The flesh of okra is tender and nutritious, and it is good food on the table. Its tender pod’s nitrate content is far lower than ordinary leafy vegetables, and it is a safe and hygienic green vegetable. Okra pod is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, flavonoids, polysaccharides, and other components. Okra is a high-protein food rich in lysine and can be a valuable supplement to cereals.
There are a lot of high-nutrient substances such as protein and fat in okra, and there are zinc and iron trace elements in okra, which have very high nutritional value. If people eat okra regularly, it can improve human immunity and play a crucial role in protecting them from sore throat and gastric mucosa, beneficial to people’s health. Do you know that eating “okra” usually has many benefits for the body? Here we go with some of it.
Potential health benefits of eating okra
Protect the liver
There are a lot of pectin and polysaccharides in okra, which have an excellent protective effect on people’s liver organs, especially those who have bad liver organs in life. So people who eat okra often can get a kind of protection in the liver.
Invigorating the kidney
Okra contains a small amount of natural hormone-like substances in its mucus, called LM (Lepidimoide). It plays a crucial role in regulating the whole body (anti-fatigue, increased endurance, promoting blood). The effect of okra is mild and long-lasting, and it can strengthen the kidney and tonify deficiency. Therefore, it is a suitable kidney-invigorating health care vegetable. However, some people are not suitable for long-term consumption due to their cold quality.
Calcium supplement
Many people do not know that the calcium content in okra is comparable to that of milk. The calcium in okra is relatively easy to be absorbed and digested by people’s bodies, and it belongs to a relatively mild food. Therefore, for those in the provincial capital deficient in calcium, eating okra can help them get calcium.
Hypoglycemic
Okra contains a substance that can decompose sugar, and okra can effectively inhibit cholesterol absorption in the body. As a result, it can effectively help people discharge toxins and waste in the body, and reduce the demand for human insulin. That will help people to balance their blood sugar levels of the body. It may play a vital role for many people in preventing diabetes.
Remedy for kidney
There may be many people who know that okra has the effect of invigorating the kidneys. Because okra can be regarded as a kind of food with high nutritional value, okra can play a nourishing effect on the body. In addition, if people eat it for a long time, it can have an aphrodisiac effect to a certain extent.
Beautify the skin
Okra is rich in vitamin C and soluble cellulose. Appropriate supplementation of vitamin C and cellulose can achieve the effect of whitening and skin rejuvenation. Therefore, regular consumption of okra can play a role in beauty and anti-oxidation. So okra has a healthcare effect on the skin and can make people’s skin whiten and more smooth and delicate.
Helps Digestion
The nutritional value of okra is very high, and okra has a lot of minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. People who regularly eat okra can have a specific effect on stomach digestion and strongly affect cancer.
Stomach protection
The pectin and nougat contained in okra can protect and improve indigestion, gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric mucosal discomfort, etc. In addition, regular consumption of okra can help digestion and protect the liver and stomach functions.
Prevent bowel cancer
The viscous substance of okra contains 50% cellulose, which is good for preventing colon cancer. In addition, the mucus is used medicinally as an emollient, sedative, and anti-phlegm. At the same time, okra glue can use in the food industry to increase the stability and acceptability of frozen dairy desserts and as a fat substitute.
Lower cholesterol and lose weight
Okra is low-fat and low-sugar and rich in pectin fiber, promoting the excretion of organic matter in the body. It can reduce the accumulation of toxins in the body and reduce cholesterol content. It is a portion of good diet food that makes your body slimmer.
Relieve constipation
Okra has high cellulose content, which absorbs water and expands in the stomach after eating, stimulates gastrointestinal motility, reduces the residence time of food residues in the intestine, relaxes the bowels, and reduces constipation.
Protect your eyes
Okra pods are rich in vitamin A, carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc., especially the highest vitamin A and carotene content. Vitamin A can protect the retina and prevent cataracts.
Anti-aging effect
Studies have found that okra is rich in flavonoids, about 300 times higher than the flavonoids contained in soybean cotyledons. As a result, it has the benefits of regulating endocrine and anti-aging.
Enhance resistance
Okra tender pods are rich in a viscous liquid, protein, arabinan, galactan, rhamnose, and other nutrients. Long-term consumption of okra can promote digestion, strengthen the liver, stomach, and intestines, and enhance resistance.
Which is better, green okra or red okra
Red okra and green okra are two major types of okra, both of which are non-GMO natural varieties, rich in nutrients, and beneficial to the body. However, there is no standard answer as to whether the red okra and green okra are good. It depends on the individual’s nutritional needs and eating habits.
Does okra have side effects?
The main side effect of okra is that it may cause symptoms of high blood pressure. Especially for the elderly, try to eat less food such as okra which is harmful to their health. Try to eat light food as much as possible. Eat less high-calorie chicken, duck, fish, and other foods.
However, okra is a vegetable with a cold nature and taste. People with gastrointestinal deficiency, and frequent diarrhea, should not overdose. For people with poor gastrointestinal function, overeating okra may cause diarrhea.
The disadvantages and side effects of eating too much okra
- Affect stone discharge
Okra contains calcium oxalate, so people with kidney stones and high uric acid should not eat it. Otherwise, it will easily affect stone removal and cause gout. Therefore, kidney stone patients should be careful not to eat okra. Otherwise, it will directly affect the regular stone removal treatment, and it is easy to increase the symptoms of stones.
- Aggravated diarrhea
Okra is a cold vegetable, so people with spleen and stomach deficiency and frequent diarrhea should not eat it. Otherwise, it will aggravate diarrhea.
- Damages the gut
There are small villi on the surface of okra. These small villi will damage the stomach after entering the stomach. If the gastrointestinal function itself is not good, it is easy to cause damage to the intestines and cause gastrointestinal reactions such as diarrhea.
- Causes allergies
The mucus protein in okra and the villi on the skin are allergens. Therefore, it is recommended that people with allergies must pay attention to observe whether they have allergic reactions to these substances.
People who are not suitable for eating okra
Traditional medicine believes that although okra has no side effects, it is not suitable for people to take because of its cold medicinal properties.
People with a gastrointestinal deficiency
Reason: Okra is cool in nature. Taking it for people with deficiency of the spleen and stomach will aggravate the cold in the body and cause symptoms such as diarrhea, which is not suitable for health.
People with kidney stones and high uric acid
Reason: Okra is a green vegetable containing calcium oxalate, which will adversely affect kidney stones and uric acid.
People with cold and flu
Reason: The common cold is caused by cold, and okra will aggravate the cold in the body, which is not helping to the recovery of the cold.
People with allergies
Reason: There are tiny hairs on the okra fruit, and taking it with an allergic body may cause allergic reactions such as erythema.
In addition, it is reminded that although okra is not harmful to pregnant women, who are prone to diarrhea should still not eat it.
