Okra (Lady’s Finger)

How does okra reduce blood sugar and why is it a superfood for controlling diabetes and cholesterol?

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It is a rich source of dietary fibre, which builds satiety, delays sugar release and limits hunger pangs, thereby reducing calorie loads. Pectin reduces bad cholesterol, say experts.

lady finger

Okra contains high amounts of soluble and insoluble fibres, four grams per 100 grams.

If you thought that soaking chopped okra or lady’s finger (bhindi) overnight and drinking the water in the morning was just grandmotherly advice to control blood sugar, then several human clinical studies have shown encouraging results that prove traditional logic.

Okra, which is a fruit but used as a vegetable, is good for diabetics for two reasons. It is a rich source of insoluble dietary fibre, which builds satiety, delays sugar release and limits hunger pangs, thereby reducing calorie loads. Second, it regulates the absorption of sugar through the intestinal tract. In a 2011 study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bio Allied Sciences, researchers found that diabetic mice, fed with dried and ground okra peels and seeds, experienced a reduction in their blood glucose levels, while others showed a gradual decrease in blood glucose following regular feeding of okra extract for about ten days.

Shalini Garwin Bliss, Executive Dietitian, Manipal Hospital, Gurugram and Deepti Khatuja, Head of Clinical Nutrition, FMRI, Gurugram, explain the benefits of consuming okra and the best way to have it.

How does okra/bhindi stabilise blood sugar levels? What is the bio mechanism involved?

Okra contains high amounts of soluble and insoluble fibres, four grams per 100 grams. These require a longer time to be broken down, digested and in the process slow down sugar release into the blood. So, the blood sugar never spikes or plummets any time and remains stable. The diabetes-controlling ability of okra is the result of its ability to slow down sugar absorption in the intestine. Besides, okra is a good source of phytochemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients like potassium, linoleic acid, vitamin C, calcium, protein and folate. Just one cup of cooked okra packs around 37 micrograms (mcg) of folate.

What makes it a good food for diabetics?

Apart from fibre, okra is a rich source of antioxidants, vitamins B6 and folate, all of which help regularise blood sugar levels and reduce the progression of diabetic neuropathy. It has a low glycaemic index (GI), an index that measures how quickly food affects sugar levels in your bloodstream. It contains a good amount of liquids and is low in calories, which help in weight management. Being easily available and easy to prepare, it can easily become a part of your daily diet.

What are the general health benefits of consuming okra?

The high fibre content is good for controlling cholesterol. It contains the enzyme pectin, which helps to reduce bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol, thereby protecting heart health. It prevents oxidative damage to cells and lowers the risk of cancer. It also prevents anaemia. The mucilage of okra binds the cholesterol and pulls out bile acid carrying toxins that are dumped into the liver. With 47.4 per cent of linoleic acid, okra becomes a very good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The protein content, which is almost equivalent to that of soya, the enzyme lysine, and tryptophan amino acid (which regulates serotonin and melatonin and our sleep-wake cycle) make okra a powerhouse food.

How to consume okra?

It can be eaten as a cooked vegetable with rotis or flatbreads. It can be easily prepared in limited oil, lightly sautéed or stir fried. It can be eaten as a roasted snack and be added to your dals, soups and curries. The thick slimy polysaccharide present in okra pods is used to thicken soups and stews. In the Middle East, such stews are part of the main diet. Okra seeds can be pressed for their yellowish green oil that contains a good amount of linoleic and oleic acid. This oil is healthy, flavourful and aromatic. Okra leaves, on the other hand, can be used for preparing salads, vegetables and porridges.

What Is Okra (Lady’s Finger) And 6 Benefits Of Adding The Medicinal Vegetable To Your Diet

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Pieces of okra
Sink your teeth into okra’s health benefits, which range from treating diabetes to preventing kidney disease. Rebecca Wilson, CC BY 2.0

The beginning of September signals that fall is on its way, along with leaves, and… okra? The exotic medicinal and culinary vegetable (available year-round), is best to get in early fall when crops in Southern states reach their peak. Typically, okra is used as a thickening agent in soups like gumbo because of its ooey-gooey texture, but it can double as a nutritional powerhouse filled with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that provide an array of health benefits from treating diabetes to preventing kidney disease.

A single cup of raw okra has a little over 30 calories, about 3 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of protein, 7.6 grams carbohydrates, 0.1 grams of fat, 21 milligrams of vitamin C, around 88 micrograms of folate, and 57 milligrams of magnesium. This makes okra a nutrition hero and a very available food when it comes to our health.

Whether you consume okra stewed, boiled, fried, or even in pickled form, you can reap the health benefits of this little green vegetable any time of the year. Here’s how:

Alleviates Asthma

Consuming even small amounts of fruits or vegetables rich in vitamin C, like okra (21 milligrams per cup), can alleviate asthma symptoms. A 2000 study published in the journalThorax found the intake of citrus or kiwi fruits conferred a highly protective effect against wheezing symptoms in childhood. The protective effect was seen even among children who ate fruit only one to two times per week. The researchers found this to be especially true among already susceptible patients.

Lowers Cholesterol

Okra not only promotes good digestive health, but also good cholesterol levels due to its high fiber content. Soluble fiber can be dissolved in water, which means that it breaks down in the digestive tract. There, it also binds to cholesterol in other foods so that it can be excreted along with other wastes. In turn, total cholesterol levels plummet, according to the Harvard Health Publications. Okra also helps to lower cholesterol by replacing all the foods you eat with high fat and cholesterol levels — okra contains no cholesterol and very little fat.

Manages Diabetes

Soluble fiber can help diabetics because of its ability to keep blood glucose levels stable — it affects how sugar is absorbed in the intestines. In a 2011 study published in the journalISRN Pharmaceutics, researchers soaked sliced okra pods in water and then gave rats the solution through a gastric feeding tube — a control group wasn’t fed this solution. The researchers found okra helped reduce the absorption rate of glucose and in turn reduced blood sugar levels in the treated rats.

Boosts Immune System

Okra’s rich vitamin C content and antioxidant components also double as decent immune boosters against unsafe free radicals, while also supporting the immune system. Vitamin C stimulates the immune system to create more white blood cells, which can help battle other foreign pathogens and materials in the body.

Prevents Kidney Disease

Regularly eating okra can be helpful for preventing kidney disease. A 2005 study published in the Jilin Medical Journal found patients who ate okra daily reduced clinical signs of kidney damage more than those who were on a diabetic diet. This is helpful since nearly half of kidney disease cases develop from diabetes.

Promotes Healthy Pregnancy

Okra’s high levels of vitamin A, B vitamins (B1, B2, B6), and vitamin C, and traces of zinc and calcium, make it an ideal vegetable to eat during pregnancy. Okra also serves as a supplement for fiber and folic acid. This helps prevent birth defects like spina bifida and can even stop constipation during pregnancy.