Okra is in Season

Part of the In Season series

Okra pods in a coral colored bowl

It’s okra season…

Okra is in season here in Georgia from May to October, but this may vary a bit for you depending on where you live. It is one of my favorite summer veggies – I just love how they roast up crisp on the outside and tender inside.

Fast Facts about Okra

Okra may inhibit cancer growth and promote gut health.

  • Great source of fiber.
  • Packed with vitamins and minerals like vitamins C, K1, B6 and A, folate, and magnesium
  • Rich in antioxidants particularly polyphenols which are associated with decreased inflammation
  • May promote heart health and lower cholesterol
  • May promote gut health
  • May inhibit cancer growth

How I Use Okra

  • As an addition to vegetable soup
  • Oven-roasting them is my favorite. It’s easy and delicious!

Looking for an okra recipe?

roasted okra on a white plate with ranch dressing in a green bowl

What’s In Season Where you live?

This website is a great resource for discovering what’s in season in any state:

Seasonal Food Guide

Sources:

Gomes MFP, de Moura EOC, Cardoso NM, da Silva GA, Dos Santos ACC, de Souza FS, Estadella D, Lambertucci RH, Lago JHG, Medeiros A. Supplementation with okra combined or not with exercise training is able to protect the heart of animals with metabolic syndrome. Sci Rep. 2023 Jan 26;13(1):1468. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-28072-7. PMID: 36702820; PMCID: PMC9879946.

Wang H, Chen G, Ren D, Yang ST. Hypolipidemic activity of okra is mediated through inhibition of lipogenesis and upregulation of cholesterol degradation. Phytother Res. 2014 Feb;28(2):268-73. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4998. Epub 2013 Apr 22. PMID: 23606408.

Zhang J, Zhao Y, Ren D, Yang X. Effect of okra fruit powder supplementation on metabolic syndrome and gut microbiota diversity in high fat diet-induced obese mice. Food Res Int. 2020 Apr;130:108929. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108929. Epub 2019 Dec 23. PMID: 32156377.

Pramudya M, Dewi FRP, Wong RW, Anggraini DW, Winarni D, Wahyuningsih SPA. Anti-cancer activity of an ethanolic extract of red okra pods (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) in rats induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. Vet World. 2022 May;15(5):1177-1184. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.1177-1184. Epub 2022 May 12. PMID: 35765486; PMCID: PMC9210857.

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