Okra can enhance sexual performance and lower blood sugar? The truth is like this →

Okra looks like sheep's horns, also known as okra. It is a vegetable that many friends love to eat. It tastes smooth and has a pentagonal or polygonal shape after being cut, which is also very beautiful when used for plating.

Okra originated in Ethiopia, and was later introduced to North Africa, the Mediterranean, Arabia, India and other places. It was introduced to my country in the early 1990s and is now cultivated in various parts of my country. It is often used to make boiled okra, cold okra, garlic okra, okra stuffed with meat, okra scrambled eggs and other delicacies.

Ever since okra entered the kitchens of ordinary people, there have been more and more rumors about it, such as that it can cleanse the intestines and lose weight, can strengthen the yang, and can lower blood sugar. In this article, let's talk about the true and false things about okra.

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01

Rumor: Okra can detoxify and lose weight

Analysis: The reason why many people who are trying to control their weight eat okra is because they have heard that eating okra can promote bowel movements, cleanse the intestines and detoxify, and can help lose weight.

In terms of promoting bowel movements and preventing constipation, eating okra regularly is indeed helpful. Every 100 grams of okra contains 1.8 grams of dietary fiber, which is twice the content of Chinese cabbage. Sufficient dietary fiber can not only increase satiety, but also promote gastrointestinal motility and prevent constipation. [1]

However, this is not a unique effect of okra. The dietary fiber content of water spinach and rapeseed is similar to that of okra, while the dietary fiber content of broccoli is even higher than that of okra, 1.5 times that of okra, making it more suitable for preventing constipation.

But it is of no use for cleansing the intestines and detoxifying. The body is a magical system that can absorb and utilize the nutrients we need from food, and can also metabolize and process useless or toxic substances and excrete them through urine, sweat and feces.

This process of absorbing nutrients and removing waste is going on in the body all the time and can be accomplished by the body itself. There is no need to take any other intervention measures to cleanse the intestines and detoxify.

Therefore, it is unnecessary to expect to detoxify by eating okra, and losing weight cannot be achieved by just eating okra. Ultimately, it depends on the overall diet and lifestyle habits.

02

Rumor: Eating okra can improve sexual performance

Analysis: This statement is not very reliable.

At present, it has not been found that okra contains any sex hormones that can act on humans, and there is no scientific evidence to prove that eating okra can improve sexual performance.

In addition, although okra seeds contain about 1% caffeine, which has a certain stimulant effect, it is generally only effective when the okra seeds are fully mature. The okra we usually eat has not reached this maturity and does not have a stimulant effect. [2]

Therefore, there is no hope of eating okra to improve your sexual performance!

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03

Myth: Eating okra can lower blood sugar

Analysis: What people find most impressive when eating okra is its sticky texture. Some people regard it as a symbol of "high protein", while others believe that the mucus can lower blood sugar.

First of all, there is no relationship between okra's mucus and protein content. Okra's protein content is not high, only 1.8 grams per 100 grams, not as high as broccoli. The main component of this mucus is polysaccharide, which is a macromolecular substance with many glucose linked together.

Secondly, although animal experiments have shown that okra water extract can lower the blood sugar level of diabetic mice and okra polysaccharides have an improving effect on glucose and lipid metabolism and kidney damage in diabetic rats, this cannot be directly applied to humans, and okra extract is not equivalent to eating okra directly. [3, 4]

Okra is just an ordinary vegetable, and you cannot expect that eating it will lower your blood sugar. However, the dietary fiber contained in okra helps regulate the intestinal absorption rate of sugar, which can help control blood sugar levels and help prevent diabetes and related kidney diseases. [5]

How to store it best?

People who often buy okra will find that if okra is not stored properly, it will easily lose water and wilt, which will also affect the edible value and taste of okra. There will also be some differences in the storage conditions of different okra.

A study analyzed the preservation methods of different varieties of okra. The results showed that if left at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, Yuehai okra would lose water and wilt. If placed in a refrigerator at a temperature below 4.4°C, it would suffer frost damage. However, refrigeration at 5°C can effectively reduce the evaporation of okra water and the decomposition of reducing sugars, inhibit the synthesis of crude fiber, and effectively inhibit the degradation of VC. It can be stored for more than 5 days, and has the best preservation effect and edibility. [6]

The best storage temperature for Japanese okra is 4°C, and it can be stored for up to 24 days.[7] Taiwanese "Wu Fu" okra is best stored at 9°C, and will be frozen if stored at 4°C for 11 days.[8]

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in conclusion

Okra cannot cleanse the intestines and detoxify, and has no weight loss effect; there is no scientific basis for eating okra to improve sexual performance; in addition, eating okra cannot lower blood sugar, but it is helpful in preventing diabetes and related kidney diseases.

References:

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Zheng Hongyan, Gao Yang, Wang Huibin. Optimization of caffeine extraction process and antioxidant activity of okra seeds[J]. Food Science and Technology, 2016, 41(06): 230-236. DOI: 10.13684/j.cnki.spkj.2016.06.047.

[3] Feng Guanying, Song Xiaoxue, Xu Zhili, Luan Zezhu, Zhang Mingbo. Hypoglycemic effect of okra on diabetic mice[J]. Electronic Journal of Translational Medicine, 2017, 4(11): 44-47.

[4] Zhang Yanjun, Li Jing, Zhang Yuling, Han Yonghong, Chen Erhua. Improvement of okra polysaccharides on glucose and lipid metabolism and renal damage in diabetic rats[J]. Modern Food Science and Technology, 2021, 37(03): 46-52. DOI: 10.13982/j.mfst.1673-9078.2021.3.0446.

[5] Deng Aihua, Wang Yun, Xie Peng, Peng Youlin, Yi Mengyuan, Liu Kangke. Research progress on nutritional value of okra[J]. Agricultural Products Processing, 2020(14):81-84.DOI:10.16693/j.cnki.1671-9646(X).2020.07.056.

[6] Zhong Guojun, Lin Chunhua, Cheng Xiaohui, Xie Guoping, Li Zhaolong. Study on cold storage and preservation of okra[J]. Journal of Anhui Agricultural Sciences, 2016, 44(35): 109-112. DOI: 10.13989/j.cnki.0517-6611.2016.35.038.

[7] Zhang Biqing, Lin Hengjin, Xu Huaide. Study on the effect of different storage temperatures on the preservation of okra[J]. China Fruit and Vegetables, 2019, 39(11): 1-8+19. DOI: 10.19590/j.cnki.1008-1038.2019.11.001.

[8] Xin Songlin, Qin Wen, Li Huiyan, Huang Qian, Sun Chuanhong. Effects of different storage temperatures and preservation treatments on storage quality and physiology of okra[J]. Preservation and Processing, 2019, 19(05): 59-65.

Author: Xue Qingxin Member of Chinese Nutrition Society Registered Nutritionist Health Manager Public Nutritionist

Review | Gao Chao, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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