Doctor 24/7: Is okra water really good for diabetics?

'I heard that okra water is very good for people with diabetes, is this true? Should people with diabetes drink okra water, if so, how should they drink it? Thank you, doctor!'. (T.Khang, in Ho Chi Minh City).

Specialist Doctor 1 Do Minh Son, 315 Health System, answers: First, let's find out what ingredients are in okra?

Okra contains soluble polysaccharides (galactose, rhamnose, arabinose, galacturonic acid), soluble fiber (pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose), antioxidants (quercetin, isoquercitrin, kaempferol) and other vitamins and micronutrients. These substances help stabilize blood sugar, strengthen the digestive system, and protect the cardiovascular system. Note that these nutrients are mainly found in the fiber and flesh of okra, so drinking okra water (discarding the flesh) will significantly reduce the effectiveness.

Okra has many nutrients that are beneficial for people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Photo: AI

In theory, okra is clearly beneficial to our health, especially for people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There has been research on this issue, showing that consuming about 10g of okra powder (equivalent to 10 okra fruits) per day will help control blood fat and blood sugar.

Thus, okra is a good food, beneficial for the health of people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is recommended to eat the whole okra, do not drink okra water because the nutritional content is concentrated in the flesh of the fruit.

How to prevent diabetes

Doctor Minh Son said that diabetes is divided into many types such as: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes and diabetes due to other causes.

Depending on each type of disease, we have different ways to prevent the disease. The most common type of disease is type 2 diabetes, and is tending to be younger.

Risk factors that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes:

• Obesity.
• Lazy to exercise.
• Smoking, drinking alcohol.
• Stress, prolonged insomnia.

According to Dr. Minh Son, to prevent diabetes, people should eat healthily to avoid excess energy, visceral fat accumulation leading to obesity; exercise regularly; do not smoke, including e-cigarettes; limit alcohol; balance work and life; avoid prolonged stress leading to insomnia, depression, anxiety...

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