Ankh Rah's Healthy Living Guide: okra

The mucilaginous content in okra sets it apart from other vegetables for its extraordinary benefits.

Description

Okra is also known as “lady’s finger” in some parts of Asia. And various other names in other parts of the world. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

Okra is an edible pea pod and although can be eaten raw, I’ve never acquired the raw taste. You can lightly blanch, steam or give it a quick stir-fry to reduce the “green” taste.

Use when it’s tender, as it gets very fibrous when it’s older. In the okra pods, the white soft seeds (edible) are arranged in 5 to 10 vertical columns, giving it the angled appearance on the outside.

Nutritional Benefits

Okra is very low in calories and dense with nutrients. It is high in fiber, vitamin A, C, and folate content.

It is also a good source of the B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and traces of magnesium and manganese.

Okra is one of those few vegetables which have the highest content of phytonutrients and antioxidants such as beta-carotene, xanthin and lutein.

Health Benefits

Okra is one of the best medicinal vegetable although it is not everyone’s favorite. You may like to try it if you knew about its immense health benefits:

Anemia: Helps red blood cells production and prevent anemia.

Anti-Cancer: The high antioxidants in okra helps protect the immune system against harmful free radicals and prevent mutation of cells.

Asthma: The high antioxidants and vitamin C content make okra useful for reducing asthmatic attacks.

Bone Strength: Folate in okra builds strong bones and density, preventing osteoporosis.

Cholesterol: The soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, thus also reducing atherosclerosis and the risk of heart diseases.

Constipation: The rich fiber and mucilaginous (slimy) content in okra pods help increase bulk, bind to toxins and ensure easy bowel movements with its natural laxative properties. Regularly eating okra also reduces the risk of colon cancer.

Diabetes: It has insulin-like properties that help to reduce blood sugar level.

Gut flora: The fiber helps improve the population of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Immune Booster: The high antioxidants and vitamin C content make okra a good immune booster food that reduce your catching the cough and cold.

Peptic Ulcers: The mucilaginous content provides a temporary coating to the digestive tract and stomach lining while healing the ulcers.

Pregnancy: The rich folate content in okra can help decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in babies.

Skin Health: With good bowel movements, skin health will improve. Helps reduce acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Vision Health: Okra contains beta-carotenes (precursor of vitamin A), xanthin and lutein, all antioxidant properties that are helpful for vision health, preventing eye problems like cataract and glaucoma.

Consumption Tips

Choose smaller-sized okra over the big ones. The feel should be crisp and firm to be sure they are tender and not overly fibrous. Avoid those which color does not look fresh and are soft.

As with most vegetables, okra may be subject to insecticide/pesticides. Buy organic if possible. If not, soak okra in water with apple cider vinegar and seasalt for about 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Cut off the tops and cut okra into smaller pieces of 2-3 inches if desired. Lightly blanch, steam or quickly stir-fry to reduce the mucilage and the “green taste”. It can be added into your salad, or dipped into your home-made chilli sauce, or eat it just on its own.

Okra cannot be juiced due to its very fibrous texture and mucilaginous (slimy) content.

Caution

Like most vegetables, okra has a small amount of oxalic acid and does not generally bother. Avoid okra if you have a history of kidney stones.

http://www.healthdigezt.com/surprising-benefits-of-okra-ladys-finger/

by Ashley Mathieu

Okra: The Wonder Vegetable – 22 The Amazing Health Benefits Of Okra

Okra is one of the best medicinal vegetable, that hasn’t got its due sometimes due to its taste. Read this article to understand why this is unarguably one of the best natural veggies to add to your wonder list and diet today!

What is Okra?

Okra, also known as “lady’s finger”, is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the Malvaceae (mallows) family and named scientifically as Abelmoschus esculentus. One of most nutritious vegetables around Okra is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions around the world for its fibrous fruits or “pods”. The pods are handpicked while just short of reaching maturity and eaten as a vegetable.

Why you should include Okra in your diet?

Okra has a long list of health benefits:

Rich Fiber Source: Okra’s rich fiber content helps in better digestion, and regularization of bowels. The soluble fiber, Pectin, swells up in the intestine and helps in easier elimination of the wastes from the intestine.
For Diabetes: It has insulin-like properties that help to reduce blood sugar levels. Eugenol, a type of fiber found in Okra, helps to stabilize blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
For Pregnancy and Fetal development: Abundant Folates in Okra, not only help in conceiving but also in fetus’ brain development, prevention of miscarriages, formation of the fetal neural tube, and preventing any defects in the tube.
For Strong Bones: Vitamin K is a co-factor in the vital blood-clotting process and along with Folates, restores bone density, strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis.
For Asthma: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Okra, and rich vitamin C content, curtail the development of asthma symptoms and prevent fatal attacks.
Respiratory soother: A decoction of leaves and flowers of Okra are used in treating bronchitis and pneumonia. Its mucilaginous (slimy, gluey) quality makes it an excellent home remedy for treatment of common cold and flu.
Relieves Constipation: The rich fiber and mucilaginous content in Okra pods help increase stool bulk, facilitate proper absorption of water, bind to toxins, lubricate the large intestines, and ensure easy bowel movements, with its natural laxative properties.
Treats Sun strokes: Those suffering from summer heat and sun strokes should include Okra in their diet. Relieves from weakness, exhaustion, and overall depression.
Lowers Colon cancer risk: The insoluble fiber found in Okra cleans out the intestinal tract, decreasing the risk of colon-rectal cancer. The high antioxidants in Okra helps protect the immune system against harmful free radicals and prevent mutation of cells.
Prevents Obesity: Okra provides minimum calories, the fiber helps in keeping you full for longer, and the abundant nutrients nourish you.
Lowers Cholesterol: Okra contains soluble fiber pectin, which helps in lowering the serum (bad)cholesterol and prevents atherosclerosis. It does it by altering the production of bile in the intestines and aiding in elimination of deposited cholesterol and clots.
Skin Detoxifier: Fiber aidstoxic waste cleansing and Vitamin C aids in repairing body tissues, preventing skin pigmentation, reducing acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions.
Lively Hair: The transparent mucilage imparts life and bounce to unruly, curly and lifeless hair. It acts as a great hair conditioner, scalp moisturizer for dry and itchy scalp, fights dandruff and lice, and adds a youthful sheen to your hair.
Detoxification: Okra’s fiber not only aids the stool function but the mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid, ejecting toxins, dumped into it by the filtering liver.
Immunity Booster: The high antioxidants and vitamin C content make Okra a good immune booster food. Other essential minerals like magnesium, manganese, calcium and iron fight against harmful free radicals and promote healthy immune system.
Clear Vision: Okra contains beta-carotenes (precursor of vitamin A), xanthin and lutein, all antioxidant properties, preventing eye problems like cataract and glaucoma.
Prevents Anemia: Iron, Folate, and Vitamin K aid in hemoglobin formation, blood coagulation, and red blood cells production, providing a supreme defense against anemia.
Cures Ulcers: The alkaline mucilaginous content helps neutralize acids and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract speeding up the healing of peptic ulcers.
Treats Genital Disorders: Okra increases sexual potency and is beneficial in treating genital disorders like syphilis, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, dysuria and excessive menstrual bleeding.
Rich Protein Source: The seeds of Okra are an excellent source of first-rate vegetable protein and oils, enriched with amino acids like tryptophan, cystine and other sulfur amino acids.
Feeds Blood Network: Studies show that eating plenty of flavonoid and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, such as Okra helps to support the structure of blood capillaries.
Probiotics Feed: Good bacteria (probiotics), in intestines, thrive on Okra, contributing greatly to the health of the intestinal tract. It helps biosynthesis of Vitamin B complex, similar to how yoghurt serves the small intestine.