Top Health Benefits Of Ladies Finger

Health Benefits Of Ladies Finger: Do you recall all the times you turned up your nose when you were told bhindi would be served for lunch? Well, you were unaware at the time that the humble bhindi, also known as lady's finger, has numerous health and nutritional benefits.

This green vegetable is both adored and loathed for its flavor and texture, but it is rich in fiber and other nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and other minerals. Continue reading to find out more of Health Benefits Of Ladies Finger. 

Nutritional Value Of Ladyfinger For Health
How To Use Ladies' Finger
Aids Weight Loss
Lowers Cholesterol
Helps Control Blood Sugar
Helps In Better Digestion
Builds Immunity
Improves Anaemic Conditions
Betters Eyesight
Other Uses Of Ladyfinger
Recipe Metre
Side Effects Of Ladies' Fingers
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Nutritional Value Of Ladyfinger For Health

As previously stated, ladyfinger or okra is a good source of vitamins A, B, and C. Also abundant in minerals such as calcium and zinc. This vegetable is an excellent complement to a healthy diet due to its high nutritional value. Due to its high fiber content, it is also beneficial for those seeking to lose weight.

Snack on crisp, fragrant ladyfingers; the high fiber content will keep you full and prevent excessive eating. 

How To Use Ladies' Finger

People often hate eating ladyfinger because of its texture and stickiness. To avoid making a slimy mess while preparing and cooking, use these tips:
- After washing the okra, dry it with a tissue or towel properly before cutting.
- While sauteing, add some curd or lemon juice to prevent stickiness.
- Cook ladyfingers without covering the vessel to prevent steam build-up.

Tip: Add salt only after the okra is almost cooked or else it will cause the vegetable to release water and turn sticky.

Top Health Benefits Of Ladies Finger

Aids Weight Loss

This vegetable has an extremely low caloric content of only 30kcal per 100 grams, making it an excellent choice for those attempting to lose weight. Due to its high fiber content, it is also known to make you feel full sooner and keep you feeling full for longer.

Avoid adding fatty ingredients such as oil, ghee, or butter to this vegetable dish if you are attempting to lose weight.

Lowers Cholesterol

Ladies' fingers contain pectin, a dietary fiber that aids in lowering lipid levels. Pectin not only eliminates cholesterol deposits and clotting, but it also inhibits cholesterol absorption in the intestines.

Tip: Don't overcook ladies' finger or it will lose a lot of its nutrients.

Helps Control Blood Sugar

As a result of their high fibre content, ladies' fingers provide numerous health benefits. This vegetable contains the fiber eugenol, which serves to slow down the digestive process. In turn, this decreases sugar absorption from the circulation, thereby preventing a rise in blood sugar levels and stabilizing them.

Tip: Try and have ladyfingers for at least two meals a week for maximum benefit.

Helps In Better Digestion

This benefit again can be attributed to the high fibre content of ladyfinger. The fibre helps better digestion as well as to regularise bowel movements. The fibre pectin increases in size during the digestion process within the intestine, thus enabling easy waste elimination.

Tip: Ladies’ fingers are a great dietary addition for those suffering from constipation.

Builds Immunity

The vitamin C content of ladies’ fingers helps build a person’s general immunity levels. While most green vegetables help with this, lady finger has a host of other benefits to offer.

Tip: If you are not fond of the plain vegetable with roti, try and camouflage its taste and texture by adding it to mixed vegetable curries.

Improves Anaemic Conditions

Since ladies’ fingers contain iron, folate and vitamin K, this vegetable can boost iron and folic acid in the body in a natural manner, which in turn assists in combatting anaemia.

Tip: When buying ladyfinger, pick fresh and tender ones, not limp ones.

Betters Eyesight

Ladyfinger is packed with vitamin A and beta carotene. Both these nutrients help in improving eye health.

Tip: Since this vegetable cannot be eaten raw, lightly sauté it with some of your favourite spices.

Other Uses Of Ladyfinger

The properties of ladies' fingers go beyond eating them. The vegetable is used as a home remedy for treating dandruff and infestation of lice and nits.

How to do it: Ensure you get fresh ladies’ fingers from the market. Wash about 10-12 pieces thoroughly and then slit them vertically. Boil them in three to four cups of water for 10 minutes. Once done, add the juice of one lemon to the pan. Finally, strain this liquid, let it cool, and rinse your hair with it.

Tip: Ensure you rub it properly on the scalp and run it through the hair lengths with your fingers.

Recipe Metre

Recipe 1: Guthi Bendakai (Stuffed ladyfinger) from Andhra Pradesh

Add an exotic traditional touch to your meal with this delicious recipe.

Ingredients

• 500 g small, tender ladies' fingers (bhindi)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sambar powder
• 2 tsp oil
• Five dry red chillies
• 2 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Two sprigs curry leaves

For Tempering

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp husked black gram (urad dal)
• One dry red chillies halved

Method

• Wash the ladies’ fingers and dry them thoroughly.
• Slit the ladies’ fingers lengthwise, at the tail ends, coming three-quarters of the way up, ensuring that the segments do not separate.
• Take a little oil in a pan. Heat this on moderate heat. Now add in some cumin seeds, sambar powder, dried red chillies, and curry leaves for taste.
• Fry over low heat, tossing gently until the aromas are released.
• Cool, and add salt and turmeric powder. Grind into a fine powder.
• Stuff the ladies’ fingers with this spice mix, and set aside.
• Heat oil for tempering in a pan, and add the ingredients in the order mentioned above.
• When the mustard seeds splutter, add the stuffed ladies’ fingers and gently sauté for two minutes.
• Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring until the ladies’ fingers are tender.
• Serve hot.

Recipe 2: Ladyfinger Chaat

Who doesn’t like chaat? If you are not fond of this vegetable, convert it into a chaat, and we show you how!

Ingredients

• 200 g bhindi or ladies’ fingers, thinly slit and deseeded
• 1/4 cup besan or gram flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp haldi or turmeric powder
• 11/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp amchur (optional)
• 1/2 tsp jeera powder
• 11/2 tsp dhania powder
• Oil to fry
• Chaat masala
• Onion, green chillies, tomato, coriander, and lime juice

Method

• Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle this mixture on sliced bhindi and mix well so that the pieces are well coated. (If the slices are too sticky at this point, add more rice flour.) Fry in hot oil till the coating is brown.
• Serve this hot with a side of thinly sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, and a sprinkling of lemon juice and chaat masala. Add coriander to garnish.

Recipe and picture courtesy: Food blogger Shivangi Sharma

Recipe 3: Ladyfinger Curry

This is comfort food. Once you taste it, you can’t go back.

Ingredients

• 15 to 20 ladies’ fingers or bhindi
• 1 cup toor dal
• 2 tbsp tamarind (medium lemon size)
• 2-3 tbsp jaggery
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tsp sambhar powder
• 3-4 green chillies, slit
• 1-2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1-2 tsp salt as per taste

For seasoning

• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• Two red chillies
• Pinch of hing or asafoetida
• Two strands of curry leaves

Method

• Wash the ladies’ fingers. Wipe them and cut into medium-sized pieces.
• Pressure cook toor dal/split pigeon peas till mushy. For four to five whistles.
• Soak tamarind in water for 15 minutes, extract the juice.
• To the cooked dal, add tamarind juice, jaggery, slit green chillies, sambhar powder, salt and turmeric powder.
• Lastly, add ladies’ fingers and let it boil till they are soft.
• Add water as required for the consistency.
• In a seasoning pan, add oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, hing, red chillies, and curry leaves.
• Allow the mustard seeds to splutter, then add in the seasoning. Saute and finally add coriander leaves.
• Serve with hot steamed rice.

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Side Effects Of Ladies' Fingers

Eating okra in moderation is recommended, as over-eating this vegetable can cause some side effects.
- Fructans (carbohydrates) in ladies' fingers can cause gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, gas, cramping, and diarrhoea.
- Ladies' fingers have a high oxalate content, which can put you at an increased risk of kidney stones, especially if you have had the issue in the past.
- Solaine, a toxic compound present in okra, can trigger inflammation, leading to joint pain or arthritis in some individuals.
- If you are prescribed blood-thinning drugs, check with your doctor on excess okra consumption. This vegetable has a high vitamin K content, which helps in blood clotting.

Tip: Eat okra mixed with other vegetables to gain nutritional benefits and avoid side-effects.