Lady finger

Lady finger, commonly called as Bhindi or Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients.
Lady finger is good for digestion as it has high fiber content and it prevents constipation due to its laxative property. It also protects the liver against free radical damage due to its antioxidant property. The regular intake of Lady finger helps in managing cholesterol levels and keeps the heart healthy. It also helps improve eye health as it is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc.
According to Ayurveda, regularly drinking Lady finger (okra) water in the morning helps to maintain normal blood sugar levels due to its anti-diabetic activity.
Excessive consumption of Lady finger may lead to the formation of kidney and gallbladder stones due to the presence of oxalates. Thus, it is advisable to avoid the use of Lady finger in people already having kidney problems[1][20].

What are the synonyms of Lady finger?

Abelmoschus esculentus, Okra, Bhindi, Bhendi, Gumbo, Bhindi-tori, Ram-turi, Bende kaayi gida, Bende kaayi, Venda, Pitali, Tindisha, Bhenda, Gandhamula, Darvika, Venaikkay, Vendaikkai, Penda, Vendakaya, Bendakaya, Ventakaya, Benda, Ramturai, Bhajichi-bhendi

What is the source of Lady finger?

Plant Based

Benefits of Lady finger

1. Chronic Dysentery
Lady finger is useful in digestive disorders like chronic dysentery. Dysentery is known as Pravahika in Ayurveda and is caused by imbalanced Kapha and Vata doshas. In severe dysentery, inflammation of the intestine causes the appearance of mucus and blood in the stool. Taking Lady finger in your diet helps to control mucus by improving the digestive fire due to its Ushna (hot) nature and also controls the frequency of motion due to its Grahi (absorbent) property.

2. Diabetes
Diabetes also known as Madhumeha is due to an aggravation of Vata and impaired digestion. Impaired digestion leads to an accumulation of Ama (toxic remains in the body due to improper digestion) in the pancreatic cells and impairs the function of insulin. Adding Lady finger in your lunch or dinner helps to calm aggravated Vata and correct the impaired digestion. This reduces Ama in the body and improves the function of insulin and control blood sugar level.
Tips:
a. Take 2-4 Lady fingers and cut its head.
b. Take a glass of lukewarm water and dip it from the head side for overnight.
c. Next morning, take out the Lady fingers and drink the water.
d. Repeat this daily to maintain your blood sugar level.

3. Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infection is describe under the broad term of Mutrakcchra in Ayurveda. Mutra means ooze, krichra means painful. Thus, dysuria and painful urination is called as Mutrakcchra. Taking Lady finger in urinary tract infection helps to reduce pain during urination and increase urine flow due to its Mutral (diuretic) property.
Tips:
a. Take 2-4 Lady fingers and cut its head.
b. Take a glass of lukewarm water and dip it from the head side for overnight.
c. Next morning, take out the Lady fingers and drink the water.
d. Repeat this daily to subside the symptoms of UTI.

How to use Lady finger

1. Lady Finger
a. Heat 1-2 teaspoon of Olive oil in a pan.
b. Add and saute 2-3 cups of sliced Lady finger.
c. Add salt as per your taste.
d. Cook on a low flame till Lady finger becomes soft.

2. Lady finger water
a. Take 2-4 Lady fingers and cut its head.
b. Take a glass of lukewarm water and dip it from the head side for overnight.
c. Next morning, take out the Lady fingers and drink the water.
d. Repeat this process on a daily basis to maintain your blood sugar level.

References

1
Gemede HF, Ratta N, Haki GD, et al.Nutritional Quality and Health Benefits of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus):A Review. J Food Process Technol 6(6):458.
2
Sabitha V, Ramachandran S, Naveen KR et al.Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic potential of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.J Pharm Bioallied Sci.2011;3(3):397-402.
3
Amin IM.Nutritional properties of Abelmoschus esculentus as remedy to manage diabetes mellitus : a literature review.Int Conf Biomed Eng Technol.2011;11:50-54.
4
Hu L, Yu W, Li Y et al.Antioxidant activity of extract and its major constituents from okra seed on rat hepatocytes injured by carbon tetrachloride.Biomed Res Int.2014;2014:9.
5
Saravanan S, Pandikumar P, Pazhanivel N et al.Hepatoprotective role of Abelmoschus esculentus (Linn.) Moench., on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury.Toxicol Mech Methods.2013;23(7):528-536.
6
Singh P, Chauhan V, Tiwari BK et al.An overview on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and it’s importance as a nutritive vegetable in the world.Int J Pharm Bio Sci.2014;4(2):227-233.
7
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8
Jain N, Jain R, Jain V et al.A review on: Abelmoschus esculentus.Pharmacia.2012;1(3):85-89.
9
Ahmed BT, Kumar SA.Antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of Abelmoschus esculentus extract – an in vitro assay.Res. J. Biotech.2016;11(3):34-41.
10
Jepkorir M, Ambundo T, Ngule CM et al.Phytochemical screening and in vitro antiproliferative activity of the fruit of Annona muricata and Abelmoschus esculentus pods against selected cancer cell lines.Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research.2018;5(3):1-11.
11
Sharma RK, Prasad K.Classification of promising okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) genotypes based on principal component analysis.J. Trop. Agric. and Fd. Sc.2010;38(2):161– 169.
12
Gemede HF, Haki GD, Beyene F et al.Proximate, mineral, and antinutrient compositions of indigenous Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) pod accessions: implications for mineral bioavailability.Food Sci Nutr.2016;4(2):223-233.
13
Sami R, Lianzhou J, Yang L et al.Evaluation of fatty acid and amino acid compositions in okra (abelmoschus esculentus) grown in different geographical locations.Biomed Res Int.2013;2013:6 pages.
14
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15
Rai SK, Arora N, Pandey N et al.Nutraceutical enriched vegetables: molecular approaches for crop improvement.Int J Pharma Bio Sci.2012;3(2):363-379.
16
Liao H, Dong W, Shi X et al.Analysis and comparison of the active components and antioxidant activities of extracts from Abelmoschus esculentus L.Pharmacogn Mag.2012;8(30):156-61.
17
Lin Y, Lu MF, Liao HB et al.Content determination of the flavonoids in the different parts and different species of Abelmoschus esculentus L. by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatograph and colorimetric method.Pharmacogn Mag.2014;10(39):278-84.
18
Skinner M, Hunter D.Bioactives in Fruit: Health Benefits and Functional Foods.Technology and Engineering.2016.
19
Kankolongo A.Food Crop Production by Smallholder Farmers in Southern Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement.Academic Press.2018.
20
Lall UB.Journey to a Healthy Life.Notion press.2019.
21
Dubey P and Mishra S.A review on: Diabetes and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).Journal of medicinal plant stidies.2017;5(3):23-26.
22
Roy A, Shrivastava SL, Mandal SM. Functional properties of Okra Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Moench): traditional claims and scientific evidences. Plant Science Today.2014:1(3): 121-130.

Disclaimer

The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.