Health Benefits of Okra in Diabetes

Dr. Purushothaman
June 16, 2019

When the pancreas of the body is not able to produce the right amount of insulin, diabetes occurs. It is a chronic disease. Insulin in the body acts as a hormone that regulates the blood sugar. When there is no sufficient insulin production, there will be a rise in blood sugar. This sugar is not passed on to the cells of the body. When such a condition persists, this disease will lead to a lot of complications resulting in damage to the body’s system. Living in wellbeing even while affected by diabetes is possible when we take a different turn in life.

Usually diabetes is controlled with medicines that are prescribed by doctors. A lot of researches are held to find an alternative for the regular medicines for the purpose of treating diabetes. It has been found out that traditional medicinal plants are of great help in controlling diabetes. One such medicinal plant that has been found to be a good medicine for diabetes is Okra. Okra is a green colored vegetable that is also popular as a Lady’s finger. Okra is a good medicine that actually helps in stabilizing the blood sugar.

Okra prevents the metabolism of carbohydrate

When the metabolizing enzyme of carbohydrate is prevented, there will be a decrease in the production of calories. This also helps in decreasing the blood sugar level.

Okra plays a major role in regenerating the damaged pancreatic cells

The Islet B-Cells of Pancreas, which are responsible for the production of insulin, are not produced in the right manner if the Islet B-cells are damaged. In such a state, insulin is not produced in the proper manner from the pancreas for the purpose of regulating the blood sugar level.

Okra helps in absorbing food

Around 10 medium sized okras contain around 4 grams of fiber. For the purpose of absorbing glucose from the intestine, there is a necessity of high fiber content in the food consumed. It will then be led to the cells and organs of the body. In short, consuming okra will help diabetes patients to get the right amount of fiber content inside the body so that the accumulation of glucose in the blood can be prevented and the level of blood sugar will be normal.

Okra helps to increase insulin sensitivity

The main benefit of okra for those who are affected by diabetes is that it increases the insulin sensitivity. Okra helps in regulating the blood sugar level by helping in the proper insulin production in the pancreas

Okra helps in the increase of insulin secretion as well as release

It is very important for the body to secrete insulin for the control of blood sugar level inside the body. When the glucose level is too high, it is the insulin that will help in lowering the sugar level by distributing the sugar to the cells of the body. This will then be made use of as the source of energy.

Apart from the okra’s health benefit of lowering sugar level in blood, there are a lot of health benefits of consuming okra as it has good nutritional value. It has antioxidants like vitamin C that is able to prevent a lot of health issues such as heart diseases, many infections and even hepatitis. Okra has vitamin B that helps in preventing complications of the nerves.

Getting the benefits of okra for diabetes is to either consume it after cooking or eat it raw. You can also take in okra in other ways.

  • Okra Peel:

    This is the age old method of treating diabetes. Take one medium sized okra. You need to dry it in the room temperature. The pod should be grated and the peel should be collected. The peel should be consumed each day. Around one teaspoon of okra peel would be sufficient.

  • Okra in dishes:

    Cooking okra into various dishes such as sautéing it, making okra soup or stewing it up can give you the same benefits as eating raw.

  • Okra water:

    You can even drink okra water for getting its various benefits. Soaking cut okra in a glass of water overnight and consuming in the morning after removing the okra will also be really beneficial.

  • Powdering okra seeds:

    You will be able to find powdered okra seeds in stores. You can also make it for yourself. All you need to do is take okra and dry the pods in the sun. Grind the dried pods and store in a container. Consume around half to one teaspoon per day and enjoy its benefits.

Living healthy is a real hard choice you need to take in life. But when you choose to do so, you will be able to enjoy life the fullest. Trying our natural herbs for treating chronic diseases such as diabetes can actually help you to be more healthy and strong.

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