The eggplant or aubergine or brinjalis is a native to India.
Greatly admired for its glossy "deep purple" color,
as well as its pleasantly unique bitter taste and spongy texture.
It belongs to the "nightshade"
family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and
potatoes. Other nightshades plants are the petunia, tobacco, as well as
the poisonous belladonna.
Nightshades contain a special group
of substances called alkaloids. These biochemicals are designed to help
protect the plants from insects. They are known to cause ill
side-effects to individuals that have osteoarthritis, rheumatoid
arthritis, or other joint problems like gout.
