: Eat That Okra: Science Says Bhindi Helps Fight Diabetes Cholesterol #IndiaNEWS #Food I recently came across an article in The Guardian describing okra as the ‘most foul thing ever grown’. Many

Eat That Okra: Science Says Bhindi Helps Fight Diabetes Cholesterol #IndiaNEWS #Food
I recently came across an article in The Guardian describing okra as the ‘most foul thing ever grown’. Many agreed with the opinion, and the conversations on Reddit make the consensus evident. Interestingly enough, some also wanted to learn how to eat it.
This fruit, often consumed as a vegetable dish, is cooked in myriad variations such as kurkuri or crispy bhindi, bhindi masala, bhindi fry, shahi bhindi and tonnes of other recipes under the moniker ‘ladies’ fingers’.
While it is difficult for me to digest that a significant percentage of the population hates okra, diving into a set of interesting historical and scientific facts may motivate some to try the edible green seed pods.
From The Mother Continent
This flowering plant is not native to India but Africa. It is known to be indigenous to a mountainous or plateau region of present-day Ethiopia. From Africa, it moved north towards the Mediterranean and far east towards India around the 12th century.
Okra is an economical and commonly grown crop in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Many regions use okra leaves, buds and flowers to turn them into tasty soups and stews like Gumbo, okra sauces and salads. The gelatinous pods are boiled, dried or fried crisp.
Additionally, it has earned the recognition of being the ‘powerhouse of nutrients’ in the scientific community for its richness in vital minerals, vitamins, oxidants which help fight lifestyle ailments like cholesterol, diabetes, chronic diseases and even cancer.
Okra
Control diabetes
Okra contains 3. 2 grams of fibre per 100 grams. The fibre in okra helps control blood sugar as it maintains the rate at which the sugar gets absorbed in the intestinal tract. It plays a role in reducing blood sugar levels in the body by slowing the sugar assimilation when it passes through the intestines.
Kidney diseases
Research shows that diabetic persons who consumed okra daily showed impressive indications of a drop in kidney damage compared to the others who stuck to a ‘diabetic diet’. About 50 per cent of kidney diseases are caused due to diabetes, so consuming okra helps keep both diseases at bay.
Cholesterol
Sometimes it can become difficult to control consumption of food with a high cholesterol content. However, okra can help to improve heart health by reducing serum cholesterol and thereby decreases the chances of cardiovascular disease. It is an efficient way to manage body cholesterol. A research paper mentions that okra contains pectin, which reduces high blood cholesterol by modifying bile production within the intestines and lowers the cholesterol in the body.
Okra also consists of a gel-like substance known as mucilage which sticks to cholesterol in the body.