Okra Water Is Having a Moment on TikTok—Is the Gooey Drink Worth the Hype?

Okra water is, merely, a drink made out of soaking okra pods or slices of this fruit in water.

You’ll have seen TikTok movies about the advantages of ingesting okra water for glowing pores and skin, improved digestion, and enhanced fertility. However are these advantages legit?

Right here, we requested registered dietitians in regards to the doable advantages and dangers of ingesting okra water.

Is okra water good for you?

When you don’t thoughts the style, okra water may also help you keep hydrated, “doubtlessly supporting weight administration and digestion,” says Michelle Routhenstein, RD, CDN, preventive cardiology dietitian, registered dietitian nutritionist, and licensed diabetes educator.

Ingesting water aids in digestion by stopping or assuaging constipation and serving to your physique break down meals so it may soak up vitamins, she provides. And staying well-hydrated has additionally been linked to a more healthy weight. (Though be mindful, you possibly can hydrate with many drinks past okra water, together with plain ol’ H2O.)

Past that, whether or not okra water is nice for you might come right down to the way you drink it. Extra to the purpose: When you’re consuming the okra items together with sipping this fruit-infused beverage, you then’ll reap the advantages of complete okra, of which there are numerous. (Extra on that within the subsequent part.)

Presumably due to its sticky and gelatinous consistency, TikTok customers suggest ingesting okra water earlier than intercourse and through being pregnant as a result of they declare it helps with the birthing course of. It’s true that folate is really useful throughout being pregnant for fetal growth, notably of the mind and backbone, and okra is an honest supply of folate. However: “There isn’t any validated scientific analysis that reveals okra water is nice for fertility, sexual well being, or labor,” Routhenstein says.

Likewise, Maya Feller, RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Diet, a registered dietitian nutritionist and writer of Consuming From Our Roots: 80+ Wholesome Dwelling-Cooked Favorites From Cultures Across the World, says additional analysis is required to substantiate claims round okra water for girls’s enhanced fertility and vaginal lubrication.

Ingesting okra water vs. consuming okra

Feller explains that okra is a “practical meals,” which means it’s minimally processed and extremely nutritious. The carbohydrates and chemical compounds “present in okra have the potential to extend antioxidant exercise inside the physique, particularly regarding blood sugar regulation and lipid regulation,” she says. One such chemical is glutathione, which is an antioxidant that helps with repairing tissue, supporting immune well being, and making proteins that assist the physique perform correctly.

What’s extra, okra is a supply of potassium, which may also help scale back blood stress and shield in opposition to stroke. It is also wealthy in nutritional vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin Ok, folate, and magnesium, which contribute to total well being, Routhenstein says. It is also an ideal supply of soluble fiber, which performs a task in reducing blood glucose and ldl cholesterol. The mixture of fiber and vitamins in okra might improve intestine well being together with selling wholesome pores and skin, Routhenstein says.

Given the restricted analysis obtainable, a lot of which is targeted on animals, “it’s not clear if ingesting okra water has the identical impact as consuming okra as a result of the entire fruit is just not consumed,” Feller says. You’ll be able to’t inform what number of vitamins you’re consuming by soaking okra pods in water.”

She notes that okra incorporates a gel-like substance referred to as mucilage (just like the gel from an aloe plant), and analysis on mice reveals that mucilage binds to lipids and ldl cholesterol, which prevents them from being absorbed by the physique (a boon for coronary heart well being). However this impact hasn’t been studied in folks, she stresses, and we won’t assume a human physique reacts the identical approach as a mouse’s.

In a 2021 examine, researchers used a way of extracting chemical compounds from completely different elements of okra pods referred to as pressurized scorching water extraction. They discovered that a lot of the antioxidant and antidiabetic results of okra resulted from making use of this methodology to the seeds in comparison with different elements of the plant. Based mostly on these findings, it’s doable that okra may also help with controlling blood sugar and defending in opposition to toxins, however this extraction course of isn’t one thing you are able to do at house, Feller says.

In a nutshell: “Whereas okra boasts dietary advantages resembling excessive fiber content material, potassium ranges, and glutathione, it’s unknown if important portions of those vitamins are current in okra water,” Routhenstein says. To maximise the advantages of okra, her recommendation is to eat the entire vegetable.

Dangers of ingesting okra water

Okra water is usually protected for most individuals, however ingesting an excessive amount of may have destructive results in some circumstances. For one, okra tends to be excessive in a sugar referred to as fructans which can be a priority for folks with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or different gastrointestinal points. The mucilage in okra water can also have a laxative impact, resulting in bloating and diarrhea.

Past intestine well being: “Extra analysis is required to validate the amount and security of incorporating okra water, notably for people taking blood thinners or medicines for diabetes,” Routhenstein says.

The style and consistency of okra water might not enchantment to everybody. When you’re making an attempt to regulate your blood sugar, including a sweetener to make okra water extra palatable will be dangerous.

Other than that, Feller recommends avoiding okra water if you happen to can’t tolerate it or have a meals allergy. She recommends talking with a professional well being care skilled if you happen to plan so as to add okra water to your routine. Inform them the medicines and dietary supplements you’re taking to keep away from any destructive interactions.

One other threat of over-consuming okra water is the potential for a “excessive oxalate quantity, which may result in an elevated threat of kidney stones, relying on what else you’re consuming,” Routhenstein says. Oxalate is an natural compound that binds with minerals like calcium, which makes it more durable for the physique to soak up these vitamins. So, it’s clever to restrict your consumption of oxalate-rich meals if in case you have a historical past of kidney illness.

The best way to make okra water

Begin by washing the okra pods totally. You have got the choice of utilizing complete pods or reducing them into slices. Whichever you select, add them to a jar or pitcher of cool water to steep in a single day. Feller suggests soaking okra pods for 8 to 24 hours. When you want a much less viscous texture, you possibly can pour the liquid by a strainer. The result’s a beverage that’s wealthy in mucilage.

When you don’t benefit from the earthy taste of okra, one other tip is so as to add lemon or honey. Keep away from including sugary drinks like juice or soda which may make you are feeling extra dehydrated than refreshed. Becaise okra water tends to be slimy, you possibly can skip the water and eat the pods complete. Each Feller and Routhenstein agree that okra is finest consumed complete. (Try these okra recipes for inspiration.)

Routhenstein suggests sautéing okra in an herb-infused tomato sauce. The acidity of tomato can scale back okra’s gummy texture. Feller recommends making an attempt a recipe like callaloo (a Caribbean stew made with okra, amongst different elements) for optimum taste and diet. Different methods to chop down on the sliminess of okra are utilizing excessive warmth, baking slices within the oven, or roasting them on a grill. You too can pickle okra or eat it recent.

How a lot okra water must you drink a day?

At the moment, there isn’t a analysis on the advantages of ingesting a particular amount of okra water. “Due to this fact, it must be carried out with warning and in dialog together with your well being care supplier, together with a registered dietitian,” Routhenstein says.

The underside line

Okra is a staple in stews and soups as a result of it’s available, cheap, and works as a thickening agent. Some research counsel there are advantages to consuming okra, however analysis on the well being results of ingesting okra water is missing. Okra incorporates fiber, minerals, and nutritional vitamins, however you don’t know the way a lot of those vitamins are deposited into the water.

That stated, as a result of okra water is thick and gelatinous, it’s doable that not less than some vitamins are seeping into the H2O. If okra water enhances your style preferences, staying hydrated is an efficient motive to make this beverage a part of your routine. Simply make sure you’re additionally consuming a nutritionally balanced weight-reduction plan that features fruits, greens, legumes, and complete grains.