The Health Benefits of Okra And Okra Soup

Okra 

Okra is one of the most eaten vegetables worldwide. It is often referred to as the lady’s fingers, its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus and Hibiscus esculentus.

It is a tall-growing vegetable plant, with a height of 4 – 8 ft. Because of how long it can get, it is said that an okra plant cannot grow more than the owner as he can always bend it down to harvest it.

Okra plant is grown for its tender and delicious pods, but some persons also consume the leaves by using it to make stew. The pods contain seed reach in natural oil and protein.

This seed can also be removed from the pod and dried to be used later for soup, like adding it to Ogbolo soup. It can also be used as coffee additives or substitutes.

How to get good okra for okra soup

Okra is well enjoyed for making soup when it harvested fresh and tender. But many persons cannot differentiate them. So when they buy okra they end up throwing them away without being able to use them to make soup.

To prevent this incessant wastage always check for how tender the okra is by easily breaking the tip with your finger. If it breaks that means it is tender and if it does not it means that it has become very strong and likely unusable for making soup.

Always go for a tender and fresh okra to enjoy every bit of it.

Nutritional facts about Okra

Okra vegetables contain a whole lot of nutrients and good taste with sticky juice that will always make you want to eat more. Taking this recipe with pounded yam or amala will always leave you overfed.

According to the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA), one cup of raw okra contains;

• 33.0g of calories
• 1.9g protein
• 0.2g fat
• 7.5g carbs
• 3.2g fiber
• 1.5g sugar
• 31.2mg vitamin K
• 299.0mg potassium
• 7.0mg sodium
• 23.0mg vitamin C
• 0.2mg thiamin
• 57.0mg magnesium
• 82.0mg calcium
• 0.22mg vitamin B6
• 60.0mcg folate
• 36.0mcg Vitamin A

It also contains some amount of niacin, iron, phosphorus, and copper.

Amazing Health Benefits of Okra

Good for pregnancy and breastfeeding

One of the nutrients that a pregnant woman needs is folate and a low level of this nutrient can lead to many pregnancy complications and pregnancy loss.

Doctors advise pregnant women to take enough of this nutrient preferably about 400mcg as recommended by the 2015 – 2020 American dietary guidelines.

Okra provides a lot of these nutrients as a cup of okra contains 60mcg of folate.

Read Also; Mushroom Delicacies With A Lot Of Health Benefits

Okra for diabetes

Several studies have shown that okra has anti-diabetic properties as it reduces high blood sugar levels. Many patients with diabetes have also reported this effect.

Fight against cancer

The lectin in okra has been found to help fight against cancerous cells to about 72% especially breast cancer.

Low in Cholesterol

Food like okra that is high in fiber and low in cholesterol has been known to prevent heart disease which can result from high cholesterol. Eating enough of okra can also help prevent the risk of stroke, obesity, and diabetes.

Blood clotting

Eating food that contains vitamin K like okra helps to prevent hemorrhage and help play a key role in blood clotting.

Aid digestion 

The fiber contained in okra helps to provide a healthy digestive system and prevent constipation. You cannot eat okra and not go to the toilet with ease. It is good food for intestinal health by helping to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Others

This ladies finger vegetable has a lot of benefits to your body system. It is also beneficial to your eyes as a good source of vitamin A. Eating fresh okra early in the morning had been found to clear vocal cord for singing and singers are advised to do so.

The Health Benefits of Okra: This will make you want to Eat Okra Soup every day

About Author

Raphael Okhueleigbe

Raphael Osas Okhueleigbe is a Blogger, Content creator, Agricultural Economist, Resource manager, and the founder of greener health.

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