Health Benefits of Okra Plant
By Yanti
Okra Plant
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a green pod vegetable originating from Africa that can be processed and have high nutrient beneficial for health. Okra plants are flowering plants that are included in the mallow family. Okra plant is cultivated in areas of sub-tropical climate, tropical or warm.
Okra plant has many names and one is the famous lady’s finger because of its long, tapered section such as the finger tip of a beautiful woman. And besides that different countries have their own names such as bhindi or bhendi in India and United Kingdom, quiabo in Portuguese, bamya or bamija in South and South East Europe, bende kayi in Kannada, Naju in Panama, gumbo in parts of the United States and English speaking Caribbean.
Okra plants are now cultivated in many countries such as Australia, USA, Asia, and Europe, and food ingredients made from okra quite popular in various countries such as Japan, Philippine, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. And to produce fruit that is ready to harvest okra plant takes between 45 to 60 days with green beans.
Okra Nutrition
Okra Plants contain a variety of nutrients that are good for health include Vitamin A, B complex, C, K, and E, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, phyto-nutrients, Carotene -ß, and dietary fiber. Okra seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and linoleic acid. And oil content in seeds of okra can reach 40%.
Health Benefits of Okra Plant
With a variety of existing nutritional inside okra plants give many health benefits for people who consume okra regularly, and some of them as below
- High fiber content dietary of okra plants useful for accelerating defecation, and avoidance of obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and colon cancer.
- Chlorophyll contained in vegetables okra useful as antioxidant for the body that can prevent oxidation of bad cholesterol by free radicals that can improve the health of the body against various diseases such as inflammatory, anti cancer, anti mutagenic, preventing formation of plaque in the vessel direction, and can also heal wounds without swelling.
- Plant okra contains vitamin A, and flavonoids anti-oxidants like beta carotene, lutein, and xanthin useful as an antioxidant and is essential for vision. Vitamin A is useful also to maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes. Consumption of vegetables and fruits naturally rich in flavonoids body will help prevent lung cancer and oral cavity.
- Content of folates in fresh pod that is high enough help to reduce the possibility of neural tube defects in offspring, especially in the pre-conception.
- High vitamin C in okra plant is a source of antioxidant substances that can protect the body from free radicals that are harmful to the body thereby increasing the endurance of various diseases.
- Vitamin K in the okra plant useful as a co-factor for enzymes of blood clotting and is needed to strengthen bones.
