eggplant
A low-calorie, high-fiber nightshade rich in skin anthocyanins (nasunin) and chlorogenic acid.
Moderate evidence
🥦Vegetables
Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
11 verified / 11
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.
Nutrition per serving 1 cup cubed, raw (82 g)
- Sugars 2.9 g4%
- Fibre 2.5 g3%
- Protein 0.8 g1%
- Other 75.8 g92%
21 kcal0.8 g protein2.5 g fiber2.9 g sugar
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 1.8 mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 2.5 g | 9% |
| Potassium | 188 mg | 4% |
| Folate | 18 µg | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 1 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin K | 2.9 µg | 2% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.07 mg | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.19 mg | 8% |
| Copper | 0.07 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin E | 0.25 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium | 12 mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 7.4 mg | 1% |
Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗
What is eggplant?
eggplant is a vegetable used for modest blood-pressure lowering (chlorogenic acid). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Eggplant is a very low-energy, fiber-containing vegetable whose deep-purple skin concentrates the anthocyanin nasunin and whose flesh is one of the richest dietary sources of chlorogenic acid. Direct randomized trials on whole eggplant are scarce, so the strongest human evidence comes from its signature bioactives and food groups: chlorogenic acid lowers blood pressure modestly in RCT meta-analyses, dietary anthocyanin and flavonoid intake track with lower cardiovascular mortality in large cohorts, and higher fiber intake is robustly tied to lower all-cause and CVD mortality. Effects are real but generally modest, and most glycemic/lipid data derive from concentrated extracts rather than the vegetable itself.
Purported Benefits
✓Modest blood-pressure lowering (chlorogenic acid)
✓Associated with lower cardiovascular mortality (anthocyanins/flavonoids)
✓Very low calorie, supports weight management
✓Provides fiber linked to lower mortality
✓Antioxidant nasunin protects lipids from oxidation
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup cubed, raw (82 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
A nightshade containing solanine-type glycoalkaloids, but at low levels in ripe culinary eggplant; very high intake or unripe fruit can cause GI upset. Oxalate content is moderate (caution with recurrent calcium-oxalate kidney stones). Rare oral-allergy/histamine sensitivity reported. Deep-frying dramatically increases calorie and fat load. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining eggplant with any medicine.
Key Studies ★ 11 studies
Meta-analysis
Samavat 2024
✓ PubMed
Dose-response meta-analysis (10 RCTs, 563 participants) found green coffee bean extract (rich in chlorogenic acid) significantly lowered systolic BP (WMD -2.95 mmHg, 95% CI -4.27 to -1.62) and diastolic BP (WMD -2.15 mmHg, 95% CI -2.59 to -1.72), with no change in heart rate.
dose-response meta-analysis
Micek 2021
✓ Source
Dose-response meta-analysis (39 cohorts, >1.5 million people) found anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
meta-analysis
Sarkhosh-Khorasani 2020
✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis of RCTs found green coffee (chlorogenic acid) extract significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, insulin and triglycerides and raised HDL.
Meta-analysis
Han 2022
✓ PubMed
Systematic review and meta-analysis of green coffee bean extract on cardiovascular risk factors found favorable effects on blood pressure and lipid/glycemic markers with a good safety profile.
meta-analysis
Onakpoya 2015
✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of RCTs (5 trials, n=364) found chlorogenic acid supplementation reduced systolic BP by ~4.31 mmHg and diastolic by ~3.68 mmHg vs placebo.
meta-analysis
Kimble 2019
✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis of prospective cohorts found higher dietary anthocyanin intake associated with lower coronary heart disease (RR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83-0.99) and CVD mortality (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.97).
meta-analysis
Nikpayam 2019
✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of interventional studies found chlorogenic-acid-rich green coffee extract significantly lowered fasting blood glucose, with no consistent effect on insulin or HOMA-IR.
systematic review & meta-analysis
Reynolds 2019
✓ PubMed
Lancet series of meta-analyses found high vs low dietary fiber intake associated with 15-30% lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
RCT
Mubarak 2021
✓ Full text
Acute dose-response randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers showed coffee-derived chlorogenic acids improved endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation) in a dose-dependent manner, supporting a vascular mechanism.
RCT
Nishimura 2019
✓ Full text
Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 100 stressed adults found 1.2 g/day eggplant powder (2.3 mg acetylcholine/day) for 12 weeks significantly reduced diastolic BP at week 8 and systolic plus diastolic BP at week 12 versus placebo, notably in the grade 1 hypertension subgroup.
prospective cohort
Bondonno 2019
✓ Full text
Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort (n=56,048; 23 y) found moderate flavonoid intake inversely associated with all-cause, CVD and cancer mortality, plateauing near ~500 mg/day.