Okra is a vegetable native to parts of Africa. It traveled to the United States and the Caribbean with explorers and slaves who brought the tiny seeds along when they crossed the Atlantic Ocean. A staple in Southern cuisine, Americans typically either have a passionate love for this vegetable or an intense dislike. This nutritious vegetable is a non-starchy vegetable with a lower glycemic index score than starchy dense vegetables such as corn.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index ranks foods on a scale that ranges from 100 for white bread or pure glucose. These scores tell you how quickly your body converts the food's carbohydrates into glucose sugar. The effect of a higher glycemic index score for any food is a more rapid increase in your blood sugar level after consuming that food. The lower glycemic index scores less than 55 indicate foods that increase your blood sugar levels slowly. Foods at the higher end of the scale, from 75 to 100, increase your blood sugar levels more quickly.
Okra Glycemic Index Score
Compared to starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes, okra has much lower carbohydrate content. This makes the glycemic index score for okra falls below 20, according to Recipe Nutrition. It falls in the same glycemic category as vegetables such as artichokes, lettuce and mushrooms.
Okra Carbohydrates and Nutrients
A 1/2-cup serving of cooked okra weighs 80 g, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this serving, the water content is 74 g. Okra has 1.5 g of protein, 3.6 g of carbohydrates and 1.9 g of sugar. It also contains 2 g of fiber and less than 0.5 g of fat.
Considerations
The glycemic index score for foods is a recently developed tool. As a result, little research is available on most vegetables, since few fall into the same category as the main culprits that increase blood sugar rapidly. Okra is a source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which increases the amount of time that your body takes to digest it. The fiber content may also help you feel full longer. The low-starch and low-calorie content of okra can be beneficial for dieters and people who need to their keep blood sugar levels stable.
References
- Recipe Nutrition: The Glycemic Index
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fruits and Veggies Matter, Okra
- American Diabetes Association: Non-starchy Vegetables
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23 (2010) Okra, Cooked, Boiled, Drained, Without Salt
