Okro is a flowering plant that is known in many parts of the world as ladies’ fingers or bhindi. The scientific name of okro is Abelmoschus esculentus. Contrasting research says that it could have been from South Asian, West African, or Ethiopian in origin, but the jury is still out.
Okra may not be the most conventional vegetable in the garden, but it has a rich content of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, as per the USDA National Nutrient Database. The vegetable also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Furthermore, it contains high levels of nutritious mucilaginous fiber, colloquially called okra slime. Most of the health benefits are due to the presence of minerals, vitamins, and organic compounds found in it.
Tabled below are the nutrients in okro.
| Serving Size : 100g |
|---|
| Nutrient | Value |
|---|---|
| Water [g] | 89.58 |
| Energy [kcal] | 33 |
| Protein [g] | 1.93 |
| Total lipid (fat) [g] | 0.19 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference [g] | 7.45 |
| Fiber, total dietary [g] | 3.2 |
| Sugars, total [g] | 1.48 |
| Calcium, Ca [mg] | 82 |
| Iron, Fe [mg] | 0.62 |
| Magnesium, Mg [mg] | 57 |
| Phosphorus, P [mg] | 61 |
| Potassium, K [mg] | 299 |
| Sodium, Na [mg] | 7 |
| Zinc, Zn [mg] | 0.58 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] | 23 |
| Thiamin [mg] | 0.2 |
| Riboflavin [mg] | 0.06 |
| Niacin [mg] | 1 |
| Vitamin B-6 [mg] | 0.22 |
| Folate, DFE [µg] | 60 |
| Vitamin B-12 [µg] | 0 |
| Vitamin A, RAE [µg] | 36 |
| Vitamin A, IU [IU] | 716 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg] | 0.27 |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [µg] | 0 |
| Vitamin D [IU] | 0 |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg] | 31.3 |
| Fatty acids, total saturated [g] | 0.03 |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] | 0.02 |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g] | 0.03 |
| Fatty acids, total trans [g] | 0 |
| Cholesterol [mg] | 0 |
| Caffeine [mg] | 0 |
Credit: Organicfacts.net
