Okra, a flowering plant from the mallow family, produces edible seed pods that are amazingly good for you. Often used to help thicken soups and gumbos, they can also be fried, grilled, or even pickled. Amazingly enough, there are many health benefits of okra after it is cooked.
Low in calories and high in vitamin C and folate, okra is an exceptionally healthy food, and can usually be found year round – although it’s cheapest and most accessible during the fall. Here are SIX health benefits of okra.
1. Okra Helps With Asthma
Because of its high vitamin C content, okra is a great food for asthma sufferers. One 2000 study published in the journal thorax found that foods high in vitamin C content could help prevent “wheezing” symptoms of asthma in childhood(1).
2. Okra Helps Lower Cholesterol
High in fiber, okra is great for digestive health and also for helping to lower cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber, like the kind found in okra, breaks down in the digestive tract, where it binds to cholesterol in other foods, allowing it to be expelled along with other wastes. This helps to lower cholesterol, according to the Harvard Health Publications(2).
3. Okra Helps With Diabetes Management
Soluble fiber is also great for individuals struggling with diabetes – it can help to stabilize blood glucose levels by affecting how the intestines absorb sugar.
One 2011 study tested the effects of okra pods on the absorption rate of glucose in rats, and found that okra could help reduce blood sugar levels in the rat models(3).
4. Okra Benefits The Immune System
