What is Okra Good For? 5 Wonderful Benefits of Okra

Okra is a plant that is cultivated in tropical and warm climates. It produces green pods that are picked just before ripening and implemented into the diets of many different kinds of people around the world. It can also be called lady’s fingers, bamia, bhindi, or gumbo.

When you cut okra and cook it with moist heat, it releases a gooey substance that can be used as a thickener in all kinds of recipes. Okra can be prepared in other ways though, such as roasting, sautéing, boiling, frying and stewing.

If you would to prefer to avoid the sticky texture okra acquires once cut up, all you have to do is cook the pods whole.

Apart from its culinary aspect, okra can also be used to treat health problems and improve the overall health of different organs. Watch this video to find out more about the advantages okra offers:

It helps filter your blood

Okra, according to a study performed in 2005, shows positive effects on nephropathy (more commonly known as kidney disease) . These positive effects include a drop in the amount of urine protein and uric acid observed during the study.

It’s a powerful antioxidant

Due to its antioxidant activities, okra can protect your body from chemically induced liver diseases, according to a study performed in 2011.

It regulates blood sugar levels

A study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences tells about an experiment, in which rats with diabetes were given okra and their blood sugar levels and lipid profile levels were normalized, supporting the claim that okra can be used as an alternative treatment for diabetes.

It has the ability to improve mental health

Okra is useful in fighting depression because of its elevated phenol and flavonoid percentage. According to recent studies, okra seed extracts treat depression almost as well as the typical antidepressants.

It may be able to treat cancer

Okra extracts were used in a study performed to treat human breast cancer cells due to its high lectin content. The treatment both reduced cancer cell growth by 63 percent and killed 72 percent of the cancer cells.

With all this possible health benefits, you should give okra a try!

Resource(s):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3178946/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24129958
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016411000909
http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-JLYX200510009.htm

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