Shop products for Okra 
Long a staple of Southern cooking, okra is often fried or boiled and added to stews.
This green, pod-shaped vegetable made its way to the United States from Africa, and has long been a staple of Southern cooking, particularly in the dish called gumbo. In India, it’s served as a vegetable side dish, and in Japan it’s used to thicken soups and stews.
Availability
Okra is available from May through October. In some Southern states, it may be available all year long.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Wash okra just before using. Okra is most often boiled or fried. When boiled, it gives off a viscous substance that can add smooth thickness to soups and stews, like gumbo. Slice okra 1/2-inch (1.5cm) thick, dredge in cornmeal, and fry in olive oil, or stew it with tomatoes and onions.
Nutritional Highlights
Okra (raw), 1 cup (100g)
Calories: 33
Protein: 2.0g
Carbohydrate: 7.6g
Total Fat: 0.1g
Fiber: 3.2g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (21mg), Folate (87.8mcg), and Vitamin
A (660 IU)
*Good source of: Magnesium (57mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.
Health benefits and concerns
Vitamin C, present in fruits and vegetables, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This anti-inflammatory activity may influence the development of asthma symptoms. A large preliminary study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.
Diets high in insoluble fibre (found in some vegetables) are associated with protection against heart disease in both men and women.
Many Americans eat insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin C; the disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, scurvy, causes easy bruising. While very few people actually have scurvy, even minor deficiencies of vitamin C can increase the incidence of bruising. People who experience easy bruising may want to try eating more fruits and vegetables—common dietary sources of vitamin C.
Eating plenty of flavonoid- and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables helps to support the structure of capillaries.
Some but not all studies have reported that eating more foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A was associated with a lower risk of cataracts. Synthetic beta-carotene supplementation has not been found to reduce the risk of cataract formation. It remains unclear whether natural beta-carotene from food or supplements would protect the eye or whether beta-carotene in food is merely a marker for other protective factors in fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene.
A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3 1/2 ounces (99g) of fruits and vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared to those eating the lower amount of fruits and vegetables.
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk.
Health benefits and
concerns for vegetables
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other
vegetables. Read about health benefits and concerns
for vegetables for a full description.
