Okra is a very popular plant in the western part of the continent. it is used for cooking, but also for its medicinal properties. In this article, we look at the health benefits of a very popular vegetable in Africa.
If you walk through a West African market, you are almost sure to find okra on the stalls. Although native to Africa, okra, whose scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus, is cultivated on almost all continents.
Although it is associated with several dishes in West and Central Africa, India is the world’s leading producer, with 6,126,000 tonnes per year.
It is followed by Nigeria which produces 2,033,129 tonnes annually. Sudan completes the podium of the largest okra producers with an annual production of 304,712 tonnes.
What is Okra
Okra is a plant whose fruits are consumed as vegetables, particularly in Africa.
This fruit vegetable comes in several varieties depending on the region. They may differ in size, leaves, flowers, fruits and grains.
For example, there are varieties with short stems and those with tall stems. The former have a short life cycle, the fruits ripen after three months, while the varieties with tall stems have a longer life cycle, ranging from six to nine months.
Okra fruits also vary in coloring which can range from green to red.
Fruit size can also be a differentiator. The fruits can measure between 5 and 20 cm.
Just like the size, the grains contained in each fruit differ depending on the variety.
Nutritional Benefits of Okra
“Okra is rich in vitamins and minerals. We can find group B vitamins, in particular vitamin B2, B3, B6, B9 but also vitamin C. It is a plant which is rich in vitamin K,” explains nutritionist Mamadou Seydou Bah, also president of the NutriMali association.
Okra pods are a good source of nutrients and antioxidants such as vitamin C, polyphenols, polysaccharides and minerals according to a study by Yuan et al. in 2018.
Antioxidants, as their name suggests, “fight against so-called oxidation of cells in the human body, caused by free radicals,” explains Bah.
According to Ivorian nutritionist Marion Ezzedine, the high content of okra in vitamin C makes it a food that strengthens the immune system and helps fight against cellular aging.
If you are looking to lose weight, you can consider okra as an ally. Indeed, its low lipid content means that it has a low calorie intake.
Okra also plays an important role in the digestion process thanks to the dietary fiber it contains.
“It is therefore a food which helps regulate intestinal transit and blood cholesterol levels,” reveals Ms. Ezzedine.
Dietary fiber also helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates and fats.
According to Dr Mamadou Seydou Bah, okra is a plant very rich in manganese and magnesium.
“Manganese plays an important role in bone mineralization, but also in protein metabolism. It is also involved in the functioning of the nervous system,” says Mr. Bah.
Beyond its nutritional properties, okra is also used in traditional medicine.
“Okra is widely used, especially for the treatment of nodules in traditional medicine. », Says Mamadou Seydou Bah.
“A series of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and catechins have been discovered in the okra plant, associated with many biological properties observed in research studies reporting potential antidiabetic, anticancer, antihypertensive and antimicrobial effects, among others, of the fact of their consumption”, we can read in a scientific article produced by Agregan et al.
How to use okra to benefit from its benefits
Very popular in West and even Central Africa, okra is associated with several dishes consumed in this part of Africa.
Depending on the different dishes, okra can be eaten boiled, raw in dried salads or even used as an additive in soups.
In Senegal, it is used in cooking kandja soup, while in Ivory Coast, it is used in preparing okra sauce. There are many versions of okra sauce depending on the country, so don’t be surprised to hear about a Cameroonian or Beninese version of okra sauce.
In the Republic of Guinea, okra is one of the ingredients used in the preparation of foutti, a dish made from sorrel leaves and okra.
According to Dr. Ezzedine, “it will be more digestible if it is cooked but the nutrients are better preserved when okra is raw (especially vitamin C which is sensitive to heat). »
Nutritionist Mamadou Seydou Bah also advises not to overboil okra to avoid deterioration of certain vitamins. He also advises not leaving the okra too much in the sun for those who prefer it dried.
“Okra has a gelatinous texture that helps thicken sauces. To reduce the gelatinous appearance, simply consume it raw or lightly blanched,” continues Ms. Ezzedine, nutritionist.
Source: BBC
