Why Garden Egg’s Leaves Is Good For Pregnant Women

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 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 for 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.

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