Pregnancy seeks attention like nothing other and you know that inside out. Taking charge on yourself and getting clarified over tiny things becomes the first-to-do job for expecting ones, no matter if its about food anything like that. As about food I really want to drag your attention to a vegetable that barely gets noticed which is okra.
Right into the topic, can you eat okra during pregnancy?
Is okra good for pregnancy?
If anyhow it is then what are the benefits of having it?
For the better understanding about this special topic read on.
Table of Contents
IS OKRA SAFE DURING PREGNANCY?
To be frank, it is completely safe to eat okra during pregnancy. There will be no harms can occur for the consumption of this vegetable rather than good benefits.
Expanding on, okra is a rich source of folate.
It is estimated that only 100 grams of okra may provide up to 15%of pregnant women’s daily need of folate.
Other than folate, okra comprises rich nutritional factors like fiber, potassium, carbohydrate, protein, sodium and others that can keep your pregnancy health in check.
So all in all it is safe to consume okra during pregnancy and it’s quite beneficial too.
DRINKING OKRA WATER DURING PREGNANCY
Drinking okra water during pregnancy is a safe thing to act. And it’s quite profitable to mention.
It contains health enhancing elements like fiber, manganese, thiamine, folate, magnesium, vitamin B6 and copper that can support your health all through the gestation.
Moreover, many scientific evidences has recognized that, drinking okra water can possibly help to maintain a healthy weight and enhance blood sugar management in antenatal period.
This is how the consumption of okra water during pregnancy in your motherhood can be a profitable deal.
As I delivered a little signal, it’s pretty healthful to add okra in your pregnancy for its towering nutritional compounds.
But, what are the particular benefits you can acquire by this healthy fruit aka vegetable in your maternal period anyway?
Let’s inquire into it.
BENEFITS OF OKRA DURING PREGNANCY
Since you got informed, it is pretty safe to eat okra in pregnancy and can welcome worth-mentioning of advantages, for sure.
Such benefits of Okra for pregnancy are thoroughly discussed below.
- Improve immune levels
- Provides antioxidants
- Manages hypertension
- May improve heart health
- Lowers blood sugar levels
- Helps with the development of the fetus
- Provides anticancer properties
- Boost your overall health
- Aids weight loss
- Prevents constipation
let me just clear it out here, I’m not bluffing around. Not at all.
These are the real benefits of eating okra during pregnancy that you can hug to. Only to make you believe, let’s discuss each benefit in sequence.
IMPROVES IMMUNE LEVELS
Pregnancy immensely affects your immune levels moreover lowers it. Furthermore, gives the way to various diseases and pregnancy infections.
But serving okra to yourself can take a good care of your immunity as it is packed with vitamin C.
Providing yourself a genuine quantity of okra can ward off free radicals, which in turn, will boost your immunity.
Okra also is an abundant source of antioxidant that can nourish your overall health.
In the matter of antioxidants, okra holds them too named as polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins like A and C and lastly is quercetin.
These antioxidants present in it okra can fight off free radicals who affect your health vastly. On this wise, eating okra during pregnancy may provide you a load of antioxidant to your body.
MANAGES HYPERTENSION
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a disaster for pregnancy.
It can introduce cardiovascular diseases, stroke and a bunch of fatal conditions.
However, you can control this menace by serving yourself foods that are hold a good dose of magnesium and okra can really help you with that.
Okra, the kind vegetable, contains magnesium in a larger scale.
This presence of magnesium can regulate your blood pressure levels. Which in furthermore, will reduce the risk of hypertension in pregnancy.
MAY IMPROVE YOUR HEART
Not hugely recognized, but having okra can magnify your heart’s health by lowering the fat levels and cholesterol.
Okra contains fat content even not in a minimal amount. so intake of this vegetables won’t increase the cholesterol levels.
Plus, it contains a substance called mucilage that binds to the extra cholesterol during digestion.
This process in further leads to excretion of this cholesterol with stool, instead of being absorbed into the body.
In this way eating okra in pregnancy prevents the fat percentage of the body that lately promotes heart health.
LOWERS THE BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
Needless to say that, okra holds a high content of fiber. This plentiful amount of this essential nutrient moderates the absorption of sugar in the intestine.
That in later keeps the blood sugar level on track.
On top of that, it holds manganese which is involved in metabolism and affects the blood sugar regulation.
And lastly, having okra during pregnancy can be the direct supply of polyphenols and flavonoids. Consuming these 2 elements via okra can extremely be helpful in reducing blood sugar level and will keep gestational diabetes at bay.
HELPS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BABY
Okra is well recognized for the load of folate or vitamin B9 nutrient present in it.
This specific element existing in okra can prevent neural tube defect of the fetus that can affect the brain and spine development.
Further on, it also comprises a plenty of vital nutrients that may contribute to the growth of the unborn child as well.
PROVIDES PROTEIN TO YOUR BODY
Protein is more crucial for pregnancy than you may assume.
Thus, it should be consumed in a perfect amount. And eating okra during pregnancy can come up with that again.
Typically, fruits contain carbs in a worth mentioning amount while protein in a negligible quantity. But you know what, okra is its exact opposite.
Instead of carbs and calories, it holds protein and fiber.
Thus, the presence of protein in it can offer you benefits as it helps with weight management, manages blood sugar levels, muscle mass along with the bone structure of your baby.
MAY DELIVER ANTICANCER PROPERTIES
Including okra in your pregnancy diet can sort out the possibility of cancer since it tends to have anti-cancer properties.
Evidence shows that, okra is believed to hold a compound named lectin. It is an anti-cancer agent that prohibits the growth of cancer cells in your body.
In this way, having okra while expecting may lead to the reduced risks of this lethal health complication too.
ASSIST IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Consuming okra also aids Wight management.
And that’s not all!
It even assists with decreased blood sugar levels and total cholesterol in the body.
But how does it do all that things?
Well, this happens for the existence of high fiber content in it.
As you know fiber cannot be digested by human body thus it keeps you full for a longer time and minimizes your food cravings 404.
In this way, you get rid of extra sugar consumption throughout the day. Fiber moreover promotes bowel movements that results in loosing toxic weight.
WARD OFF CONSTIPATION
Finally still importantly, having okra during pregnancy can ward off constipation which is pretty common while expecting.
And again, this benefit takes place by virtue of high quantity of insoluble fiber located in it.
This component keeps the intestinal tract healthy and regulates bowel movements.
It even assists to make the stool heavy and soft that is really easy to pass out of the body. Thus, keeps constipation at bay.
Considering everything, these are the top 10 benefits of okra for a pregnant woman that you may stumble of too.
Just to jog your memory here I present you all the benefits of okra during pregnancy at a single stroke.
BENEFITS OF EATING OKRA DURING PREGNANCY
- Improves immune levels
- Provides anti-oxidants to the body
- Manages hypertension
- Improves heart health
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Helps with the development of the baby
- Provides protein to the body
- Supplies anti-cancer properties
- Aids healthy weight
- Ward off constipation
By knowing all these benefits, you must have got prepared to serve this excellent vegetable com fruit on your plate.
But, before you do it, there is something important to know and it’s nothing other than some dangers affiliated with okra.
LADYFINGER DURING PREGNANCY: EFFECTS
10 Ultimate benefits of okra during pregnancy
Photo Courtesy:Pregarlybody com
Nearly all vegetables are safe to be eaten in pregnancy and so do the okra. Still, there are some effects that can arise if you start to eat okra in as massive or wrong manner.
Such defects of eating okra are rigorously discussed below and I highly encourage you to study them.
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DISADVANTAGES OF EATING OKRA
- Eating okra in a lager scale can give rise to gastrointestinal problems in some people. Plus, okra contains fructans- a type of carbohydrate that can cause gas, cramping, bloating and lastly diarrhea in people having bowel problems or a weak digestive system.
- Even rare, yet okra can set off allergy in the body. It can possibly cause itching of skin, hives, tingling in mouth or around it, breathing difficulties and nasal congestion. If you belong to this rare category then avoid eating okra as allergy can be harmful for as mother-to-be.
- People who intake metformin (a common diabetes medication) should not eat okra in any event. It can interfere with this particular medicine resulting in unusual outcomes.
With the exception of effects, it is completely normal, moreover, advantageous to have okra during pregnancy.
You can even serve okra or ladyfinger to yourself in a daily basis in your maternal weeks. It’s completely okay to do so.
SELECTION PROCEDURES OF RIGHT OKRA
You already know how to choose fresh vegetables.
Isn’t that so?
Well, but that’s half of the story. You should be aware of these measures before purchasing okra.
- Be mindful about the color and choose the ones having bright green color
- They have to smell fresh
- Investigate properly and neglect the ones having tiny holes on the skin
- Select young skinned ones over the fully matured ones
So, these are the measures you have to wide awake to before purchasing okra in pregnancy or anything whatsoever.
IS IT SAFE TO EAT RAW LADY’S FINGER IN PREGNANCY?
While it is safe to eat raw okra but, you better be eating it cooked.
Okra are harvested in huge quantities and pesticides are vastly used.
This crop is even attacked by verity kind of insects. Thus you should wash it properly, cook it well and then eat. At least in pregnancy.
CAN YOU EAT OKRA STEMS?
The entire okra plant, in fact, is edible. So you can eat it’s leaves, flowers, seeds and even the stems.
But before you try them out, I encourage you to get proper explanations about this subject from your doctor or healthcare provider.
Some frequently asked questions
Does okra induce labor?
Does okra induce labor? Well, some believe that eating okra increases the possibility of an easy labor but unfortunately there are no such scientific studies who support this belief. There are no benefits of okra during labor.
Is it OK to eat okra while pregnant?
It is completely safe to eat okra while pregnant and has plenty amount of benefits on motherhood. It is well famous for its nutritional factors and is filled with minerals and vitamins that keep your pregnancy health in check.
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FINAL WORDS FROM PREGARLYBODY
All is said and all is done so all in all this article ends here. It’s though for me to put my appreciation into words as you’re still tuning in.
And I also hope that you came to know a lot about okra during pregnancy along with it’s corresponding benefits as well as the demerits.
Is this article helpful? Let me be informed about your valuable thought regarding to this topic and help us to grow. I’ll genuinely admire your little help.
All at the end pregarlybody wishes you a healthy pregnancy ahead.
