Okra is also known as gumbo, bamia, bhindi, or lady’s finger and belongs to the mallow family. This plant is mainly grown in warm, subtropical, and tropical regions. This is a nutrient–dense, fat – free and low–calorie food which can be added to any diet. Fresh, immature okra pods and their leaves can be used in different cuisines as vegetables.
You can enjoy okra in pickled, boiled, or fried form. Okra seeds are pressed to make greenish–yellow and edible okra with a pleasant odor and taste. This oil is rich in unsaturated fats such as linolenic and oleic acid.
Also, okra is rich in potassium, calcium, folate content, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C. Also, it has lutein, beta–carotene, manganese, magnesium, Vitamin B6, thiamine, and niacin.
6 Health benefits of okra
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Makes your hair soft and shiny
Okra has vitamins and antioxidants that can help you enjoy bouncy, shiny, and well–conditioned hair. Also, it has other useful nutrients, such as thiamine, folate, potassium, zinc, and copper, which are good for your hair. Okra has transparent mucilage, which works as a natural conditioner and gives life to dull hair.
Prevents liver disease
This vegetable helps to cleanse your liver and prevent liver disease. It has substances that bind bile acid and cholesterol to detoxify your liver. Also, this vegetable can prevent the accumulation of fats in your liver. There was one study in which it was concluded that the potent antioxidant property of okra extract could protect against chemically induced liver damage. If you want to improve your liver health and prevent the disease, you should include okra in your diet or take okra supplements after talking with your doctor.
Promotes a healthy pregnancy
This vegetable is highly recommended for pregnant women. It has B vitamins that will ensure the baby’s healthy growth in the womb and prevent congenital disabilities such as spinal bifida. Also, it is rich in folic acid, which aids in producing and maintaining new cells, which is important for a healthy pregnancy. Folate can also prevent miscarriage. Okra has Vitamin C, which plays an important role in fetal development. If you are pregnant, you should include okra in your diet, especially during the 4th and 12th weeks, because in these weeks, the neural tube develops in your fetus.
Treats leucorrhea
In the traditional folkloric practice, the fresh tender okra pods were an effective natural treatment in treating leucorrhea, causing yellowish or whitish vaginal discharge between menstruations. Okra has mucilaginous propertiremovingus from your system and reducreducingl discharge. Also, it can boost your immune system, which will fight against this problem.
Lowers bad cholesterol
This vegetable can help you to lower your cholesterol levels. There was one study in which is said that the hypolipidemic activity of okra skin extract will provide cholesterol–lowering benefits. Also, it inhibits pancreatic cholesterol esterase activity, which reduces the efficacy of cholesterol micellization, and binds to bile acids, increasing cholesterol excretion and delaying cholesterol absorption.
Okra has no saturated fats or cholesterol. It can help prevent heart disease or other health problems caused by cholesterol in our blood. You should include okra in your diet because it can lower bad cholesterol. Also, you can take okra extract, but you need to talk with your doctor.
Reduces blood sugar levels
This vegetable has insulin–like properties that will reduce blood sugar levels. Also, it has a low glycemic index of about twenty, making it one of the best foods for people with diabetes. One study confirmed that okra has the antihyperlipidemic and antidiabetic potential of its peel (Abelmoschus esculentus) and seed powder in diabetic rats. Also, there was another study in which it was said that okra could help reduce glucose absorption, lowering blood sugar levels.
