ISLAMABAD: According to health experts, Okra, a vegetable popular around the world, especially in South Asia region, has miraculous benefits in fighting various ailments such as diabetes.
Gulf News in a report states that from blood sugar crashes to global breakthroughs, okra emerges as a powerful health ally. At 62, Jose Alan didn’t expect a simple green pod to play both hero – and villain – in his life.
Affixed to his right arm is a gluco-patch – his silent sentinel, keeping watch over his precarious blood sugar levels.
For years, his diabetes turned meals into a gamble. When indulging in his favourite foods, his blood sugar would spike dangerously above 300 mg/dL – a level flirting with coma.
Unlikely Ally
But then, Jose stumbled upon an unlikely ally: okra.
The discovery felt almost magical. He noticed that chewing on fresh okra (also known as lady’s finger) gradually tamed his erratic blood sugar, bringing it down closer to the normal threshold of 125 mg/dL.
Okra became his constant companion – he even stashed fresh washed pods in his car. But like all powerful remedies, it demanded respect.
One fateful day, Jose downed 21 pieces of okra in one go. His gluco-patch sounded the alarm: blood sugar plummeted to a perilous 50 mg/dL.
Nauseous and lightheaded, he scrambled for a lifeline – chocolates – to stabilise his sugars. Jose now jokingly calls okra the “culprit”, but he also hails it as a lifesaver.
A super food
Long overlooked, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is rapidly gaining recognition as a superfood and a scientific marvel.
Once relegated to kitchens, this low-cost, nutrient-packed vegetable is now at the heart of groundbreaking studies.
Health experts and researchers alike are unraveling okra’s secrets. Its pods, seeds, and even mucilage (the sticky substance within) are teeming with bioactive components that combat chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular ailments, and digestive disorders.
Rich in soluble fibers such as pectin and guar gum, okra has also shown promise in addressing obesity and hyperlipidemia. Traditional medicine long knew its value as a plasma replacement and blood volume expander.
Nutritional value
Nutritionally, okra is no slouch. It’s a low-fat powerhouse of fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamins B1, B6, and C, plus calcium and vitamin K.
It is widely known that Vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin, helps the liver produce clotting factors that cause blood to clot. A deficiency in vitamin K can lead to excessive bleeding.
Okra seeds, too, boast high protein and unsaturated fatty acids – making it a quiet champion of health.
Antifatigue and Antibacterial
Gulf News’ report further states, Researchers from the University of Hail in Saudi Arabia confirmed okra’s antibacterial, antifatigue, liver detoxifying, and even chemo-preventive properties.
In Italy and Portugal, scientists applied advanced techniques like Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyse okra’s bioreactive components.
They identified functional groups such as alkyl, ketones, carboxylic acids, and esters, shedding light on okra’s medicinal arsenal. Emerging technologies, including FTIR and chemometrics, now allow for deeper dives into nutrient compositions, proving okra’s far-reaching potential.
Meanwhile, a 2004 study by Costantino and Romanchik-Cerpovicz, who published their work in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, showcased okra gum as a fat replacement in frozen dairy desserts, offering hope to those on fat-restricted diets.
With moderate milk-fat replacements of up to 75 per cent, okra gum delivered creamy satisfaction without compromise.
India largest producer
India produces more than 60 per cent of the world’s okra, with peak production from April to July.
The major okra-producing states in India are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, the Gulf News’ report states.
