Text and photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
If British spy James Bond has “Goldfinger,” chefs and food enthusiasts have their ladyfinger.
It is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression. It is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome. It has been used successfully in experimental blood plasma replacements. More importantly, it is good for summer heat treatment.
Ladyfinger is more popularly known as okra in the Philippines. It is known in the science world as “Hibiscus esculentus.”
Unknowingly, aside from the famous ampalaya, okra can be touted as another nature’s answer to diabetes. Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid. Dr. Sylvia W. Zook, an American nutritionist, said that the superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
 Looking for something to help you to lose weight? Okra might be the answer as it is very low in calories; one-half cup of okra has just 25 calories. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fat, which are two components that should be avoided when losing weight.
The fiber content in okra is high. You can get nine percent of the daily recommended amount of fiber in one half cup of okra. Fiber helps to maintain the digestive system by allowing food to pass through the intestines easier.
Dr. Zook, who is from from the University of Illinois, found okra to be full of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy, thus decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colon cancer.
Along with containing high amounts of fiber, okra also contains high amounts of vitamins A, C, and B6, according to Michael Murray, author of “The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.” Large amounts of calcium, zinc, riboflavin, folic acid, and iron are also present in this vegetable. Women who are pregnant are urged to incorporate okra into their diets due to the high content of folic acid. Folic acid is essential for the healthy growth of a fetus especially during the fourth week through the twelfth week of pregnancy.
Not too many Filipinos know that okra also contains glutathione, a protein molecule that is naturally produced in the body. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that helps the body against the harmful effects of germs and bacteria that cause cancers and other diseases. It helps to improve liver, heart and lung functions and boost the immune system. The levels of glutathione produced in the body decreases as a person ages.
One unique health benefit of okra is that it can add bounce and volume to your hair. All you need to do is boil okra that has been sliced horizontally until the contents become slimy. Let it cool and then add a couple of drops of lemon to it. Wash your hair like you normally would, and then use this mixture as a last rinse. Cover all of your hair and then rinse it off with water. You hair should have more volume and have a little more bounce to it.
The mucilage (that sticky substance with thickening properties) from the okra has a health benefit, too. If the acids and toxins are allowed to remain in our intestinal system too long they tend to cause inflammation and can lead to many of the gut problems, including irritable bowel syndrome. With the regular use of okra with its lubricating effect and acid neutralizing characteristics, it protects the intestinal membrane from those inflammations that can lead to colorectal cancer.
One nutrition expert explains: “The mucilage has a laxative quality that helps lubricate the large intestine, soothing rather than irritating the bowel and helps elimination without the toxic side effects of constipation medications. Okra is much more cost effective than many of the drugs out there and it is loaded with nutrition that isn’t available in pills or animal-based food products.”
“Okra has a future in serving the booming markets for health foods,” one economic paper said. “Given an aging global population increasingly concerned over sickness prevention, mucilage is big business these days.”
What about the okra seeds, which can be used as a form of substitute for coffee? The seed contains a high amount of oil which is rich in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid, a healthy source of fat. Found also in olive oil, avocados, almonds and cashews, oleic acid helps to lower the level of cholesterol and reduce blood pressure in the body.
To retain most of okra’s nutrients, it should be cooked as little as possible, with low heat or steamed. It can also be stir-fried, deep fried, stewed or eaten raw but may be a bit tough to chew and a bit too bitter.
By the way, it is important to choose the best quality of okra for cooking, because sometimes buying bad quality of okra can make the food difficult to cook and the dish unpleasant to taste. Always go for okra pods which are crispy and immature. Go for small-sized pods, as they taste good and are tender. Avoid large sided pods and look for pods which have a deep green color.
You can store okra in refrigerator for 2 days; after that the nutritional value of this vegetable will decrease. So, choose immature and crispy freshokra pods for cooking, and eat it regularly to gain all the above mentioned health benefits.
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Growing okra
Okra plants are extremely drought and heat resistant. It can be grown on a wide range of soils, provided the internal soil drainage is good. Soils high in organic matter are preferred. It does best in rich, well-draining soil. It’s not particular about soil pH (6.5 – 7.5), but it won’t thrive in heavy, soggy soils.
When planting okra, choose an elevated area with adequate source of water during dry season. However, it grows anytime of the year. If grown in lowland areas from October to December, high yield and more profit can be attained. Growing okra on hilly areas from May to July is also profitable.
Broadcast organic fertilizer or compost before plowing the area. For sandy loam soil, plow and harrow once. For clay loam soil, plow and harrow once if the soil is moist. However if the soil is cloddy, harrow 2-3 times to attain good soil tilth. Set furrows at 75 cm apart for wet season and 100 cm for dry season planting.
If the furrowed soil is moist, take advantage of the moisture content of the soil. Drill 2-3 seeds per hill in the furrows at a distance of 30 centimeters and cover the seeds with 3 centimeters depth of soil, then press lightly to prevent excessive loss of moisture. This system of planting, which is usually practiced by farmers favors deeper root penetration of seedlings and avoids the early emergence of weeds.
The common practice in seeding is planting the seeds before irrigating the field, causing weed seeds to germinate faster than the okra seeds, resulting in more labor input in weeding. A 1,000 square meter area requires one kilogram of seeds.
During rainy season, plant the seeds on raised beds or at the ridge of furrows to prevent the plants from water logging in case of flush floods.
For vigorous growth of okra and to prolong the productive period, apply fertilizer. Foliar fertilizer may be applied late in the afternoon or early in the morning after the dew on the plants have evaporated to avoid burning effect on the leaves and stems.
Cultivate and hill-up by hand-hoeing in between furrows at 14 days after emergence (DAE) to suppress the emerging weeds. Finally hill-up at 42 DAE or one month after. At such stage, the profuse foliage cover of the crop is enough to suppress the growing weeds. Uproot the remaining weeds (spot weed) that were missed during the previous cultivation.
If the crop is planted in moist soil and was not irrigated after planting, irrigate the area at 14-21 DAE just after hilling-up. At such stage, the water will easily subside in the soil and the roots will be forced to pursue the water, favoring longer and deeper root penetration.
In light textured soils, irrigate or water at weekly interval. During dry season, irrigate 10-5 times for the entire period of production.
Okra is tolerant to most insect pests specifically during wet season because of the profuse growth of foliage, but diseases are common because of the wet–warm condition of the environment. However, during summer or second crop, leafhopper is the most damaging pest with occasional diseases. These can be managed using the suggested biological and remedial control measures.
Harvest immature fruits 5-10 days after flowering and every other day thereafter to obtain higher yield. Harvest in the morning when the dew have disappeared on the leaves. To avoid getting rashes when harvesting, as okra has trichomes on the leaves and fruits, wear long sleeved clothes and hand gloves.
Pack the newly-harvested fruits in 10-kilogram polyethylene bags for convenience in hauling and to maintain freshness. Too much moisture favors the development of molds on the packed fruits so puncture 4-5 small holes on each plastic bag.
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