If you use social media, you may have seen influencers talking about okra water. Content creators claim okra water offers many health benefits. They report it improves everything from blood sugar and digestion to sexual function. There’s even a recommendation for pregnant people to drink okra water — not to induce labor, but to make vaginal delivery easier......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
Okra on its own does offer some health benefits. But, at this point, there isn’t research proving that okra water can do any of the things mentioned above. Let’s take a look at some of the health claims being made about okra water and its potential for helping certain health conditions.
What is okra water?
Okra water is made by slicing pods of fresh or frozen okra, submerging them in water, and letting them steep in the fridge for several hours. The liquid that gets strained out is okra water. But it won’t have the same texture as plain water. In fact, it can even be a little gross.
“Because of the fiber and nutrients from the okra, the water has a thicker, even slimy texture,” said Kaytee Hadley, a gut health dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia.
This texture is from okra’s mucilage, a gooey liquid found in okra’s green seeds. Mucilage is made of polysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate), as well as proteins and minerals. When sliced okra pods are soaked in water, they release this mucilage, which is what you’re drinking in okra water.
Here are some of the more popular claims about the health benefits of okra water — and what science has to say about each one.
1. Improves digestive health
Okra contains both insoluble and soluble fiber. Fiber helps digestive health in many ways, including:
- Helping support a healthy gut microbiome
- Moving stool through your intestines to keep bowel movements regular
- Bulking up your stool, making it easier to pass
- Making stools softer, which also decreases the likelihood of developing hemorrhoids
- Reducing the risk of diverticulosis, or small pouches that develop in your colon and can become inflamed
But, Hadley adds, we don’t know whether okra water has the same benefits as eating the vegetable itself.
2. Promotes heart health
The soluble fiber in okra can improve cholesterol levels. Fiber binds to cholesterol and carries it out of the body through your stool. And lower cholesterol levels can help prevent plaque buildup in your blood vessels, which leads to heart attacks and stroke. But it’s unclear how much fiber from okra makes its way into okra water.
3. Detoxes the body
Okra water does have two things going for it, says Hadley: It contains both water and fiber.
Both water and fiber are involved in the body’s detox processes:
- Drinking water helps the body get rid of waste and toxins through the kidneys, sweating, and the lymphatic system.
- Fiber also carries toxins away, into your stool.
But, Hadley says, you don’t need to drink okra water to get water and fiber. “Okra isn’t some kind of miracle detox food,” she said.
For instance, you can drink plain water and eat a variety of fiber-rich foods. High-fiber foods include things like:
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Whole grains
- Legumes (beans)
- Nuts
- Seeds
4. Supports weight goals
There are a couple ways okra water may play a role in weight management. First, okra contains fiber, which helps you feel full after meals. Second, drinking water may help with weight loss, especially if you’re ditching sugary beverages for water.
But no available studies have looked at okra water and weight loss, so the benefits are theoretical for now.
“I wouldn’t recommend that anyone expect to lose weight by simply adding okra water to their diet,” said Hadley.
5. Regulates blood sugar
Experts know that fiber helps to manage blood sugar. But some initial research suggests that polysaccharides and antioxidants in okra’s mucilage may help with blood sugar too. Since this research has been done on animals and in test tubes, we don’t know what effect — if any — it has on humans.
6. Supports sexual health
One of the claims on social media is that okra water can increase vaginal lubrication. People say that okra water’s mucus-like texture helps produce more vaginal moisture. But there’s currently no proof of this.
Ultimately, says Hadley, the claims on social media about okra water are overstated. More research on its potential health benefits are needed.
