Health Benefits of Okra

There are multiple health benefits and splendid nutritional value of okra. Distinct parts of okra plant can be used for multiple purposes. Usually it is used in salads, stews and soup in fresh, dried and fried form. Some peoples used it as a healthy substitute for coffee as it lack caffeine its other application is in confectionary industry, oil extraction and medical sectors. Okra added in stews, soups and condiments to increase viscosity. Mucilage can be extracted from okra which has great application in various antidotes it is known to lower cholesterol level in body by attaching it and removing from liver. It contains a great proportion of essential oil and fatty acids. Okra achieved great importance in market due to presence of dietary fibers and protein with ample amount of essential amino acids usually tryptosan and lysine and present even protein content in okra are even greater than soybean. It also provide sufficient amount of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and phenolic compounds. As it contain plenty of macro and micro nutritional elements that why its flour can be used for fortification purposes.

Healthy okra mucilage

It has multiple applications in food, non-food and medicines. It is considered best additive with no side effects. (1) Okra can also be uses as a substitute of medicines as medicines have certain side effects. Okra is famous for prevention of following diseases like leucorrhea, constipation, diarrhea, spermatorrhea, dysentery, gastric ulcer, jaundice and other diseases related to GIT.

Disease fighting properties

• Due to presence of antioxidants and vitamins it is known to fight with many persistent diseases like cancer, arthelosisetc
• Flavonoids and vitamin C help in reducing LDL in human body
• It maintains blood sugar level due to fibers. As high blood sugar level is the key of many chronic diseases
• It plays key role for the treatment of GIT based diseases.
• It reduces cholesterol level by binding it and removing from liver.
• It ensures healthy heart and skin.
• Rich source of protein
• It is used in organic medicines due to its antiulcerogenic, gastroprotective and diuretic properties.

Okra as a significant source of protein

Various studies determine the protein percentage of okra seed. Okra is rich source of protein. The okra is compared to soy and cotton seed and it is evaluate that the amino acid content of okra is as same as soybean but PER was high of okra seed. Okra plays a very crucial role for growth and development of animal body because of its protein and this is proved by given mice an okra and zein protein and it is evaluated that the growth rate is high in okra feeding mice because okra have rich amount of protein content. The oil from okra as extracted through hexane has crude protein content of about 11.56%, okra is rich source of fiber and also rich source of carbohydrate which is determine through various other researches through experiments.

Okra as a complimentary source of dietary fibers

Okra is known for high fiber content it is proved from research that almost half portion of okra is consist of soluble fibers like gum and pectin. Due to great proportion of this complex fiber it helps in reducing cholesterol level and increase digestive health as soluble fibers helps in elimination toxins, cholesterol and other fatty substance by binding them and then removes from the body. Another property of these soluble fibers is to maintain blood sugar level in the body. Other study which was carried out in 2014 reveals that pectin reduces the level of digesting the lipid.

Controlling hunger with okra

It helps in controlling hunger by producing the feeling of satiety and fullness due to presence of dietary fibers. That’s why okra is very effective for weight loss purpose.

Reduction in fatigue

Due to pack of antioxidant present in okra it is very helpful to retain level of glycogen so due to this property it delays fatigue and depression in men and women.

Okra is considered as antidiabetic component because it due to its complex polysaccharide network it maintains blood glucose level it prevents the elevated glucose level in blood. It also affects the absorption level of sugar in intestine. It decreases the absorption rate of glucose.

Abundant of vitamins in okra

Okra also provides a great proportion of vitamin B6 and folic acid. It is a great source of nutrition for pregnant women its regular intake minimize the birth defects. It is also known for reducing the risk of chronic diseases like certain types of cancer and it play vital role in fighting with heart diseases.

Okra is also very important to cure eyesight issues as okra pods are rich in vitamin A and carotene these two vitamins are very beneficial for improving eyesight. Okra pods are also very beneficial for treating illness related to eye

Due to the presence of certain vitamins like vitamin C okra boosts our immune system. vitamin C content in okra help in producing more white blood cells which fights the antibodies to attack body and cause diseases.

A notable source of phytochemicals

Okra also contain phytochemicals including flavonoids, tannins, sterols, anthracene, triterpenes etc which are known for their beneficial health effects including to provide antioxidant properties which help in reduction of oxidation process carried out in body these oxidation reactions are culprit of causing certain chronic diseases like cancer. Beside these malficiant effect flavonoids are also performing other tasks like they act in quenching ROS (reactive oxygen species), chelating of metal ions, and regeneration of antioxidants within the membrane.

Okra extracts are considered as a magical component for curing diseases related to liver. As liver have very important function in body its inappropriate functioning may lead to death so its issues should be treated at initial stage and okra have very effective function to cure liver diseases by decomposition and excretion of toxic compounds. Okra is considered as best hepatoprotective drug.

Okra extracts treat hepatoprotective diseases by:

• It prevents lipid peroxidation
• It prevents hypocyte membrane stabilization
• It restrict cytochrome P-450 dependent oxygenase activity
• It enhances the non-protein sulphydryls and total proteins content in the liver tissues.

Okra is famous as a healthy substitute of coffee as it don’t contain caffeine so it have no consumption and it doesn’t contain any side effects and it is even cheaper than coffee while its sensory properties are almost same as coffee. Its color is lighter than coffee.

Other beneficial effects of okra mucilage

A combination of ripe banana and okra mucilage is very effective for curing colitis, cystitis, hepatitis and jaundice.