How does the nutritional value of cooked eggplant compare to eating it raw? Are the antioxidants destroyed by the heat of baking or boiling?With these two ORAC tests we can answer that. For when they are boiled, they test out at 245. On the other hand raw eggplants test out over 3x that amount, coming in at 932.While useful info to know, it doesn't really change the way one would consume this delicious purple vegetable. Trying to eat it raw would be tough to chew, an unpalatable taste, and who knows what kind of digestive nightmare (gas? bloating?) would result as your stomach tries to break down its tough and fibrous texture. For this reason, we'll stick with eating cooked eggplant, but just not rely on it for having much antioxidants!
ORAC Source
USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 - Prepared by Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - May 2010