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Due to the presence of nutrients, you should definitely include okra in your regular diet. With its less cholesterol and calorie content, it can be eaten in considerable amounts too.
Okra or Lady’s Finger can be consumed in many ways. The best way to consume it is to make a vegetable without gravy. Sausage Okra, Okra with salted corn, Fried Okra, etc. are some other healthy recipes which can be made using okra. We all have okra the normal way, i.e., in form of a vegetable dish.
Here are brief suggestions for use
- Before cooking, wash thoroughly and rinse the entire okra well with water.
- After washing, dry it completely with a dry cloth.
- You can then store it in a zip-lock bag and leave it overnight in the refrigerator before using it the next day. This will make it less viscous during cooking. This will freeze the solid okra.
- Immediately add the okra to your plate after removing it from the refrigerator. You can use it as a whole or cut.
- Always cut the ends before adding it to your plate.
- Do not allow it to thaw to prevent it from becoming thinner.
A Delicious Okra Recipe
Photo credit: arvindgrover CC BY-SA
This recipe is quick, tasty and different too.
Makes: 4 serving
Total Prep Time: 20 minute
Ingredients:
• 17 ½ oz. okra, chop into 1-inch piece
• 2 large size onion, chopped
• ½ oz. white cumin seeds
• 5 whole red chilies
• 2 tomatoes, cubes
• 2 green chilies
• ½ oz. red chilies powder
• ¼ oz. dry mango powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 oz. oil
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a wok then put the onions in it and fry it till it becomes light brown, add cumin seeds and whole red chilies in it and fry for one minute.
Add okra in it and stir it for many times till its color is changed completely.
When they get brown in color, add tomatoes, green chilies, red chilies, mango powder and salt, stir well and fry it for
3 to 4 minutes. You don’t need to cover the pan.Tasty fried okra is ready. Serve with cucumber raita and chapattis.
The health benefits of okra cannot be ignored.
Before looking at the benefits it is important to highlight the brief origin. Dr. Axe Fans tracing the history of okra stated that:
Okra was apparently discovered in the Abyssinian center of origin of cultivated plants, an area that includes present-day Ethiopia, the mountainous or plateau portion of Eritrea, and the eastern, higher part of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Since the Spanish Moors and the Egyptians of the 12th and 13th centuries used an Arab word for okra, it probably was taken into Egypt by the Muslims from the East who conquered Egypt in the seventh century. It’s also believed that the plant was taken from Ethiopia to Arabia across the narrow Red Sea or the narrower strait at its southern end. Then it was spread over North Africa, completely around the Mediterranean, and eastward, reaching India after the beginning of the Christian Era. Modern travelers have found okra growing wild along the White Nile and elsewhere in the upper Nile country, as well as in Ethiopia. One of the earliest accounts of okra is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216, describing the plant in detail stating that the pods were eaten when young and tender. It makes sense that it was likely introduced to this country by the French colonists of Louisiana in the early 1700s. It had been introduced to the New World, however, before 1658, reaching Brazil supposedly from Africa and known in Surinam in 1686. While records of okra during early American colonial times are lacking, it must have been common among French colonists. It was being grown as far north as Philadelphia in 1748, and Thomas Jefferson said it was known in Virginia before 1781. From about 1800, it has been written about by numerous gardeners with several distinct varieties known as early as 1806. Axe F
The Health Benefits of Okra
Source of Calcium
Okra provides ample calcium and magnesium, helping to prevent both calcium deficiency and magnesium deficiency. In addition to healthy bones, calcium is necessary to regulate heart rhythms, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. It also helps with muscle functions and nerve signaling functions.
For those who suffer from lactose intolerance symptoms or are vegan or vegetarian, okra can help provide enough calcium to compensate for the lack of milk. It provides about 51 milligrams of calcium per serving, and while this is not enough for the day with the recommended daily value of around 1,000 milligrams for adults, it can be integrated as a regular par diet.
Good Source of Protein
The benefits of okra nutrition are so abundant that it has been called the "perfect vegetable of the villagers," with its robust nature, dietary fiber and the distinct protein balance of the seeds of both the lysine and tryptophan amino acids. The amino acid composition of the okra seed protein is actually comparable to that of soy - the ratio of protein efficiency is higher than that of soy, and the protein amino acid model makes it an appropriate supplement to legume or cereal diets.
In fact, the seed of okra is known to be rich in high-quality proteins, especially as regards the content of essential amino acids compared to other sources of plant proteins, making it one of the best food based on proteins plant.
Prevents Renal Disease
Eating okra regularly can be helpful in preventing kidney disease. Kidney problems pose a threat if type 2 diabetes is diagnosed. Nearly half of kidney-related diseases are caused by diabetes. If you take okra regularly in your diet and the water of okra, this will help prevent kidney disease. A study in 2005, published in the Jilin Medical Journal, as cited by Men's Health 8 September 2015 found that "Patients who consumed okra on a regular basis showed more reduced signs of kidney damage than those who were on a diabetic" This is useful because almost half of the cases of kidney disease develop from diabetes.
Relieves Asthma
Okra is delicious, and it is highly rich in vitamin C, which helps in case of respiratory problems such as asthma. According to a study, consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C, even at low levels of intake, can reduce the symptoms of dyspnoea in infancy, especially among individuals who are already sensitive. A 2000 study as published in the journal Thorax states that "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 does not only promotes good digestive health but also enhances good cholesterol levels as the result of its high fiber content. Soluble fiber could be dissolved in water, and that means it breaks down in the digestive tract. There, it also binds to cholesterol in other foods so it can be expelled together with other waste. In turn, levels of total cholesterol fall, according to Harvard health publications. Okra also helps to reduce cholesterol by replacing all foods that are eaten with high fat and cholesterol levels as it contains no cholesterol and very few fats.
Manage Diabetes
Soluble fiber can help diabetics because of its ability to keep blood glucose levels stable - it affects the way sugar is absorbed in the intestine. A study as published in Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences, July-September 2011, the researchers immersed the affected gastropods in water and then gave the rats the solution through a gastric tube - a control group was not fed with this solution. The researchers found that okra helps reduce the rate of glucose uptake and in turn reduces blood sugar levels in treated rats.
Heart Disease
People with diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease than those who do not. Diabetics who regularly consume vegetables in general, including the okra, reduce the risk of heart disease, according to the results of studies published in April 2008 "Journal of Nutrition." In this study, type 2 diabetics who ate vegetables had a 10% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate vegetables. The soluble fiber of okra naturally helps to reduce cholesterol and, therefore, reduces the possibility of cardiovascular diseases according to the Journal of Food Processing & Technology, making okra consumption is an effective method for managing body cholesterol levels. Pectin-charged okra can help reduce high blood cholesterol simply by modifying the creation of bile within the intestine.
Increases the Immune System
The rich content of vitamin C and antioxidant components of Okra also doubles as decent immune defenders against unsafe free radicals, while also supporting the immune system. Vitamin C helps to stimulate the immune system to create more white blood cells, which can help fight other pathogens and foreign materials in the body
Promotes a Healthy Pregnancy
The high levels of vitamin A, B vitamins (B1, B2, B6) and vitamin C, and traces of zinc and calcium in okra make it an ideal vegetable to eat during pregnancy. It also serves as a supplement for fiber and folic acid. This helps prevent congenital disabilities such as spina bifida and may even stop constipation during pregnancy.
References
- Forastiere F, Pistelli R, Sestini P, et al Journal Thorax Consumption of fresh fruit rich in vitamin C and wheezing
symptoms in children - Journal of Food Processing & Technology, 2015, “Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Okra (Abelmoschus
esculentus): A Review”: - Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences, July-September 2011, “Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential
of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats”: - Medicaldaily
- Men’sHealth
- Organization for African Development