In today’s blog, I am writing about a unique and funny vegetable named LADIES FINGER. This vegetable provides us with some good health benefits. India being a diverse country, we do have many different regional names, in most of the northern, eastern and western regions it is called Bhindi, and Vendakka/Vendakkai/Bendakaayi in the southern region. It is also known as Okra. This is a very common vegetable that is available throughout the year across the country.
It is also easy to cultivate, and can be even grown in pots in the home or terrace. It is a very versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways. Even kids love it as much as adults. But, what are we gaining by including this simple vegetable in our diet?
Nutrition Value– It is highly nutritious vegetable and contains carbohydrates, protein, soluble fibre and little bit of fat. The mineral presence is also rather good with Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Potassium, and Zinc, all of which are rather essential for proper functioning of our body. What’s more, it is also high on Vitamins with Folate, Vitamin C, Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin. It also contains many other beneficial compounds. The presence of such great amount of nutrients makes this vegetable rather a healthy one and helps the human body to build immunity as well, to fight against many diseases. These benefits range from helping the breakdown of the glucose in the body to increase the destruction of tumour cells.
Here are some health benefits of Ladies Finger:
High Antioxidants– Being rich in antioxidants, this vegetable helps our body to fight and prevent the damage that occurs from free radicals. The free radicals are responsible for many diseases in our body, including inflammation, and the tumour that leads to cancer. It contains polyphenols, and Vitamin A & C, all of which are antioxidants. These also help improve our cardiovascular health, by ensuring lower oxidative damage as well as the risk of blood clots. Being anti-inflammatory, the antioxidants can also improve brain health and reduce cognitive damage.
Anti Cancer– While we all know that antioxidants help stave off cancer, Ladies Finger also contains a protein called lectin, which further helps in this cause. This inhibits cell growth, and thus prevents cancerous cell multiplication. Scientific evidence suggests that the prevention of breast cancer cell growth is as much as 63%. Not just prevention of cancer cell growth, it even aids its destruction.
Blood Sugar Regulation– Another lifestyle disease that often troubles people is diabetes. Studies conducted on mice suggest that eating this vegetable can reduce blood sugar levels in our body. It is also suggested that components in Ladies Finger may interact with certain diabetes drugs, hence it is best to check once with your doctor on the consumption of this vegetable.
Improves Digestion– Traditionally Ladies Finger has been known to improve digestion and help with the gut health. This is because the components in them help improve harmful microbes that affect the digestive tract. Mainly it is gastritis and gastric ulcer-causing bacteria that is thwarted by the components in this vegetable. Certain substances in Ladies Finger also helps improve the colon health in our body. Colon, as we know, absorbs fluid and helps flush the toxins, and that is imperative for overall health. The components Okra help in this function, and the fibre presence, improve the digestive health.
Prevents Kidney Disease– It has been proved the Ladies Finger consumption helps reduce protein levels in the urine, which actually leads to Kidney disease. Also, since the components in the Ladies Finger reduces the oxidative damage and inhibit the effects of free radicals as mentioned earlier, this further helps with the Kidney health.
Other Benefits– many other benefits attributed to Ladies Finger, some of which have not been proved scientifically include, improved skin and liver health, reduction in fatigue and improved endurance levels, reduced damage due to sun exposure etc. What makes it coveted vegetables, is the fact that it is easily available, easy to store, and easy to clean and cook.
In India, we use Ladies Finger to make simple stir-fries, pakodas, cook it dry as well as in gravies and curries like sambhar. It can also be stuffed with interesting stuff and baked, roasted or fried. One good aspect is that it easily goes with many other vegetables and is common in many types of vegetable gravy.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
18th September 2024