12 Little Known Facts About Okra (We Were Shocked by #8!)

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7. Promotes a Health Pregnancy

Okra contains a very important B vitamin when it comes to the production and maintenance of new cells; folate. Folates are vital for the prevention of birth defects, such as spina bifida, and to help your baby grow. Okra also contains vitamin C, which is also important for the development of your baby. Just 100 grams of okra has about 22 percent of your daily recommended amount of folate. It is also full of vitamin K, which is important for your bone health, and plays a major part when it comes to blood clotting.

8. Serious Help for Diabetics

Okra has been used in many cultures to help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Modern studies have backed up some of these claims. One study, which was published in ISRN Pharmaceutics in 2011, found that when diabetic rats were given sliced okra soaked in water overnight, the okra was shown to reduce the absorption of glucose by the intestines, which reduced the rat’s blood sugar levels. Another study found similar results. These researchers fed rats okra for 28 days, after which it was found that all the rats experienced much lower blood sugar levels, as well as experiencing lower triglyceride levels. This study was published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.

However, there is one thing you should note about okra and diabetes. Researchers found that when rats were given metformin, and then consumed okra, that the effects of the metformin were almost completely cancelled out. In rats, anyway, okra appears to interfere with the body’s absorption of metformin, which is a medication commonly used to help manage blood sugar levels. Although there have been no studies involving humans, if you are taking metformin, you should definitely speak with your doctor before consuming okra.

9. Helps to Lower Cholesterol

The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology published a study which found that an okra extract helped to lower cholesterol levels. This was a preliminary study, but when you combine this one with the one above that was done with diabetic rats, it’s pretty easy to see that okra somehow interferes with the production and absorption of cholesterol.

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