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Long Eggplant Peel: The Nasunin Pigment Inside
Long Eggplant · มะเขือยาว · Solanum melongena
Long Eggplant — มะเขือยาว (ma-khuea-yao) — Solanum melongena.
Long eggplant — mah-kue-ah-yao. Its glossy purple peel contains nasunin, a plant pigment. The edible part is the fruit. In a lab test, nasunin bound iron and slowed fats from oxidizing. The fruit also brings fiber, manganese, and potassium. Fiber keeps digestion regular and helps you feel full, and in a fiber-rich meal it slows how fast sugars are absorbed. Manganese is a mineral your body uses to help turn food into energy and support normal bones. Potassium helps muscles and nerves work normally and supports normal blood pressure. Yam Ma Khuea Yao chars the eggplant until it slumps and softens, tossing the smoky flesh with lime juice, fish sauce, and minced pork. Pad Ma Khuea Yao stir-fries the sliced fruit in a screaming-hot wok with garlic, chilies, and sweet basil until blistered and tender. How to cook long eggplant: keep the purple skin on to preserve the nasunin-rich peel. Pick long eggplant while the skin still shines; dull skin usually means seedy, bitter flesh. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Yam Ma Khuea Yao — ยำมะเขือยาว (yam-ma-khuea-yao)
Pad Ma Khuea Yao — ผัดมะเขือยาว (pad-ma-khuea-yao)
Source: Noda Y et al. (1998). Antioxidant activity of nasunin. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol 102(2):175-87. PMID 10100509
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: fiber, manganese, potassium
Research context
Nasunin, eggplant's antioxidant pigment, chelates iron & protects lipids from peroxidation — Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol, 1998 (cell-culture study)