Okra is a food that contains a lot of healthy nutrients. However, there are some opinions that: Postpartum women eat okra can reduce milk even cause milk loss. So is this concept correct? Can you eat okra after giving birth?
Can you eat okra after giving birth? This is a question of most women, especially pregnant women and during confinement. In today's article, SignsSymptomsList will share with you some information about okra and help you answer the above question. Let's follow the article below!
What is okra? Nutritional composition of okra
Okra (also known as melon) is a plant originating from India, commonly grown in the southern provinces. Okra fruit is long, cystic and has many seeds. This is a very popular fruit today. Not only has a unique taste, okra also brings high nutritional value which is good for health.
According to research by the US National Institute of Nutrition, okra is like a green vegetable with high nutritional content including:
- 33 calories.
- 7g carbohydrates.
- 2g protein.
- 3g fiber.
- Fat free.
- There are also lots of vitamins and minerals .
Okra is one of the foods with high nutritional value
Can you eat okra after giving birth?
Can you eat okra after giving birth? Since ancient times, okra is known as an easy to absorb and healthy food. In postpartum women, the digestive system is still weak, so the addition of this healthy and nutritious food is very necessary.
- Thanks to its high pectin content , okra helps promote quick and effective healing. In particular, okra contains a high fat content to help prevent constipation and postpartum hemorrhoids for mothers.
- With the folate content in okra, in addition to the effect of nourishing postpartum women to recover quickly, okra also works to promote the baby's brain development through breast milk.
- The abundant calcium in okra helps the mother maintain strong bones after giving birth.
So after giving birth, eat okra, will you lose milk? The answer is no. Currently, there have not been any research reports showing that eating okra after giving birth causes milk loss. Therefore, mothers can safely add okra to their daily diet without worrying about adverse health effects.
Can you eat okra after giving birth? Let's eat mom!
The effect of okra on postpartum women
Nutrition experts confirm that: The presence of okra in the daily diet gives pregnant women and postpartum women great benefits. Specifically:
Okra is very good for the digestive system of postpartum women
The fiber content including soluble fiber and insoluble fiber in okra is very high to help support the digestive process better. Okra helps nourish beneficial microorganisms in the intestinal tract to help laxatives, avoid irritation, limit gastrointestinal disorders while preventing constipation and hemorrhoids, improving digestive system health.
Okra helps support the digestive system for mothers after giving birth
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes
As mentioned above, okra is a healthy food, cool and easy to absorb, so okra is very good for people who are in the process of cardiovascular treatment as well as prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
The pectin content in okra helps to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) in the blood thereby reducing the burden on the heart muscle and helping to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure...
The fiber and mucus in okra also help slow down the absorption of sugar into the blood, thereby helping to stabilize blood sugar in the body. Therefore, okra is also a very good food for pregnant women with diabetes as well as reducing the risk of diabetes for pregnant women who have not yet had it.
Okra helps prevent the risk of cancer
According to statistics of the Ministry of Health, compared with the general population, those who have just given birth have a higher risk of ovarian or uterine cancer. The addition of okra to the daily diet as a panacea helps to improve the body's ability to fight cancer thanks to its folic acid content.
Good for eye health, bone support and skin beauty
The content of vitamins A and C in okra helps reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, helping mothers after giving birth have healthy eyes.
Vitamin K and folate in okra help prevent calcium loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis for mothers after giving birth.
With a high content of vitamin C, okra is also a food that helps postpartum women stimulate collagen production, rejuvenate cells, prevent aging, thereby helping to keep the skin healthy, beautiful and smooth.
Okra gives postpartum women healthy and beautiful eyes
Effective weight loss support for women after giving birth
Okra contains a lot of fiber, so eating okra gives postpartum women a feeling of fullness and reduces cravings for snacks.
Besides, okra is also one of the low-calorie foods, so postpartum mothers can add okra to their daily diet without worrying about gaining weight. This is also the ideal food for postpartum women who want to lose weight and get in shape.
What to note when using okra?
Here are some notes postpartum mothers need to know when using okra:
- Okra is a food that can be eaten whole, when processing, you do not need to peel or remove the seeds.
- Before processing, it is necessary to prepare okra thoroughly because they may still contain some pesticides or fertilizers that cause adverse effects on health.
- When preparing okra, you should not overcook it or overcook it. Thorough cooking can destroy the mucilage and nutrient content of okra.
- Okra has many different ways of processing such as boiled, fried, grilled, fried… you can even juice it and use it directly.
- According to traditional medicine, okra is cold, so people with poor health and prone to abdominal pain should not eat too much to avoid counterproductive effects.
- People with intestinal diseases or irritable bowel syndrome should not use okra because the high fructose content in this vegetable can lead to bloating or diarrhea.
- In addition, after eating okra, if you notice any unusual reactions, you should consult your doctor.
Above is all the information that SignsSymptomsList wants to share with readers about okra and help readers answer questions: Can you eat okra after giving birth ? Hopefully through this article, readers will understand more about okra, the effects of okra as well as some notes when using okra. Wishing you a lot of health reading and don't forget to follow SignsSymptomsList's health channel to update more useful articles!