Okra is used for? Diabetes.
The vast occurrence of primitive types and wild relatives in Africa (especially Ethiopia, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ghana) indicates that okra is certainly African. It is, however, widespread in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions but is particularly popular in West Africa, India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Brazil. The common okra, Abelmoschus esculentus, grows in the whole of tropical Africa, whereas West African okra, Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik [synonyms: A. caillei (A.Chev.) Stevels; A. pseudomanihot DC. Endl; A. platidactylus (Bakh.) Nakai; and Hibiscus manihot] is a cultigen occurring mainly in West and Central Africa. It has been reported from Guinea to Nigeria in West Africa; in Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic (DR) of the Congo in Central Africa; and in Uganda in East Africa.
Ethnomedicinal Uses — The immature fruits and the leaves are eaten in various ways. Fruits, fresh or sliced and dried, are used for soups (West African draw-soup), also fried in oil. Leaves are used as a potherb. Young shoots are also eaten. The mucilage is used medicinally and technically as an industrial raw material. A decoction of the immature okra fruits is demulcent, diuretic, and emollient. It is also used in the treatment of catarrhal infections, ardor urinae, dysuria, and gonorrhea. It has been used as a plasma replacement or blood volume expander. The seeds usually obtained from mature and hard capsules are antispasmodic, cordial, and stimulant. An infusion of the roasted seeds has sudorific properties. Leaves are sometimes used as a basis for poultices; as an emollient, sudorific or antiscorbutic; and to treat dysuria.
Pharmacological Studies — Because of its high nutrient value, okra is considered a good source for food fortification strategies. Okra has also been used in the management of duodenal ulcers and diabetes. The glycosylated molecules found in the okra mucilage have been related to the inhibition of adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to human gastric mucosa. Such molecules could also contribute to glucose entrapment and alpha-glucosidase inhibition, which might be advantageous in the management of diabetes. The fruit and the leaves have antioxidant properties. It has been observed that the distribution of phenolics in methanolic extracts of okra correlates with distribution of antioxidant activity. Studies have also shown that roasting of okra seed flour at 160°C for up to 40 min caused an increase in antioxidant activity, as determined by free-radical scavenging using the DDPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay.4 A methanolic extract of okra seeds was shown to have antioxidant activity, as evidenced by several criteria, and to exert antihypoxic activity in two mouse models
source: Iwu, Maurice M.. Handbook of African Medicinal Plants (p. 112). CRC Press. Kindle Edition.
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