About Lady Finger
Lady-finger is a green vegetable that looks like a thin finger; that is why it is called ‘lady’s finger’. It is commonly known as Okra. It is a perennial plant that can reach 2 meters in height. It blooms as a red and purple flower that develops into a fruit.
The stem and branches are hairy and bear leaves 10-20 cm long and wide. It is grown in all hot and humid regions. It is widely consumed in India and abroad. A woman’s finger is considered a secret for many types of diseases and illnesses.
Ladyfinger, known as bhindi in India, is rich in nutrients. It is considered a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, enzymes, calcium, potassium and many other nutrients.
The botanical name for lady’s finger is Abelmoschus esculentus, and it belongs to the Malvaceae family. Ladyfinger is grown in hot, humid and tropical regions of the world
Ladyfinger is known by many other names around the world. Bhindi is known as okra, edible hibiscus, ladies’ fingers, ockro in English; pitali, tindisha, gandamula in Sanskrit; fluent in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Hebrew; left in Bosnia; okra in Swedish; Okra in Italian and French.
History
The lady’s finger is believed to have originated in southern Africa, especially Ethiopia. From Ethiopia it spread to North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Arabia and India. It is believed that the Egyptian developed the female finger in the 12th century BC or before the time of Cleopatra. He reached Brazil in 1658 and Dutch Guiana in 1686. It was introduced to America in the 1700s, possibly by slaves from West Africa.
It is widely known that due to the shortage of coffee, during the Second World War or since 1860, people used okra or lady’s finger as coffee. For your information, roasted okra or lady’s fingers have almost the same taste as coffee. This event later gave rise to the term “okra fever”. Since then, the lady’s finger has been popular all over the world and it has never disappeared from the market of the country all over the world and it is available all year round.
How to grow an okra plant
Ladyfinger grows in a hot and humid climate. It is a type that tolerates rain. This plant does not tolerate prolonged humidity. Okra is easy to grow. Adolescence
Ladyfinger seeds can germinate 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost. This is perfect indoors and in full sun, and can be grown easily from seed. Hard seeds quickly germinate in warm water overnight. It is planted directly in your garden, and you can before the spring frost.
Land and location
Sandy Loam soil makes good soil for okra. The soil you use should be easy to break up, completely dry and well-drained. Mix organic matter and improve the soil. Keep the nutrients flowing to the plant. It needs full sun.
Nutrition
Okra is rich in many nutrients and especially rich in vitamins C and K. This fruit is unique because it provides protein, a nutrient of many
fruits and other vegetables are missing.
Health Benefits
It prevents heart disease
One of the health benefits of lady’s finger is that it can help prevent heart disease. Ladyfinger contains pectin, a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol. Eating fingerlings regularly keeps cholesterol in the right range,
which helps prevent heart problems. It also contains antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols, which prevent the oxidation of cholesterol and the development of heart disease.
cancer prevention
Okra is full of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and have anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties.
Okra pectins also have strong anti-cancer properties. Research in rats shows that eating enough pectin reduces tumor growth and migration of cancer cells
In addition, Lady Finger also contains a type of protein called lectin, which also stops the growth of cancer cells. Lectin studies show that it can help prevent cancer cell growth by up to 63% Other studies conducted on mice show that okra extract controls the killing of cancer cells
From all the research and findings, we can conclude that if you want to avoid cancer, eat more foods that fight cancer.
Control blood sugar
Lady’s finger contains a substance called eugenol.
It is a common type of combination found in various types of plants, including Lady Finger. It is thought that the eugenol in okra helps digestion, thereby reducing the release of sugar into the blood.
Laboratory studies conducted on the efficacy of eugenol show that rats given oral eugenol for 45 days produce significant antidiabetic effects.
Also, in 2011, a study was conducted on okra and its effect on diabetes by the Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences in India. The study found that the mice who ate dried and ground okra had a significant reduction in blood sugar.
In another study conducted to understand the effectiveness of okra in diabetes, a large amount of liquid sugar was given to washed okra. The study concluded that mice fed okra had less sugar than mice not fed okra.
In India, it is common for diabetics to soak okra in water overnight and drink the water early in the morning to control sugar levels. While in India, many people drink okra-infused water, in Turkey, it is mostly diabetics who eat roasted okra seeds to control diabetes.
Although both treatments have no scientific evidence, many still see the results, at least Vitro and Vivo studies show that okra has a positive effect on diabetics.
