Disclaimer: The content of the article is for reference only, the storyline is purely fictional, intended to popularize health knowledge, if you feel unwell, please seek medical attention offline.
One late autumn night, Li Ming was sitting on the sofa watching TV, suddenly felt chest tightness and shortness of breath, and quickly lifted his clothes to check it, although there were no obvious symptoms, he still felt panicked.
Some time ago, he saw news on the Internet that eggplant was a "hypertensive lesion", and the doctor also specially advised him to eat less of this fruit.
As a middle-aged man who has been concerned about health for a long time, Li Ming is convinced of this and has been trying to avoid eggplant recently.
But today, an old friend Aunt Wang, who has just retired, came to the house as a guest, and as soon as she entered the door, she complained with a smile: "It is said that eggplant is not good for high blood pressure, but I still eat enough every day, why is my blood pressure more and more stable?"
When Li Ming heard this, he was immediately confused.
Are all the rumors on the Internet? Is eggplant really that magical, can it lower blood pressure? He decided to take a closer look at the matter.
It turns out that eggplant, as a common vegetable, was indeed once thought by some to have an adverse effect on high blood pressure.
There are two main reasons for this: first, eggplant contains a substance called solanine, and some studies have shown that high intake of solanine may raise blood pressure;
The second is that eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae family, which interacts with some high blood pressure drugs and may affect the efficacy of the drug.
However, in recent years, more and more studies have shown that eggplant itself does not cause an increase in blood pressure, on the contrary, it may have a certain antihypertensive effect. Here's why:
1. Eggplant is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, etc., which help regulate blood pressure.
2. Eggplant contains a special polyphenolic compound that can exert antioxidant effects and inhibit vascular inflammation, thereby contributing to blood pressure stability.
3. Eggplant is also rich in fiber, which helps improve insulin resistance, which reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
4. Although the solanine in eggplant may have an effect on some medications, it generally does not have a significant effect on blood pressure in most people as long as the dosage is moderate.
Therefore, we should not "beat the eggplant to death" with a stick, but should eat it reasonably in combination with personal health.
If you don't take blood pressure medication, or your blood pressure is basically normal, then eating eggplant in moderation is beneficial to your health.
Back to Aunt Wang mentioned at the beginning, we can analyze it from her situation:
Aunt Wang is 68 years old and has a long-term history of high blood pressure, but has maintained good blood pressure control in recent years.
She usually pays attention to her diet and loves to eat a variety of vegetables, including eggplant.
In the past, I deliberately reduced the consumption of eggplant because I was worried that it would affect my blood pressure, but the effect was not satisfactory. It wasn't until she retired that she changed her eating habits and ate some eggplants every day, and for some reason, her blood pressure became more stable.
There are several possible reasons for this:
1. Aunt Wang has been taking medication for a long time to control high blood pressure, and her body has adapted to a certain dose of antihypertensive drugs. At this time, combined with an appropriate amount of eggplant intake, it can have a good synergistic effect and further stabilize blood pressure.
2. After retirement, Aunt Wang's daily life and rest routine have greatly reduced her stress, which in itself helps to control blood pressure. Coupled with the improvement of daily diet, including moderate consumption of eggplant, there will undoubtedly be further benefits.
3. Some of the bioactive substances contained in eggplant may affect the metabolism of certain antihypertensive drugs taken by Auntie Wang, thereby improving the overall antihypertensive effect. However, further pharmacokinetic studies are needed.
In summary, eggplant is not a "hypertensive lesion", on the contrary, it may have a certain antihypertensive effect.
However, for patients with high blood pressure, it is still necessary to make a reasonable dietary combination according to their own conditions.
Don't listen to some exaggerated claims on the Internet and blindly avoid vegetables such as eggplant.
As Auntie Wang's case shows, eating eggplant in moderation may help control blood pressure.
We should look at this issue objectively and rationally, and not be misled by some one-sided statements.
Only by fully understanding your own characteristics and combining with the guidance of professional doctors can you formulate the most suitable diet and health strategy for yourself.