8 top health benefits of garden egg

The garden egg is known as Igba in my native language of Yoruba from
the western part of Nigeria but is botanically known as solanum
melongena. It is given the name ' garden egg ' because the shape of
the fruit is in form of an egg and can be grown around the house or in
the garden.The garden egg can be eaten as fruit and can as well be
prepared and enjoyed as stew popularly referred to ' garden egg stew
.'

It is delightful to know that you are doing yourself great benefits
anytime you eat garden egg either as stew or fruit. The following are
the nutritional benefits of garden egg.

Health benefits of eating garden egg

Eating a lot of garden eggs can help you to reduce your weight.

Garden egg lowers the eye pressure. Therefore eating a lot of it can
be helpful for people with glaucoma. It serves as antioxidant which
can prevent the cell of the body especially the eye from further
damage.

Garden egg is low in calories but high in fibre therefore beneficial
for diabetic patients and people with high blood pressure. Garden egg
helps to suppress sugar level in diabetic patients and in bringing
down the blood pressure.

Garden egg is a vital source of essential nutrients and minerals such
as magnesium, nasunin, chlorogenic acid, copper, vitamin B1, B6,
folate, potassium etc.

It can be use to suppress stomach ulcer because of its antioxidant remedy.

Garden egg helps to protect the heart since it reduces bad cholesterol
and boost the production of high plasma cholesterol HDL which is
considered as a good cholesterol because it does not support the
incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack.

Garden egg helps in controlling constipation.

Research shows that garden egg is better at reducing blood cholesterol
than apple and oat.

I couldn't count the number of times I have eaten garden egg stew and
I can tell you that is one of the most delicious soup in the world
especially when eaten with yam. Garden egg stew is popular among
Africans and is a delicious soup especially if one knows how to go
about the cooking. Though i can cook garden egg stew to my own state
and i will be satisfied by it but for the interest of the public a
description by a food expert will be better. The following is a
description of how to prepare a delicious garden egg stew as given by
one food expert

How to prepare a garden egg stew
The garden egg stew is simple, quick to prepare, delicious and nutritious.
It is best served hot and can be eaten with boiled rice, yam or
plantain. It is commonly served with yam.

Ingredients:
· Garden egg
· Dried prawn
Garden egg stew
· Smoked fish
· pepper
· Onion
· Salt

Method:
· Wash some garden egg and boil until they are soft.
· Squash in a small mortar or with a grinding stone until the skin
blends with the rest of it.

Alternatively, peel off the skin before squashing.
· Dice some fresh pepper and slice some onions
· Rinse or wash your smoked fish and pick clean of bones
· Rinse or wash dried prawn
· Heat some quantity of groundnut oil
· Add in the sliced onions leave to simmer for 10 seconds
· Add in your squashed garden eggs
· Add some salt and seasoning
· Allow it to boil for a few minutes and then add your smoked fish and prawn
· Let the stew cool until all the water in it is drained. At times,
for variety, fresh pumpkin leaves are added to the stew along with
smoked and prawns.

Conclusion
with all the aforementioned health benefits of a garden egg or egg
plants as some people will call it, it is therefore necessary to plan
eating of garden egg either as a fruit or as stew to our diet routine.

it is also said that the leave can be used to treat snake bite which
means that all part of the plant is beneficial for our use.

Note: garden egg stew preparation is culled from punch magazine.