These days, I finally feel a bit of summer, and seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables are gradually occupying a place in the market and dining tables.

What vegetables are most popular in summer?

The first type is to clear heat and relieve heat. The second method is to scrape oil and reduce fat. And it's delicious and not expensive, the price of cabbage!
Although eggplants may seem dark and worthless, they taste even more fragrant than meat.
At this point, all that came to mind were garlic mashed eggplant, fish flavored eggplant strips, braised eggplant, fried eggplant box, and roasted eggplant. Tears involuntarily flowed from the corners of my mouth.
Don't underestimate the nutritional benefits of eggplants, despite their dark and worthless appearance.
Eggplant has a sweet taste and a cool nature. Guipi, stomach, and large intestine meridians have the effects of clearing heat, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling.
Summarize into three points:
Firstly, eggplant is a cool food that can clear heat and relieve heat in summer.
Secondly, eggplants have the function of scraping oil and reducing swelling, which can remove and adsorb phlegm from the body.
Thirdly, eggplant can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, making it a master in protecting blood vessels.
So what are the benefits of eggplants? It should be considered a competent cleaner.
Firstly, eggplant is a blood vessel cleaner.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, it is to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis to prevent blood vessel blockage.
From the perspective of ingredients, eggplant contains abundant vitamin P, which can increase blood vessel elasticity, prevent blood vessel rupture, and thus lower blood pressure.
It also contains saponins, which mainly prevent cholesterol from depositing on the blood vessel wall and arteriosclerosis, so it can lower blood lipids.
Rich in anthocyanins, mainly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, so it can prevent aging.
Secondly, eggplants are the cleaners of the digestive system.
We see that eggplants actually have a sponge like texture, which is loose and porous. Its biggest characteristic is oil absorption, and when eaten, it can absorb the waste oil in the stomach and intestines.
Moreover, eggplants are rich in a large amount of dietary fiber, which can absorb a large amount of water when entering the intestines, stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis, and thus moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements.
Moreover, eggplants are heat clearing and diuretic, mainly used to alleviate intestinal dryness and constipation caused by body fluid deficiency, while also promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.
So, eggplants have always been popular among weight loss enthusiasts.
I still remember that there was a time when eating raw eggplant to lose weight was particularly popular.
So is it advisable to eat eggplants raw?
Firstly, eggplants have a cold nature.
For people with weak spleen and stomach, eating raw eggplants can easily cause stomach damage and discomfort symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Secondly, there is a substance called solanine in eggplants, also known as solanine.
This substance is also present in a common food, which is sprouted potatoes. Friends with common sense know that sprouted potatoes cannot be eaten and are prone to poisoning.
And "Solanine" will only degrade in high temperature or acidic environments. So, cooked eggplants are very safe.
However, eating raw eggplants does not actually absorb more oil than cooked eggplants. On the contrary, it is important to be careful that consuming a large amount of solanine can have a strong stimulating effect on the gastrointestinal tract, causing symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. Don't let the gains outweigh the losses!
There are also rumors about the adverse effects of eggplant alkaloids on the human body.
Some people say that solanine can harm the pancreas, and eggplant is a catalyst for pancreatitis?
Pancreatitis is the king of inflammation, and it can also cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
Some people also say that eggplants are the "hair product" of osteoporosis? Causing the growth of pulmonary nodules?
Is it all solanine at work?
No, no, because every 100 grams of eggplant contains only about 4 milligrams of solanine. That is to say, you need to eat more than one pound of raw eggplant in order to trigger a toxic reaction of solanine.
Moreover, cooked eggplants have very little solanine content. As long as you eat normally, there is no problem at all.
So what are the main culprits causing pancreatitis and osteoporosis?
It's actually greasy eggplant.
As mentioned earlier, eggplants have a loose and porous structure, making them easy to absorb oil. During the cooking process, the water in the eggplant evaporates, causing it to adsorb a large amount of oil.
Digestion of fats and oils relies on the secretion of pancreatic juice by the pancreas. Due to incorrect cooking methods, consuming a large amount of fat in eggplants is not as healthy as eating fatty meat, which is the trigger for pancreatitis.
High fat foods can lead to obesity, increase bone burden, affect calcium absorption, and are also a major factor hindering bone growth.
So how should eggplants be eaten?
Firstly, eggplants have a cold nature. Eating them in summer can clear heat, relieve heat, scrape oil, lower fat, promote diuresis, and reduce swelling.
But several people should eat less: people with indigestion, people with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, women with diarrhea, women with menstruation, pregnant women...
Try not to eat with other cold foods, such as bitter gourds, persimmons, tofu, watermelon...
Also, try not to eat with foods with high starch content such as potatoes and sweet potatoes to avoid problems such as stomach bloating and food accumulation.
Secondly, the unhealthy way to eat eggplants is either raw or fried.
A healthier way to eat eggplant is to have less oil, such as garlic mashed eggplant, roasted eggplant...
How can it be less oily and delicious?
You can cut the eggplant into strips and marinate it with salt for a while to remove water. You can also steam the eggplant or dry it in a pot or oven to soften it, making it less oil absorbing.
Thirdly, when making eggplants, you can add some chili peppers, garlic, and scallions to balance the coldness of the eggplants.
Adding a little vinegar can neutralize solanine and has the effect of promoting blood circulation and dispersing nodules.
Fourthly, when making eggplants, keep the eggplant skin and stem, these two are good things.
The deep purple eggplant skin is the main source of anthocyanins.
Eggplant stem, on the other hand, has many benefits such as clearing the lungs, relieving cough, beauty, anti-inflammatory and pain relief.
Finally, let me introduce a delicious and rarely healthy cold mixed eggplant to everyone!
Cool and refreshing, with a sour and spicy taste, and low fat but not greasy, it is very suitable for consumption in summer.
Speaking of which, the truth about the rumors about eggplants has finally been exposed one by one.
There are so many exquisite ways to eat a small eggplant. Let's have a healthy and refreshing summer together!