24 Amazing Benefits Of Okra/Lady’s Finger (Bhindi) For Skin, Hair, And Health.

Okra is better known by its common name as lady’s finger or gumbo and popularly called ‘Bhindi‘ in Hindi, ‘Bendakaya‘ in Telugu, ‘Vendakkai‘ in Tamil, ‘Vendakai‘ in Malayalam, ‘Bende‘ in Kannada, ‘Bhinda‘ in Gujarati, ‘Bhendi‘ in Marathi and ‘Dherash‘ in Bengali. This high fiber vegetable is known for its high soluble and insoluble fiber content. This high fiber vegetable is known for its high soluble and insoluble fiber content. This vegetable is usually used in many recipes and is also a part of many nutritional diets as it is highly beneficial. Let us quickly look at the some of the amazing benefits of okra.

Okra USDA Nutrition Chart.

100 grams of Okra contains 1.5% energy from calories, 7.03 gram carbohydrates, 2 gram protein, 0.1 gram fat and 9% fiber. Such fiber content can prove to be very beneficial for the body. Other nutrients are folates 88mg, niacin 1mg, Vitamin C 21.1mg, Vitamin E 0.36mg and Vitamin K 53mg. Other than these, Okra also contains calcium 81mg, copper 0.094mg, iron 0.8mg, magnesium 57mg, manganese 0.99mg, phosphorous 63mg and zinc 0.6 mg.

Health Benefits Of Okra or Lady’s Finger.

Let’s take a closer look into best okra benefits or gumbo pods benefits.

1.High Fiber Content.

The dietary fiber content of okra/lady’s finger is known to be high, and hence, many health specialists recommend it for digestive benefits. The fibers aid the process of digestion in the body by facilitating proper bowel movement.

2. Prevents Diabetes.

Okra is known to aid in the prevention of diabetes. It is rich in fiber that helps in the prevention of this disease.

How To Use.

The best way to use okra for controlling diabetes is with the use of okra water. Following are the steps to prepare okra water.

Take two okra pods and cut off their ends.

Sticky liquid will ooze out once you slit the pod. Do not wash it.

Take a glass full of water and drop these pods into it at night and cover with a dish.

In the morning, take out the pods and drink the water in the glass.

You have to prepare okra water daily and drink daily in the morning to control your raised blood sugar level. It is important to note that okra water helps cure diabetes much better than cooked okras. It is fine to add okra to your curries and soups, but take raw okra soaked in water for faster recovery from raised blood sugar levels.

Why Does It Work.

The soluble fiber present in this pod helps slow down the sugar uptake into the blood.

This is done by lowering the rate of sugar absorption from the intestine.

It reduces the glycemic load of glucose in the blood, which otherwise disturbs the body’s function to properly process the sugar leading to diabetes.

The soluble fiber forms a type of gel inside the bowel, which slows down the sugar absorption of food from the intestine. This soluble fiber also helps lower cholesterol by drawing in the bile acids, which contribute to raised cholesterol levels. This allows the body to pass acids out of the system and prevents its re-absorption.

3. Good Folate Content.

The folates present in okra reduce the neural tube defects in a newborn baby. So, it is highly recommended for women during the preconception period or pregnancy.

4. Vitamin K Benefits.

Vitamin K is a co-factor in the blood-clotting process. It also plays a major role in strengthening the bones in our body.

5. Controls Asthma.

Asthma can also be treated by including okra/ lady’s fingers in your meals. People diagnosed with asthma are strongly suggested to consume okra.

6. Prevents Constipation.

By facilitating the proper absorption of water, okra/ lady’s finger vegetable ensures free motion disposal by the body and, hence, prevents constipation.

7. Prevents Sunstroke.

Okra helps prevent sunstrokes.

8. Prevents Colon Cancer.

It is believed that all diseases begin in the colon. Adding okra to your meals ensures the prevention of colon cancer and other related diseases to a great extent.

9. Controls Obesity.

With the regular usage of okra, in either the raw or the cooked form, you can avoid obesity to a great extent. Obesity is not necessarily due to the consumption of fatty and calorific foods but also due to the lack of nutrients.

10. Controls Cholesterol Level.

This vegetable ensures the lesser absorption of cholesterol, preventing heart diseases and ailments occurring due to cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a dominant factor in the body that triggers obesity and heart diseases.

11. Low GI (Glycemic Index) Food.

If you are diabetic, your health practitioner will advise you to eat food with low GI value. Okra is one of the foods that come with a GI index of 20 and as per medical standards, the GI value of okra is considered to be very low.

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