Top 5 Reasons To Include Bhindi To Your Daily Diet
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Bhindi, popularly known as okra, is a green vegetable widely available during the summer months. A plate full of cooked bhindi is loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. If you’re the one who doesn’t like eating this so-called slimy vegetable, then you must think twice.

Although small in size, this small vegetable is full of healthy nutrients. It has a high carbohydrate, protein, and fat content. It is loaded with folate, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. Other than this, it is rich in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, and zinc.

If you delve into history, bhindi is believed to have originated near Ethiopia, where it was frequently cultivated by the Egyptians during the 12th century. It later spread throughout the Middle East, Southern Asia, and North Africa. It is a widely cultivated crop and has a mild taste and soft texture. Bhindi is a flowering plant that develops thick, medium-length edible seed pods with an outer green covering and a slimy, mucilaginous inner flesh containing seeds.

Bhindi can be used in various ways in Indian cooking. You can either have them fried, steamed or sauteed. Bhindi chips and kurkuri bhindi are snacks that are most enjoyed. Besides, you can incorporate bhindi into your diet by cooking different dishes like crispy Andhra bhindi, bhindi kadi, bhindi achaari, sabzi and more, which can be accompanied with rotis, rice or eaten on their own as well.

Eating bhindi in the summer months provides you with several health benefits. Take a look at some of them:

  • Controls Blood Sugar  

If you’re diabetic, it is an excellent source of food to include in your diet. The sticky vegetable is high in fibre, which helps slow digestion and the absorption of carbohydrates, which in turn helps regulate blood sugar levels. Besides, it has a glycemic index of just 20, which is quite low and beneficial for sugar levels.

  • Weight Management  

If you are trying to lose weight, then opt for bhindi in your diet. It is low in calories and rich in fibre, which helps provide a feeling of fullness and reduces unnecessary cravings.

  • Improves Gut Health  

Being a powerhouse of fibre, it is a valuable asset for digestive health. The high content of fibre promotes regular bowel movements, prevents constipation, and keeps the digestive system functioning smoothly.

  • Heart Health  

The soluble fibre known as pectin has been linked to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. By reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, bhindi may lower the risk of heart disease.

  • Eye Sight

Bhindi is rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients protect the eye from age-related disorders such as macular degeneration and cataracts.