Okra, also known as "lady finger", is one of the popular nutritious vegetables of North-Eastern Africa origin. They usually gathered while the pods are green, tender, and at immature stage. The plant is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions around the world for their fibrous fruits or "pods." It grows best in well-drained and manure rich soil.

Botanically, okra is a perennial flowering plant belongs to the Malvaceae (mallows) family, and named scientifically as Abelmoschus esculentus.

The okra plant bears numerous dark green coloured pods measuring about 5-15 cm in length. It takes about 45-60 days to get ready-to-harvest fruits. Internally, the pods feature small, round, mucilaginous white coloured seeds arranged in vertical rows. The pods are handpicked while just short of reaching maturity and eaten as a vegetable.

Health benefits

The pods are among the very low calorie vegetables. They provide just 30 calories per 100 g, besides containing no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, they are rich sources of dietary fibre, minerals, and vitamins; often recommended by nutritionists in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

The pods are one of the rich sources of mucilage substance that help in smooth peristalsis of digested food through the gut and ease constipation condition.

The pods contain healthy amounts of vitamin A, and flavonoid anti-oxidants such as beta-carotene, xanthin and lutein. It is one of the vegetables with highest levels of these anti-oxidants. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in flavonoids helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

Fresh pods are the good source of folates; provide about 22% of RDA per 100 g. Consumption of foods rich in folates, especially during the pre-conception period helps decrease the incidence of neural tube defects in the offspring.

The gumbo pods are also an excellent source of anti-oxidant vitamin, vitamin-C, providing about 36% of daily-recommended levels. Research suggests that consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop immunity against infectious agents, reduce episodes of cold and cough and protect the body from harmful free radicals.

The veggies are rich in B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid. The pods also contain good amounts of vitamin K.  Vitamin K is a co-factor for blood clotting enzymes and is required for strengthening of bones.

The pods are an also good source of many important minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium.

Digestive Health: Perhaps the best part of adding okra to your diet is the significant increase it can have on your total fibre intake. Mucilaginous fibre like you find in okra can help move food through your digestive tract by adding bulk. This means that bowel movements are more regular and there is a reduction in gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, cramping, constipation, and excess gas. Oddly, it also helps prevent diarrhoea, because it adds bulk to watery stools. Finally, fibre can help to clear out excess cholesterol in the body.

Vision Booster: Okra contains a very high content of vitamin A, as well as antioxidant components like beta carotenes, xanthine, and lutein. Antioxidants are powerful compounds that destroy or neutralize free radicals, which are the dangerous by-products of cellular metabolism. Free radicals are responsible for the degradation of the cells in the body, including those responsible for vision. With high levels of okra in your diet, you will have more protection for your sight, including macular degeneration and cataracts.

Skin Health: Vitamin A antioxidants are also able to protect skin health, by promoting quicker healing, reducing the appearance of scars and acne, and eliminating wrinkles. This is because the antioxidants are able to neutralize the free radicals which may have damaged those skin cells.

Immune System: The various antioxidant components of okra make it very beneficial to fight off free radicals, but the high vitamin C content also means that the general immune system is boosted. Vitamin C can stimulate the immune system to create more white blood cells, which can combat the other foreign pathogens and materials in the body that can compromise the immune system.

Blood Pressure and Heart Health: Okra is a good source of both vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which is an essential aspect of human health. Potassium is necessary to maintain proper fluid balance in the body, because it balances sodium. Furthermore, potassium helps to relax the blood vessels and arteries, which therefore reduces blood pressure and lessens the strain on the cardiovascular system. This means that clotting and atherosclerosis will be greatly reduced.

A Final Word of Caution

One thing you do need to worry about with okra is its high levels of oxalates. Oxalates can cause kidney and gall stone conditions to worsen, as the oxalates bond to existing stones and cause them to grow. Frying okra can also contain a dangerously high level of your cholesterol intake for the day, so cooking it in other ways is wise if you want to maintain a good cholesterol balance in your body. Other than these considerations, enjoy okra in many of your favourite dishes or find some new delectable dietary choices from around the world!