Okra, which is also known as lady’s finger, is an old vegetable that made its first appearance about 3,500 years ago. Just like many other vegetables, okra is full of nutrients that can be useful for this who aim to improve their overall well-being.
It is even believed that okra was one of Cleopatra’s favorite vegetables. During World War II, people used okra seeds as an alternative for Coffee Beans.
How Nutritious is Okras?
Okras are rich in Vitamins A and C as well as minerals like Iron and Calcium. This vegetable also has fat, starch, riboflavin, and thiamine. You can consume the vegetable raw, or you can cook it. For a cup of fresh okra, you get 33 grams of calories, while cooked okra has 25 grams. Raw okra though has more fiber with 3.2 grams, while cooked okra has two grams. Vitamin A in fresh okra is 660 IU and 460 IU in grilled okra. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is 21 milligrams in raw okra, while there are 13.04 milligrams in half a cup of sliced okra.
With nutrients found in this vegetables, it is a small wonder that there are science-backed proofs about its Health benefits, which include:
- The fiber in the okra vegetable is abundant, which is why it is great for stabilizing blood sugar levels. It is useful in doing so because it can curb the rate of sugar absorption when it goes to the intestinal tract.
- The vegetable’s mucilage can bind cholesterol as well as bile acid that carries toxins. Therefore, the okra is suitable for filtering the liver.
- If you regularly suffer from constipation, you can eat okras to avoid being constipated. The vegetable can help lubricate your large intestines since it carries laxative properties. First, it has fiber that can help absorb water and therefore makes it easier for you to move your bowels. Second, the mucilage of the vegetable can soothe comfortable to eliminate.
- Okra is your intestinal tract’s friend. This part of the body comes with good and bad bacteria, and okra is good food to eat to keep your GI tract (Gastrointestinal Tract) healthy due to its contribution for the good bacteria, known as probiotics in your GI tract.
Final Thoughts about Okra
With the health benefits offered by this vegetable, many traditional medicine supporters use okra as part of the remedies for specific health conditions.
P.S. Like and share this post with your peers to spread the love.
