Eggplant: Nutritional Profile, Benefits, and Drawbacks

Eggplant is a long, oblong-shaped vegetable that belongs to the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

Despite being low in calories, it is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.

In this article, we examine the nutritional profile of eggplant, the key nutrients it contains, and what recent scientific research indicates.

What potential health benefits and drawbacks might eggplant provide?

Potential Benefits of Eggplant

Here’s a look at some of the known and potential benefits of eggplant, based on both its nutrient composition and findings from scientific studies.

May Support Better Blood Pressure

While there have been very few studies involving humans specific to eggplant, one study found that it may help to support healthier blood pressure levels.

This 2019 randomized controlled trial involving 100 participants found that daily eggplant powder supplementation over 12 weeks significantly decreased blood pressure.

The eggplant powder dosage was 1.2 grams daily, which was extracted from 22 grams of fresh eggplant.

The study’s authors noted that these blood pressure effects were likely due to a compound called acetylcholine that eggplants contain in substantial amounts.

In fact, a 2022 analysis study found that eggplant contained 2,900 times more acetylcholine than other fruit and vegetables.

The 2019 human study also follows a previous animal study that found very low doses of eggplant powder significantly reduced blood pressure in rats.

A Simple Way To Increase Fiber Intake

Foods like whole grains are an excellent way to increase fiber intake, but they are also relatively high in calories. For instance, 100 grams of wholewheat pasta (dry) has close to 400 calories.

With eggplant, just a cup serving provides around 2.5 grams of fiber for only 35 calories. This means that adding eggplant to your diet gets you approximately 9% of the daily value for fiber while adding very few extra calories.

Among its important functions, fiber can help to lower blood sugar levels and improve digestion and regularity.

A 2023 systematic review also found associations between higher fiber intakes and a significantly reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

Other Research on Eggplant

There have been a large number of studies on eggplant and its role in metabolic health.

A 2021 review study found that eggplant has shown potential protective effects against metabolic syndrome and has blood-pressure-lowering properties.

However, much of the evidence from these studies is what we would call weak evidence – it is mainly from animal studies rather than trials involving humans. Therefore, further research involving human participants is required before we can have more confidence in claims about eggplant and metabolic health.

Nutritional Profile

The following tables show the nutritional profile of cooked eggplant in full.

Data is presented per 100g and per cup (99g), along with calculated percent daily values (% DV).

Nutritional data has been sourced from the USDA’s database entry for cooked eggplant.

Nutrient	Per 100g (% DV)	Per 99g cup (% DV)
Calories	35 kcal	35 kcal
Carbohydrate	8.73g (3%)	8.64g (3%)
Fiber	2.5g (9%)	2.48g (9%)
Fat	0.23g (<1%)	0.23g (<1%)
Saturated fat	0.04g (<1%)	0.04g (<1%)
Monounsaturated fat	0.02g	0.02g
Polyunsaturated fat	0.093g	0.092g
Omega-3	0.015g	0.015g
Omega-6	0.078g	0.077g
Protein	0.83g (2%)	0.82g (2%)
Cholesterol	0 mg (0%)	0 mg (0%)

As the above table shows, eggplant is primarily a source of carbohydrates and provides a moderate amount of dietary fiber. It contains very little fat and protein.

Vitamins

Vitamin	Per 100g (% DV)	Per 99g cup (% DV)
Vitamin A (RAE)	2 mcg (<1%)	2 mcg (<1%)
Vitamin C	1.3 mg (1%)	1.3 mg (1%)
Vitamin D	0 mcg (0%)	0 mcg (0%)
Vitamin E	0 mg (0%)	0 mg (0%)
Vitamin K	2.9 mcg (2%)	2.9 mcg (2%)
Thiamin (B1)	0.08 mg (7%)	0.08 mg (7%)
Riboflavin (B2)	0.02 mg (2%)	0.02 mg (2%)
Niacin (B3)	0.6 mg (4%)	0.59 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.08 mg (2%)	0.07 mg (1%)
Vitamin B6	0.09 mg (5%)	0.09 mg (5%)
Folate (B9)	14 mcg (4%)	13.9 mcg (3%)
Vitamin B12	0 mcg (0%)	0 mcg (0%)
Choline	9.4 mg (2%)	9.31 mg (2%)

A typical serving of eggplant is not “high” in vitamins, but it provides a moderate amount of thiamin and vitamin B6.

Note: You may remember that we spoke about the significant acetylcholine content of eggplant in the benefits section. If so, you may be wondering why the choline content appears so low in the above table.

The reason for this is because USDA data doesn’t include acetylcholine in the total choline content. If it had, the choline content listed would have been significantly higher.

Acetylcholine is a compound derived from choline. While the body uses regular choline to produce acetylcholine, eggplant actually contains large amounts of ready-made (preformed) acetylcholine.

Minerals

Mineral	Per 100g (% DV)	Per 99g cup (% DV)
Calcium	6 mg (<1%)	5.94 mg (<1%)
Iron	0.25 mg (1%)	0.25 mg (1%)
Magnesium	11 mg (3%)	10.9 mg (3%)
Phosphorus	15 mg (1%)	14.8 mg (1%)
Potassium	123 mg (3%)	122 mg (3%)
Sodium	1 mg (<1%)	0.99 mg (<1%)
Zinc	0.12 mg (1%)	0.12 mg (1%)
Copper	0.06 mg (7%)	0.06 mg (7%)
Manganese	0.11 mg (5%)	0.11 mg (5%)
Selenium	0.1 mcg (<1%)	0.1 mcg (<1%)

The primary minerals eggplant provides are copper and manganese, which are present at moderate levels.

Bioactive Compounds

Eggplant contains various bioactive compounds called phytonutrients (plant chemicals). These include flavonoid polyphenols like anthocyanins, which are responsible for the purple pigment of its skin.

Additionally, eggplant contains a significant amount of chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol also found in coffee.

There is little specific research on the effects of eggplant’s bioactive compounds in humans. However, dietary patterns that contain high levels of phytonutrients have been associated with positive long-term health outcomes.

Other nightshade vegetables also contain high levels of bioactive compounds. For example, bell peppers are a rich source of carotenoids and polyphenols.

Related: Bell Peppers: Nutrition Facts, Benefits, and Research

Potential Drawbacks

Eggplant is a nutrient-dense vegetable that would be a beneficial dietary addition for most people.

However, like all foods, it may have context-specific drawbacks or be unsuitable for certain groups of people. The following section clarifies these potential downsides based on the existing scientific research.

Can Be High in Calories

This may sound a bit of a contradiction, but even though eggplant is low in calories, it can sometimes be high in calories.

While fresh, raw eggplant is very low in calories, the cooking method can significantly influence its calorie content.

The primary reason is because eggplant is very absorbent. This is a great quality for absorbing flavors from different ingredients in stews and stir-fries, but it can also absorb a lot of fat.

In other words, if you fry eggplant in large quantities of oil, it will absorb a large proportion of this fat.

Allergy Potential

There have been case reports of allergic reactions following eggplant consumption. These cases do seem to be uncommon, but they have been confirmed by allergy tests.

Research has indicated these allergies may be caused by two proteins found in eggplant. These proteins are present in both raw and cooked eggplants.

Once again, it is important to emphasize that eggplant allergy is quite uncommon, with research indicating that it affects less than 1% (0.8%) of the population.

Is Eggplant a Healthy Choice?

Overall, there are several good reasons to include eggplant in your diet:

• Nutrient-dense: While not a significant source of any one nutrient, it contains moderate levels of several essential nutrients and is low in calories.
• Potential benefits: Due to its high acetylcholine content, research suggests that eggplant may help to support healthy blood pressure.
• Absorbent: Eggplant works well in dishes, absorbing flavors from different ingredients.

The only things to watch out for are allergies, which are relatively uncommon, and the fact that eggplant is also good at absorbing large amounts of fat.

References