vegetable. Here are a few of our favorite eggplant recipes for all appetites and diets. Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini Jonny Valiant This rollatini mixes ricotta and mozzarella with oregano rolled up in roasted eggplant planks. Baked and slathered in marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese, and more mozzarella, the result is bubbly, golden goodness. Get the Recipe Roasted Eggplant With Miso and Sesame Seeds Antonis Achilleos You need a tablespoon sesame seeds, some olive oil and sesame oil, honey, and white miso for this recipe. Rice vinegar, chili paste, and fresh ginger also add flavor to it. These chunks of sliced-up eggplant will be ready in just 45 minutes. Get the Recipe Roasted Eggplant and Olive Pasta Salad Greg DuPree Bored of your everyday salad? Mix it up with roasted eggplant and drained kalamata olives for a savory burst of flavor. Mix it with it with fusilli pasta and top it all with crumbled feta cheese, multicolored cherry tomatoes, and chopped fresh oregano. Get the Recipe Eggplant Tart With Lemon and Feta Greg DuPree For when you're feeling too hungry for a snack but not hungry enough for a full meal, give this eggplant tart a go. It'll fill you up just enough with a robust flavor profile—a delicious combination of thinly sliced eggplant, lemon, and feta cheese. Get the Recipe Eggplant and Tofu Stir-Fry José Picayo Eggplant and firm tofu combine for a favorite vegetarian stir fry. It adds a sort-of-soft crunch to a rice bowl. Top it all off with scallions, jalapeño chili, basil, and garlic for a dynamic and spicy mix. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. "Eggplant, raw." U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soliman GA. Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1155. doi:10.3390/nu11051155 USDA. Eggplant, raw. Barber TM, Kabisch S, Pfeiffer AFH, Weickert MO. 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