Is Okra Good for You?

Okra, also known as Lady's finger and gumbo, is a nutritional powerhouse pack with numerous vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are essential in keeping a healthy body. But still today, many are having second thoughts about its health properties. Is okra good for you? To answer the question. Here are some of okra’s health benefits.

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1. Prevents constipation:

• Due to its natural laxative properties it thereby prevents constipation.

2. Promoting a healthy pregnancy:

• Okra is rich in both folate and vitamin C. The rich folate content in okra can help reduce the incidence of neural tube defects in babies. Vitamin C is also essential for fetal development.

3. Controls obesity:

• With regular usage of okra, in either raw or cooked form, you can avoid obesity to a great extent. rich in dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, regular consumption of okra can help weight reduction.

4. Controls asthma:

• The high antioxidants and vitamin C content make okra useful for reducing asthmatic attacks. Include okra in your meals.

5. Facilitating proper bowel movement

• Okra’s mucilage acts as a lubricant and a laxative for the intestinal tract facilitating the easy passage of waste.

6. Vitamin K benefits:

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

7. Controls cholesterol level:

• The soluble fiber in okra helps to lower serum cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of heart diseases and atherosclerosis.

8. Prevents colon cancer:

• Okra is full of dietary fiber, which helps to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency.

9. Promoting eye health:

• Okra contains beta-carotenes, xanthin and lutein, all antioxidant properties that are helpful for vision health, preventing eye problems like cataract and glaucoma.

10. Prevents Diabetes:

• It has insulin-like properties that help to reduce blood sugar level. Recent studies done in 2011 confirmed okra as a potent blood glucose-lowering (or anti-diabetic) food.

Now lets move on to the rest of the benefits.

Skin Benefits Of Okra:

1. Dietary fiber for healthy skin:

• Okra is a rich in dietary fiber that combats digestion problem. Proper digestion reflects through a healthy-looking skin.

2. Vitamin C for younger skin:

• Vitamin C found in okra is essential in repairing body tissues; thus promoting a younger looking skin.

Hair Benefits Of Okra:

1. Shiny hair:

• Okra, when used as a hair rinse, gives great shine to your hair. You can give your regular conditioner a miss once in a while and take care of your hair the natural way.

2. Bouncy hair:

• If you are tired of your distressed hair, try using okra to get that bounce back. Boil okra with some water and the transparent mucilage that you get can be used to get your bouncy hair back.

3. Hair conditioner:

• The same mucilage can be used as hair conditioner. Wash your hair and squeeze out excess water. Massage the watery mucilage through your hair and rinse thoroughly with water.

4. Scalp moisturizer:

• Okra is an excellent moisturizer for your dry and itchy scalp. It leaves your hair feeling soft and isn’t harmful like other cosmetics available in the market. It is great for people with unruly, curly and lifeless hair.

5. Fights dandruff:

• Okra improves the overall scalp condition and fights dandruff. It moisturizes your scalp and keeps dandruff away.

CAUTION

Like most vegetables, okra has a small amount of oxalic acid and does not generally bother. Avoid okra if you have a history of kidney stones.