Okra: The Health Benefits You Didn't Know About!

Okra, also known as "lady's finger," is a flowering plant with edible seed pods. It thrives in warm climates and is commonly grown in Africa and South Asia.Though technically a fruit, okra is frequently used in cooking as a vegetable. Okra, for example, may be familiar to you as an ingredient in gumbo. Okra, while not a household name in healthy foods, has a lot of nutritional value.

Health Advantages

Okra is low in calories but high in nutrients. Okra contains vitamin C, which aids in immune function. Okra is also high in vitamin K, which aids in blood clotting.

Okra also has the following health benefits:

Combat Cancer

Antioxidants are natural compounds that assist your body in combating molecules known as free radicals, which can cause cell damage. Free radicals are best known for their ability to cause oxidation damage, which can eventually lead to cancer.

Okra contains polyphenol antioxidants, which include vitamins A and C. It also contains lectin, a protein that may inhibit cancer cell growth in humans. Concentrated okra compounds inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells by up to 63 percent in studies. More research is needed to establish the cancer-fighting properties of okra.

Encourage Heart and Brain Health

Polyphenols lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by preventing blood clots and reducing free radical damage. Okra's antioxidants may also benefit your brain by reducing inflammation.

Mucilage, a thick, gel-like substance found in okra, can bind to cholesterol during digestion and transport it out of the body. An eight-week study on mice found that when they were fed a high-fat diet containing okra powder, their blood cholesterol levels dropped.

Blood Sugar Control

Several studies have found that okra can help control blood sugar levels. Researchers believe okra can help prevent sugar absorption during digestion.

In one study, rats given purified okra and liquid sugar had fewer blood sugar spikes than rats given a placebo. More research is needed to confirm that okra helps humans control their blood sugar levels.

Prenatal Care

One cup of okra contains 15% of the daily value of folate, an important nutrient for pregnant women. Folate reduces the risk of neural tube defects, which can affect the developing brain and spine.

Continue reading →