The content of fiber, vitamins and minerals contained in okra plants brings a variety of benefits for health. One of the popular benefits of okra is being able to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics, as seen in the benefits of okra for diabetes.
Okra is a kind of plant that can be consumed to the core. This vegetable is generally very soft and slimy. Okra is also known as ‘lady finger’ and can grow even in tropical countries.
This is what makes countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and the Middle East countries are too familiar with the menus of foods made from okra.
It’s obvious that okra isn’t everyone’s favorite, especially for its taste. The reason is its slimy and sticky texture, especially when heated. This stickiness is not everyone’s favorite.
Whereas behind these shortcomings, okra contains good potential for the health of the body. This is because okra contains a wide variety of minerals, such as potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, phosphorus and calcium.
It also contains various types of vitamins, ranging from vitamins A, B, C, to vitamin K, so it’s also highly popular for moms, since it can deliver the benefits of okra for baby.
Cooking Okra Into Delicious Dish
Cooking okra to be a healthy and delicious dish is a challenge in itself. Okra will become more sticky if exposed to heat for too long. The right way to process okra is to sauté for a while or preserved by marination.
In addition, okra pieces can be processed into soups that will thicken because of the gelatin released by okra when exposed to heat. Okra can also be processed without being cut into pieces, namely by sautéing it whole.
To make a delicious okra meal, choose a young okra that is small (no more than 7 cm) and still fresh to ripen faster. Clean okra with a clean, wet cloth to remove her fine hair and don’t forget to dry it first before cutting it into pieces.
It can be a delicious meal that can give you ultimate benefits for skin, such as:
Health Benefits of Okra for Skin
1. Good Collagen Source
Often hear the word ‘collagen’, but maybe you do not understand the function very well. Yes, collagen is a protein produced naturally by the body.
Collagen is found in connective tissue, cartilage, tendons, blood, bones, and skin. The function of collagen is to maintain the health and beauty of the skin.
Although the body can produce collagen, we can increase collagen intake through food consumed or using skin care products containing collagen.
Other than bringing benefits of okra in pregnancy, directly consuming okra can also give you similar results. It can give you a smooth and elastic skin that you want.
2. Has A Lot of Vitamin C
Aside from the potential from collagen, okra also contains a lot of vitamin C so it is also good for the skin.
You must know that vitamin C is great for the body. Even vitamin C can be used to cleanse your skin to be brighter.
Vitamin C is mainly for the body. People can get vitamin C from fruit, take vitamin pills, take serum, or inject vitamin C into their body.
Vitamin C is able to hold water for your skin so that the skin will feel moist and not dry. For those of you who are dry skinned, diligently consume fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C, like this okra. If you have a dry face, please do take a routine of okra consumption.
3. Contains Good Amount of Antioxidants
Similar to the benefits of avocado oil, okra also contains antioxidants that are very good to maintain skin health. Antioxidants are compounds in food that can ward off damage from harmful molecules called free radicals.
Kinds of antioxidants can be found within, including Vitamins and flavonoids. Eating foods high in polyphenols can also improve heart health by lowering the risk of blood clotting and oxidative damage.
4. Can Work as A Skin Protector
Okra protein and its oil extracts are often additional ingredients for various skin care products. Okra can maintain skin moisture and reduce skin dryness caused by traditional hand sanitizer products.
Flavonoids in okra potentially act as uvb protective agents so that it can be used as sunscreen. If it isn’t around, you can also have the benefits of avocado oil, as an alternative.
Flavonoid anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects can also help protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
In animal studies, flavonoid levels have been positively correlated with a reduced risk of this disease, but human studies have produced inconclusive results.
5. Makes Skin Brighter
In addition to being rich in fiber, okra also has a vitamin C content that is basically very good for the skin. Vitamin C itself is believed to be able to make the skin brighter from day to day.
By eating okra fruit, the skin will also be maintained so that it looks youthful. This eliminates the frustration from premature aging that is feared by many women.
Caution
However, more research is still needed regarding the benefits of okra for health. Until now there has been no medical agreement on the effectiveness of okra in dealing with diabetes.
You need to consult a doctor about the consumption of okra accompanied by certain medications. A study detected the possibility of okra interaction with metformin, which is a medicine used to manage blood sugar levels.
Consumption of okra in conjunction with the consumption of metformin is likely to cause inhibition of absorption of metformin.
Noteworthy, the most effective way in the long run to manage blood sugar levels is to live a healthy low-sugar diet, keep weight normal, and exercise regularly.