This simple vegetable protects against obesity and diabetes

Researchers from Brazil have identified amazing properties of okra in fighting obesity and metabolic disorders. According to a study published in the journal Brain Research, this antioxidant-rich vegetable can prevent not only excess weight but also inflammatory processes in the brain.

During the experiment, scientists created a model of early overfeeding in rats by placing some of the pups in small litters. Such conditions provided the animals with an excess of mother's milk and rapid weight gain, which can be compared to overfeeding in human infants. Rats raised in such conditions demonstrated an increased risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and insulin resistance.

After weaning, the animals were divided into groups: some received standard feed, others - the same feed with the addition of 1.5% okra powder. The results were impressive: by the time of adulthood, rats that were overfed at an early age but received okra showed significantly healthier indicators. They had lower levels of blood sugar and fat, less fat deposits, improved insulin sensitivity, and, most importantly, reduced inflammation in the hypothalamus - the part of the brain responsible for regulating appetite.

Scientists attribute the beneficial effects of okra to its biologically active substances - catechins, quercetin, and other phenols that have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Despite the fact that the study was conducted on animals, its results emphasize the importance of healthy nutrition at an early age and open prospects for the use of functional foods, such as okra, in the prevention of metabolic diseases, especially in the context of the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.