PEC Fruits-Aid-Health Campaign: Today’ Amazing Fact: Okra lowers cholesterol!

Okra is a pod vegetable. Okra contains several nutrients that support good health. Look for fresh okra in the fall during harvest season. It also makes a good addition to salads and soups and can be canned for the months as well.As vegetables go, okra does not always get the attention it deserves. Besides being low in fat and calories, okra also contains essential nutrients such as potassium and calcium. Okra may be prepared various ways and is commonly found in Creole dishes such as gumbo. Adding okra to your diet can also positively affect your cholesterol levels.

Identification

Cholesterol is a substance that is manufactured by the body, but also taken in through your diet. Some cholesterol is necessary for hormone production, but too much can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke by accumulating as plaque in the arteries. The Colorado State University Extension states that desirable total cholesterol levels are less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), while total levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, should be less than 100 mg/dL.

Benefits

Okra is a source of fiber, which is helpful to regulating the digestive system and lowering cholesterol. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body does not digest. Soluble fiber is that which is dissolved in water. This type of fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract so that it can be excreted from the body with other wastes, which lowers total cholesterol levels. One half cup of sliced, cooked okra contains 2 g of dietary fiber.

Considerations

Adding okra to your diet can also help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, because it contains no cholesterol and very little fat. When you eat more of foods that do not contribute to overall cholesterol levels, such as okra, you may eat less of those foods that are high in fat and cholesterol. Replacing high-fat foods that also contain high levels of cholesterol, such as fatty meats or rich desserts, with vegetables such as okra can lower your total cholesterol levels, unless prepared in products that contain cholesterol, such as butter or lard.

Phytosterols

Like most vegetables, okra contains phytosterols, which may help to lower your cholesterol. The Cleveland Clinic advises that phytosterols are compounds found in the membranes of plant cells that are similar in structure to cholesterol. They compete with cholesterol molecules for absorption during the digestive process, reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed and thus helping to lower levels in the bloodstream. Okra contains 24 mg of phytosterols in a serving of eight 3-inch pods.

Vitamin C

Okra is a source of vitamin C, an important antioxidant that protects the body from some diseases. One half cup of cooked okra contains over 13 mg of vitamin C, which may help to lower cholesterol. According to the University of Georgia, vitamin C helps to convert cholesterol into bile acids, which are important for fat digestion, a process which lowers your total cholesterol levels. Vitamin C also helps to slow the oxidation of cholesterol, which can cause damage to vessels and contribute to plaque buildup and atherosclerosis.

Calories and Fat

Eating low-calorie okra may help you drop excess weight or maintain a healthy weight when combined with a well-balanced and low-calorie meal plan. A cup of raw okra contains 31 calories and less than 1 g of fat.

Fiber

Okra contains just over 3 g of fiber per cup. Getting adequate amounts of fiber in your diet regulates your digestion and helps relieve constipation and treat symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Fiber keeps cholesterol levels healthy, which reduces your risk of developing heart disease. Additionally, fiber fights colon cancer by helping to clear out your intestines as it passes through. Eating foods that contain fiber, including okra, offers appetite control because it is digested slowly, making you feel full for longer. Women should aim to get 21 g to 25 g of fiber each day and men should get 30 g to 38 g daily.

Potassium

Potassium is a nutrient that controls your blood pressure, lowering your risk of heart disease. It also supports healthy muscle and bone contractions and plays a role in normal digestion. A cup of okra contains 303 mg of potassium. The average adult needs 2,000 mg of this nutrient each day.

Folic Acid

Folic acid, also called folate, is one of the B vitamins. One cup of okra contains 88 mcg of the 400 mcg you need each day. This nutrient plays a role in the formation of blood and cells. Getting adequate amounts of folic acid during pregnancy is vital for a growing fetus as it helps to prevent birth defects, including spina bifida. Folate also aids your body in stopping the growth of cancer cells by preventing changes to your DNA.

Vitamin A

Each cup of okra contains 375 IU of vitamin A. This nutrient is important for healthy immunity because it helps your body produce the white blood cells that fight viruses and bacteria that lead to illness and infection. Vitamin A also keeps your eyes healthy and helps bones form. It also plays a role in cell division and reproduction. Females need 2,310 IU of vitamin A each day and males need 3,000 IU.

Other Health Benefits of Okra

The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

Okra's mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver.

Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps prevent and improve constipation. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic.

Okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids). These, if not evacuated, will cause numerous health problems. Okra also assures easy passage out of waste from the body. Okra is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming, has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most individuals unlike over-the-counter drugs.

Okra fiber is excellent for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics). This contributes to the health of the intestinal tract.

Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression.

Okra is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It helps to neutralize acids, being very alkaline, and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract.

Okra treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Okra has been used successfully in experimental blood plasma replacements.

Okra is good for summer heat treatment.

Okra is good for constipation.

Okra is good in normalizing the blood sugar and cholesterol level.

Okra is good for asthma. Okra's vitamin C is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which curtail the development of asthma symptoms.

Okra is good for atherosclerosis.

Okra is believed to protect some forms of cancer expansion, especially colorectal cancer.

Eating okra helps to support the structure of capillaries.

Some information shows that eating okra lowers the risk of cataracts.

Okra is good for preventing diabetes.

Okra protects you from pimples and maintains smooth and beautiful skin. We understand the reason why Cleopatra and Yang Guifei loved to eat okra.

Okra protects you from pimples and maintains smooth and beautiful skin.

So the next time when you make okra, you very well know its health and nutritional benefits.

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Today’ Amazing Fact: Okra lowers cholesterol!