Okra fresh fruit can be eaten as a vegetable; Dry seeds contain more minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and manganese, which can provide oil and protein, and also serve as an additive or substitute for coffee in some areas; Flowers, seeds and roots can be used as medicine. Okra pulp is tender and nutritious, and it is a good food on the table.

It is distributed all over the world, mostly in Europe, and is also widely planted in tropical areas such as Africa, the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and has become the main vegetable variety. At present, it has become a hot pursuit of high-grade nutritious and health-care vegetables, which are popular all over the world. In the United States, Britain and other countries, it has been listed as the best green food in the new century. Many African countries have been designated as the first choice vegetables for athletes, which are called "Olympic vegetables" and Japanese people call them "green ginseng".

Okra is a kind of nutritious healthy vegetable, also known as okra, croissant and Abelmoschus manihot. It is green in color and fluffy in thin clothes. It looks like a pepper and a little like a cucumber. It is angular, long and narrow at the end. After being cut, it looks like a pleasing star, with little "pearl" seeds embedded in it, and a sticky liquid like yam flows out, giving off a faint scent of grass. Okra, which people usually eat, is its tender pod, which is generally 5~ 10 cm long, which is almost the same as a human finger, because its pulp is crisp, tender and juicy, and its taste is delicate and soft.

Nutritional value of okra

1, calcium: okra contains a high amount of calcium, and children can promote bone growth and development by eating more.

2, mucin: Gum protein contained in okra has the effect of inhibiting sugar absorption, which is conducive to preventing diabetes.

3, selenium, iron: Okra contains a lot of selenium and iron, which can prevent the formation of cancer cells and has excellent prevention and treatment effects on breast cancer and gastric cancer.

4, vitamin A: Okra contains a lot of vitamin A, which has the effect of protecting vision and preventing night blindness.

5. Vitamin C: Okra contains a lot of vitamin C, which has strong antioxidant and whitening effects. Known as the "golden finger of a lady", Okra is a low-fat, low-calorie and cholesterol-free health-care vegetable. Okra originated in Europe and was first planted in Egypt about 2,000 years ago. In the Compendium of Materia Medica (1551-

6. The nitrate content of tender fruit is far lower than that of common leafy vegetables, and it belongs to safe and hygienic green vegetables.

7. Okra seed is a potential source of high protein and rich in lysine, which can be used as a beneficial supplement to cereal.

8. At the same time, okra is low in fat and sugar and rich in pectin fiber, which can promote the excretion of organic matter in the body and reduce toxins.

Accumulate in the body and reduce cholesterol content.

9. The tender pods of okra are rich in various protein, amino acids, vitamins and mineral elements. According to the detection, every 100g of dry matter is rich in crude protein 21.43g, soluble sugar17.34g and cellulose.

9.42g, crude fat 2.47g, vitamin C 29.95mg, calcium 0.67g, iron 0.8mg, phosphorus 0.56g, etc.

10, tender fruit contains a sticky substance that can help digestion, treat gastritis, gastric ulcer and protect the liver, and has the function of enhancing human endurance. It is the first choice vegetable for athletes and a health food for middle-aged and elderly people.

Nine effects of okra:

1, kidney. Okra seeds and sticky substances have the functions of tonifying kidney and replenishing essence, and have an auxiliary treatment effect on male organic diseases, especially suitable for patients with prostate diseases and kidney deficiency. Okra, also known as Bushen grass, is also known as "plant Viagra" in European and American countries.

2. beauty beauty. Okra is rich in vitamin C and soluble fiber, which not only has health care effect on the skin, but also makes the skin white and delicate. Okra is rich in carotenoids and β-carotene, which can protect skin and reduce free radical damage.

3, anti-fatigue effect. The tender fruit of okra contains a viscous liquid, arabinan, galactan, protein and other substances. Regular consumption can quickly replenish physical strength and eliminate fatigue.

Experiments on mice show that the water extract of okra can obviously improve the endurance, anoxia resistance, cold resistance and heat resistance of mice, and reduce the blood lactic acid level of mice after strenuous exercise. The conclusion is that the water extract of okra has anti-fatigue effect.

4. lower blood sugar. Gum of okra contains water-soluble pectin and mucin, which can relieve sugar absorption, reduce human demand for insulin, inhibit cholesterol absorption, improve blood lipid and eliminate toxins. The rich carotenoids in okra can maintain the normal secretion of insulin and balance the blood sugar level.

5. Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. Abelmoschus esculentus can effectively reduce the total cholesterol and triglyceride in serum and liver, and increase the excretion of fecal cholic acid. Abelmoschus esculentus crude polysaccharide and purified polysaccharide show good cholic acid binding in vitro, which partly explains the increase of fecal cholic acid excretion in Abelmoschus esculentus group, which is also helpful to reduce blood lipid. Phenols in okra are also an important compound with the function of reducing blood lipid.

Abelmoschus esculentus polysaccharide also has the antioxidant effect of inhibiting free radical-induced hemolysis. Salicylic acid is a phenolic acid widely existing in vegetables and fruits. The results of cell experiments show that salicylic acid can significantly inhibit the proliferation of preadipocytes and the accumulation of triglycerides in mature adipocytes and HepG2 cells induced by oleic acid. The above research shows that okra can reduce blood lipid and prevent related metabolic disorders.

6, protect the stomach. Okra contains pectin, milk polysaccharide, etc., which can help digestion, treat gastritis and gastric ulcer, and protect the stomach. Moreover, the mucin secreted by okra can also protect the stomach wall, promote the secretion of gastric juice, improve appetite, and improve indigestion. Therefore, okra is known as one of the best health-care vegetables for human beings, which is very beneficial to the health of the stomach.

7, conducive to weight loss. Okra is rich in protein, calcium, iron, zinc and phosphorus, and has the unique advantages of high protein, high nutrition, low fat, low calorie and no cholesterol, which makes it a good weight loss product and is very suitable for dieters.

8. Anti-tumor effect. Okra is rich in vitamin C, zinc, selenium and other trace elements, which have antioxidant and anti-aging effects and are also beneficial to anti-tumor.

9. Anti-cancer effect. Abelmoschus esculentus polysaccharide can inhibit the growth of various tumor cells and has the prospect of being developed into anti-cancer functional food. The dietary fiber in okra can lower cholesterol and inhibit the occurrence of colon cancer by diluting potential toxic substances in time.