Garden Egg: The Health Benefits Of The Leaf

Garden egg leaf, locally known as akwukwo anara and efo Igbo in the Eastern and South –Western part of Nigeria is used in the preparation of vegetable stews and yam dishes.

It can be eaten raw or used to prepare salad. It is rich in Vitamin B, C, potassium, calcium.

According to the Guardian, recent investigations have shown that garden egg leaves are rich in phytochemical, which protects the body from cancer formation. They are also high in potassium, a necessary salt that helps in maintaining the function of the heart and regulates blood pressure.

Regular consumption of garden egg leaves help in controlling of the blood sugar level due to its high fiber and low carbohydrate content.

In a study undertaken to assess the influence of whole garden eggplant in comparison to apples and oats on serum lipid profile in rats fed a high cholesterol diet that were obtained from the animal unit of Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

The results suggested that eating garden egg is better at reducing blood cholesterol than apple and oat.

According to one pregnant mother, Mrs. Amarachi Ogbonna, garden egg leaves are very pregnant women. “I use it in cooking and also squeeze the juice to drink wish serves as blood tonic. Back home, they eat the leave raw, in African Salad or mixed with red oil.”

Also responding, Mrs. Lara Benjamin said “I use garden egg leaves when my children are anaemic as a natural blood tonic. I squeeze the juice from the leaves and mix it with a malt drink.”

“It works faster than folic acid in improving blood level especially since my children don’t like taking drugs,” she said.

“The last time I went for antennal, my blood per cent was 39 while other women were having 31 and 32. They were asking me what I usually eat, and then I told them about to eat anara leaves,” she said.

Dr Bright Chimezie Anwacha of the University Uyo Teaching Hospital explained that the leaf provides women with micro nutrients which help in improving blood level.

“For the baby, it provides it with basic mineral elements for proper development and also prevents inborn errors of metabolism, defects and improves the baby’s weight. This is because anara is rich in mineral elements especially folic acid which is necessary for red cell formation,” Dr Anwacha explained.

Experts are encouraging people suffering from elevated cholesterol level and obesity to eat more of this vegetable in its fresh form. Garden egg consumption is also beneficial for people that are suffering from constipation because of it high fiber content. Take garden egg leaves today and enjoy all its health benefits.

For one to enjoy all the health benefits of this nutritious vegetable, it is essential to buy garden egg leaves without spots or insect bite, wash it properly under cold running water and cut it with stainless steel knife and not carbon steel knife, because it reacts with phytonutrient present in this vegetable and cause it to turn black.

It is also good to store garden egg leaves in cool, dry place and use a day or two days or wrap in a paper and store in refrigerator for up to four days.