Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNutritionHealth ConditionsRisksHow to Eat Okra
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Nutrition
Health Conditions
Risks
How to Eat Okra
Okra, a small edible flowering plant, is packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other healthy nutrients. In fact, okra’s benefits include a possible boost to heart health, stronger bones, stable blood sugar, improvedgut health, and anti-cancer properties.
To incorporate okra into your diet, use it in soups, stews, and gumbo recipes, or try okra water. Talk with your healthcare provider about okra, since its use can lead to side effects or certain drug interactions.
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Okra is loaded with vitamins and minerals.The slimy material inside the okra, calledmucilage, is also high infiber.
One cup of cooked okra provides the following:
Okra is not considered among the more powerful “superfoods” that are packed with vitamins, minerals, and the health benefits ofantioxidantsto boost the immune system. But okra clearly provides valuable nutrients, including protein and fiber.
Okra may offer benefits with some specific health issues and researchers continue to explore the potential uses of okra. These include:
There’s no evidence that okra and okra water offer benefits during pregnancy and childbirth. However, some studies suggest that the folates in okra may help to prevent miscarriage or birth defects.
In some cases, there may be risks to eating okra if you have certain health conditions or take certain medications. For example, too much okra can adversely affect gut health. The fructans in okra can cause gas, bloating, or diarrhea in people with digestive problems.
While there may not be risks to eating okra every day, most experts recommend a varied and balanced diet rather than focused consumption of just one food. Okra is considered part of a diet rather than a staple food.
Specific situations that may lead to added risk include the use of:
Okra contains compounds calledoxalates, which may increase the risk ofkidney stonesin people who have had them in the past.People withchronic kidney diseasealso may need to monitor potassium intake and avoid the high amounts in okra.
There are many different ways to prepare, cook, and consume okra. You can buy okra year-round, but it’s in season in late summer or early fall. Frozen versions are available. You also can grow okra in most climates and enjoy the buttery flower colors as it grows.
For preparing okra, you can:
Cooking okra causes minimal fat increase and protein loss when compared with raw okra. Levels of nutrients including potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium will drop when okra is cooked.
Okra Water
Drinking okra water can help to boost hydration. Other potential benefits may include managing cholesterol, limiting weight gain, and easing constipation.
Where Is Okra Grown?Okra is originally from Africa. It grows in warm climates, including parts of the United States.
Where Is Okra Grown?
Okra is originally from Africa. It grows in warm climates, including parts of the United States.
Summary
Okra is a nutritious food that offers a slew of health benefits. The vitamins and minerals in the fruit may help protect your heart, regulate blood glucose levels, strengthen bones, improve gut health, and more.
From okra water to pickled okra, there are many different ways to prepare and consume the fruit. If you have an underlying medical condition, it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider before adding okra to your diet.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Elkhalifa AEO, Alshammari E, Adnan M, et al.Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) as a potential dietary medicine with nutraceutical importance for sustainable health applications.Molecules. 2021;26(3):696. doi:10.3390/molecules26030696U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, fresh, cooked, no added fat.Medina‐Remón A, Casas R, Tressserra‐Rimbau A, et al.Polyphenol intake from a mediterranean diet decreases inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis: a substudy of the PREDIMED trial.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(1):114-128. doi:10.1111/bcp.12986Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Vitamin K.Bahreini N, Saghafi-Asl M, Nikpayam O, Safaei E, Sadra V, Fakhr L,et al.Effects of dried okra extract on lipid profile, renal function and some RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.Complement Ther Med. 2024 May;81:103027. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103027.American Academy of Family Physicians.Task force recommends folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.Ohio State University.Should you avoid eating fructans?Mokgalaboni K, Lebelo SL, Modjadji P, Ghaffary S.Okra ameliorates hyperglycaemia in pre-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical evidence.Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 3;14:1132650. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132650.Mitchell T, Kumar P, Reddy T, et al.Dietary oxalate and kidney stone formation.Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019;316(3):F409-F413. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00373.2018National Kidney Foundation.Potassium in Your CKD Diet.Okra, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Saatchi A, Aghamohammadzadeh N, Beheshtirouy S, Javadzadeh Y, Afshar FH, Ghaffary S.Anti-hyperglycemic effect ofAbelmoschus culentesus(Okra) on patients with diabetes type 2: a randomized clinical trial.Phytother Res.2022;36(4),1644–1651. doi:10.1002/ptr.7341Hashim MM, Jaya JJ, Mohamed SS, Nagaraj SS, Janis FF.Health Communication And The Effects Of Okra Water Drinks.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Elkhalifa AEO, Alshammari E, Adnan M, et al.Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) as a potential dietary medicine with nutraceutical importance for sustainable health applications.Molecules. 2021;26(3):696. doi:10.3390/molecules26030696U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, fresh, cooked, no added fat.Medina‐Remón A, Casas R, Tressserra‐Rimbau A, et al.Polyphenol intake from a mediterranean diet decreases inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis: a substudy of the PREDIMED trial.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(1):114-128. doi:10.1111/bcp.12986Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Vitamin K.Bahreini N, Saghafi-Asl M, Nikpayam O, Safaei E, Sadra V, Fakhr L,et al.Effects of dried okra extract on lipid profile, renal function and some RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.Complement Ther Med. 2024 May;81:103027. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103027.American Academy of Family Physicians.Task force recommends folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.Ohio State University.Should you avoid eating fructans?Mokgalaboni K, Lebelo SL, Modjadji P, Ghaffary S.Okra ameliorates hyperglycaemia in pre-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical evidence.Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 3;14:1132650. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132650.Mitchell T, Kumar P, Reddy T, et al.Dietary oxalate and kidney stone formation.Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019;316(3):F409-F413. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00373.2018National Kidney Foundation.Potassium in Your CKD Diet.Okra, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Saatchi A, Aghamohammadzadeh N, Beheshtirouy S, Javadzadeh Y, Afshar FH, Ghaffary S.Anti-hyperglycemic effect ofAbelmoschus culentesus(Okra) on patients with diabetes type 2: a randomized clinical trial.Phytother Res.2022;36(4),1644–1651. doi:10.1002/ptr.7341Hashim MM, Jaya JJ, Mohamed SS, Nagaraj SS, Janis FF.Health Communication And The Effects Of Okra Water Drinks.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Elkhalifa AEO, Alshammari E, Adnan M, et al.Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) as a potential dietary medicine with nutraceutical importance for sustainable health applications.Molecules. 2021;26(3):696. doi:10.3390/molecules26030696U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, fresh, cooked, no added fat.Medina‐Remón A, Casas R, Tressserra‐Rimbau A, et al.Polyphenol intake from a mediterranean diet decreases inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis: a substudy of the PREDIMED trial.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(1):114-128. doi:10.1111/bcp.12986Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Vitamin K.Bahreini N, Saghafi-Asl M, Nikpayam O, Safaei E, Sadra V, Fakhr L,et al.Effects of dried okra extract on lipid profile, renal function and some RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.Complement Ther Med. 2024 May;81:103027. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103027.American Academy of Family Physicians.Task force recommends folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.Ohio State University.Should you avoid eating fructans?Mokgalaboni K, Lebelo SL, Modjadji P, Ghaffary S.Okra ameliorates hyperglycaemia in pre-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical evidence.Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 3;14:1132650. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132650.Mitchell T, Kumar P, Reddy T, et al.Dietary oxalate and kidney stone formation.Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019;316(3):F409-F413. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00373.2018National Kidney Foundation.Potassium in Your CKD Diet.Okra, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.Saatchi A, Aghamohammadzadeh N, Beheshtirouy S, Javadzadeh Y, Afshar FH, Ghaffary S.Anti-hyperglycemic effect ofAbelmoschus culentesus(Okra) on patients with diabetes type 2: a randomized clinical trial.Phytother Res.2022;36(4),1644–1651. doi:10.1002/ptr.7341Hashim MM, Jaya JJ, Mohamed SS, Nagaraj SS, Janis FF.Health Communication And The Effects Of Okra Water Drinks.
Elkhalifa AEO, Alshammari E, Adnan M, et al.Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) as a potential dietary medicine with nutraceutical importance for sustainable health applications.Molecules. 2021;26(3):696. doi:10.3390/molecules26030696
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Okra, fresh, cooked, no added fat.
Medina‐Remón A, Casas R, Tressserra‐Rimbau A, et al.Polyphenol intake from a mediterranean diet decreases inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis: a substudy of the PREDIMED trial.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(1):114-128. doi:10.1111/bcp.12986
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Vitamin K.
Bahreini N, Saghafi-Asl M, Nikpayam O, Safaei E, Sadra V, Fakhr L,et al.Effects of dried okra extract on lipid profile, renal function and some RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.Complement Ther Med. 2024 May;81:103027. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2024.103027.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Task force recommends folic acid to prevent neural tube defects.
Ohio State University.Should you avoid eating fructans?
Mokgalaboni K, Lebelo SL, Modjadji P, Ghaffary S.Okra ameliorates hyperglycaemia in pre-diabetic and type 2 diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical evidence.Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 3;14:1132650. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132650.
Mitchell T, Kumar P, Reddy T, et al.Dietary oxalate and kidney stone formation.Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2019;316(3):F409-F413. doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00373.2018
National Kidney Foundation.Potassium in Your CKD Diet.
Okra, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Saatchi A, Aghamohammadzadeh N, Beheshtirouy S, Javadzadeh Y, Afshar FH, Ghaffary S.Anti-hyperglycemic effect ofAbelmoschus culentesus(Okra) on patients with diabetes type 2: a randomized clinical trial.Phytother Res.2022;36(4),1644–1651. doi:10.1002/ptr.7341
Hashim MM, Jaya JJ, Mohamed SS, Nagaraj SS, Janis FF.Health Communication And The Effects Of Okra Water Drinks.
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