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Drinks · Vegetable Waters
Okra Water: Benefits, Blood Sugar, Recipe & Side Effects
How to make okra water the way researchers tested it, and what a randomized trial and seven research reviews show for blood sugar and cholesterol.
Evidence-based31 sources citedUpdated October 18, 2026
The Dr. Axe Score™
Scientific Evidence
5.2/10
A randomized trial of okra water (168 adults, 15 days) and one of okra tea (60 adults, 60 days), plus 14 randomized trials of okra in all its forms pooled in a 2026 review.
Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory
4.2/10
Okra's gel carries phenolics and flavonoids in lab tests, and CRP fell in a 2026 review of okra trials.
Clinical Effectiveness
6.6/10
Our judgment: an easy daily habit that lowered fasting blood sugar on top of diabetes pills in its trial and was well tolerated.
Nutrient Density
3.2/10
Rated for the glass: mostly water and okra's soluble gel; the pods' vitamins count when you cook and eat them.
Why this score?
Why Okra Water scores 4.9 / 10
- In a 15-day randomized trial, a morning glass taken on top of diabetes pills lowered fasting blood sugar more than pills alone, and seven reviews of okra trials found lower fasting blood sugar too.
- How the score works: Scientific Evidence rates the amount and quality of human, animal and lab research; Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory and Nutrient Density reflect measured composition and effects; Clinical Effectiveness is the team's judgment of real-world usefulness, informed by human studies, traditional use and Dr. Axe's clinical experience. These are editorial judgments, not clinical measurements.
- Interaction check: Moderate; okra water may add to glucose-lowering medication, and the details are in the side effects section. Interactions are rated separately and don't change the score.
- Weighting: Evidence 30% · Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory 25% · Clinical Effectiveness 25% · Nutrient Density 20% (5.2×0.30 + 4.2×0.25 + 6.6×0.25 + 3.2×0.20 = 4.90, shown as 4.9).
It earns its points as a simple two-ingredient habit with a randomized trial behind it, backed by okra's wider research on blood sugar and cholesterol. The glass is mostly water and okra's soluble gel, which keeps its composition scores modest; the pods you cook afterward carry the vitamins.
A transparent, weighted index built for foods. See how it’s calculated →
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View the protocol →Okra water at a glance
Okra water is fresh okra pods slit open and soaked overnight, which turns plain water silky with the pods' soluble gel. In a randomized trial of 168 adults with type 2 diabetes, a morning glass for 15 days, taken on top of their diabetes pills, lowered fasting blood sugar 21 mg/dL, against 4.7 mg/dL with pills alone.1 Okra itself has a deeper record: seven research reviews from 2023 to 2026, the newest pooling 14 randomized trials, found it lowered fasting blood sugar.2
- How to make it: 40 grams of fresh pods (3 or 4 three-inch pods), slit lengthwise and soaked overnight in about 7 ounces of warm water, covered, in the refrigerator
- When: first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, as in the trial
- Beyond blood sugar: okra lowered total and LDL cholesterol in pooled trials
- Take glucose-lowering medication or prone to kidney stones? Read the side effects section first
Okra water is one of the simplest drinks you can make: a few fresh okra pods, slit open and soaked overnight in a glass of water.
Slit a pod and you'll see a clear, stretchy gel bead along the cut. That gel is okra's mucilage, a soluble fiber, and overnight it seeps into the water and turns it slightly thick and silky. Researchers in India have tested this "ladies' finger water" as a morning drink for adults with type 2 diabetes; the results are in the blood sugar section below.1
On my show, I've put it this way: "My philosophy has always been, let's first use food as medicine."3 Okra water is food as medicine at its simplest: okra, a vegetable native to Africa,4 plus water and an overnight soak.
Soluble fiber forms a gel. It feeds gut bacteria, so it acts as a prebiotic to support the growth of probiotics. It also lowers cholesterol and blunts your blood sugar.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom 7 Habits That Age You Faster & Cost Nothing to Fix, The Dr. Josh Axe Show (2026), at 22:57
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Open the free protocol →Did you know?
In lab tests, dried okra mucilage held 2.45 to 4.60 milliliters of water per gram, a measure of how readily the gel thickens water.5
In western Ethiopia, pregnant women traditionally dry okra pods into a powder so they can store them for later.6
In a lab water-treatment study, okra's natural polymers removed about 80% of the microplastics from ocean-water samples.7
What is okra water?
Quick answer
Okra water is the slightly thick, silky drink you get by soaking slit fresh okra pods in water overnight and then lifting the pods out. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), also called lady's finger, is the green seed pod of a flowering plant in the mallow family.4
The water draws out what dissolves from the cut pods, with no blending or cooking, and the gel is the part you can see and feel. A related drink, okra tea, is brewed from dried okra; it has its own trial in people with prediabetes, covered in the benefits below.8
A short history of okra as medicine
Okra has long served as a traditional medicine in Africa and India.4 Across Asia, okra pods are eaten as a vegetable and used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, for dental problems and to calm stomach irritation.9 Researchers who tested okra in Iran describe it as a medicinal food used for thousands of years,10 and another Iranian team notes that okra has traditionally been used in diabetes treatment.11
Okra water nutrition facts
Quick answer
USDA has no nutrient record for okra water, so its nutrition starts with the pods you soak. One cup (100 grams) of raw okra has 33 calories, 3.2 grams of fiber, and 26% of the daily value for both vitamin C and vitamin K.12 The part documented to move into the water is the pods' soluble gel.9
| Nutrient | Per 40 g (one glass's pods) | Per 1 cup (100 g) | % Daily Value (1 cup) |
|---|---|---|---|
Calories | 13 | 33 | n/a |
Fiber | 1.3 g | 3.2 g | 11% |
Vitamin C | 9.2 mg | 23 mg | 26% |
Vitamin K | 12.5 mcg | 31.3 mcg | 26% |
Folate | 24 mcg DFE | 60 mcg DFE | 15% |
0.32 mg | 0.79 mg | 34% | |
Magnesium | 23 mg | 57 mg | 14% |
Calcium | 33 mg | 82 mg | 6% |
120 mg | 299 mg | 6% |
To get the pods' vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and magnesium, cook and eat them after you strain the water. The ideas for the soaked pods below make that easy.
What is okra water good for?
Quick answer
Okra water is best known for supporting healthy blood sugar. A morning glass lowered fasting blood sugar in a 15-day trial of adults with type 2 diabetes,1 and trials of okra in other forms found lower HbA1c, insulin resistance, and total and LDL cholesterol.2
Where the research stands
The main randomized trial of okra water itself covered 168 adults with type 2 diabetes for 15 days, measuring fasting blood sugar.1 A 60-day trial tested okra tea in prediabetes.8 The deeper research is on okra as powder, capsules or food: seven reviews from 2023 to 2026 pooled those trials, nearly all in adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, and the newest rated the certainty of most of its results low to very low.2 Every one of the seven found lower fasting blood sugar, and that steady direction, together with okra's long traditional use, is why okra water earns a place as a daily habit.
| Benefit | Evidence | What was studied | What the research shows |
|---|---|---|---|
Lower fasting blood sugar | Moderate | Okra water every morning for 15 days, adults with type 2 diabetes | Down 21.0 mg/dL vs. 4.7 mg/dL on pills alone1 |
Lower HbA1c | Moderate | Okra capsules, powder and food | |
Less insulin resistance | Emerging | Okra tea in prediabetes; okra powder in yogurt in type 2 diabetes | HOMA-IR 1.7 vs. 2.4 with okra tea8 |
Cholesterol and triglycerides | Moderate | Okra powder and capsules | LDL down 8.55 mg/dL, total cholesterol down 12.58 mg/dL2 |
Inflammation marker (CRP) | Mixed | Okra capsules and powder | |
Antioxidant compounds | Preclinical | Okra mucilage | Phenolics and flavonoids with antioxidant activity5 |
How okra water works in your body
Okra water works through its gel. Here's how researchers trace it from the glass to your blood sugar.
1The pod releases its gel
Okra pods are rich in pectin-type fibers that turn water into "a highly viscous solution with a slimy appearance."9
2The gel slows sugar uptake (shown in rats)
In fasted rats given a glucose drink, adding the part of okra that dissolves in water left 2-hour blood sugar at about 85 mg/dL, against about 130 mg/dL with glucose alone.15
3Its main fiber lowers glucose (shown in mice)
The main fiber in okra's water extract, purified and given to diabetic mice, lowered their blood sugar and helped them handle a glucose load.16
4In people, fasting blood sugar falls
Adults with type 2 diabetes who drank a glass every morning for 15 days, on top of their pills, saw fasting blood sugar fall more than on pills alone; the numbers are in the blood sugar section below.1
Okra water benefits, ranked by evidence
Ranked by the strength of the research, okra's benefits start with fasting blood sugar and HbA1c, followed by insulin resistance, cholesterol and triglycerides, the inflammation marker CRP, and the antioxidant compounds in its gel. Each card names the form of okra that was tested.
1
Lower fasting blood sugar
Moderate evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial of okra water · 168 adults; 7 reviews of okraA morning glass of okra water, added to diabetes pills, lowered fasting blood sugar 21 mg/dL in 15 days in adults with type 2 diabetes, more than pills alone did.1 The seven reviews of okra and blood sugar are in the blood sugar section below.
Study takeaway: a morning glass of okra water lowered fasting blood sugar 21 mg/dL in 15 days, on top of diabetes pills.
2
Lower HbA1c
Moderate evidenceHuman study6 of 7 reviews · placebo-controlled trial of 120 adults · okra capsules and powderHbA1c, your average blood sugar over about three months, fell in six of the seven reviews, by 0.30 to 0.77 points in the five that reported it in percentage points; the table in the blood sugar section lists each one.213 In an 8-week placebo-controlled trial of 120 adults with type 2 diabetes who kept taking their oral diabetes pills, okra whole-fruit capsules (1,000 mg every 6 hours) lowered fasting blood sugar, random blood sugar and HbA1c more than placebo.11
Study takeaway: okra lowered HbA1c by 0.30 to 0.77 points across five research reviews.
3
Less insulin resistance
Emerging evidenceHuman studyRandomized trials · okra tea, 60 adults · okra powder, 60 adultsHOMA-IR is a standard estimate of insulin resistance, and lower is better. In a 60-day randomized trial of 60 adults with prediabetes, dried okra brewed as a tea after each meal (20 grams a day, with the softened pulp eaten too), added to lifestyle changes, left HOMA-IR at 1.7, against 2.4 with lifestyle changes alone, though fasting glucose didn't differ between the groups.8 In an 8-week trial of 60 adults with type 2 diabetes, 10 grams of okra powder blended into 150 grams of yogurt, eaten with lunch and dinner, lowered HOMA-IR by 1.17, against 0.14 with yogurt alone.17
Study takeaway: okra tea left insulin resistance lower than lifestyle changes alone in 60 adults with prediabetes.
4
Cholesterol and triglycerides
Moderate evidenceHuman studyReviews of 8 to 14 trials · okra powder and capsulesIn a 2026 review of 14 randomized trials, okra lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.55 mg/dL and total cholesterol by 12.58 mg/dL.2 A second 2026 review, of 10 studies, found triglycerides down 15.43 mg/dL and total cholesterol down 14.16 mg/dL,14 and a 2024 review of 8 studies found protective HDL cholesterol rose;18 the 14-trial review saw no significant change in triglycerides or HDL. In the yogurt trial above, where neither the people nor the researchers knew who got what, okra powder lowered triglycerides 22.30 mg/dL, against 3.86 mg/dL with yogurt alone.17 See more cholesterol-lowering foods.
Study takeaway: in a 2026 review of 14 randomized trials, okra lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.55 mg/dL.
Okra powder in yogurt: triglycerides down 22.30 mg/dL in 8 weeks
5
Inflammation marker CRP
Mixed evidenceHuman studyPlacebo-controlled trial · 100 adults; 2 reviewsIn a 3-month placebo-controlled trial of 100 adults with type 2 diabetes who stayed on metformin and gliclazide, okra capsules (1,000 mg three times a day) left hs-CRP lower than placebo, alongside lower fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, cholesterol and triglycerides, with no liver, kidney or blood pressure side effects.10 Of two 2026 reviews, the one of 14 trials found no significant change in hs-CRP,2 and the more recent one, of 10 studies, found CRP fell with okra.14
Study takeaway: okra capsules left hs-CRP lower than placebo after 3 months in 100 adults with type 2 diabetes.
6
Antioxidant compounds in the gel
PreclinicalIn vitro (lab)Lab analysis · mucilage from 8 okra varietiesIn lab tests of the mucilage from eight Ethiopian okra varieties, total phenolics ran 24.66 to 49.93 milligrams per gram, measured as gallic acid equivalents, and flavonoids 8.18 to 18.72 milligrams per gram, measured as catechin equivalents; the mucilage also neutralized free radicals in a standard lab test.5 That mucilage is the part of the pod that moves into the water when you soak it.9
Study takeaway: okra's gel carries phenolics and flavonoids with antioxidant activity in lab tests.
Does okra water lower blood sugar?
Quick answer
Yes. In a randomized trial of 168 adults with type 2 diabetes, a glass of okra water every morning for 15 days, taken on top of their diabetes pills, lowered fasting blood sugar 21.0 mg/dL, against 4.7 mg/dL with pills alone.1 Seven research reviews of okra, from 2023 to 2026, found lower fasting blood sugar as well.2
The trial ran at a primary health center in Puducherry, India, in 2018. Researchers randomly split 180 adults with type 2 diabetes, nearly all taking oral diabetes medication, into three groups, and 168 finished. One group added a daily glass of okra water: 40 grams of fresh pods, slit lengthwise and soaked overnight in 200 milliliters of warm water, drunk early in the morning on an empty stomach. A second group drank fenugreek-seed water made the same way, and the third took their pills alone.1
After 15 days, fasting blood sugar had fallen 21.0 mg/dL with okra water and 20.3 mg/dL with fenugreek water, against 4.7 mg/dL on pills alone, a drop too small to rule out chance on its own. Both drinks clearly beat pills alone, and they did about equally well. People knew which drink they had.1
Okra water plus diabetes pills: fasting blood sugar down 21 mg/dL in 15 days
The seven reviews of okra and blood sugar, with their numbers:
| Review | What it pooled | Fasting blood sugar | HbA1c |
|---|---|---|---|
Bahari, 2024 | 9 randomized trials | 39.58 mg/dL lower19 | 0.46 points lower19 |
Zhang, 2024 | 8 randomized trials, 521 people | 32.56 mg/dL lower20 | 0.48 points lower20 |
Jafari, 2026 | 14 randomized trials, 836 people (12 trials and 656 people for fasting blood sugar) | 23.66 mg/dL lower2 | 0.30 points lower2 |
Fan, 2025 | 6 randomized trials | 21.72 mg/dL lower21 | 0.42 points lower21 |
Mokgalaboni, 2023 | 8 studies, 331 people | 14.63 mg/dL lower22 | No change22 |
Mokgalaboni, 2026 | 19 studies, 12 of them randomized | Lower (reported on a different scale)13 | 0.77 points lower13 |
Jafari, 2025 | 12 trials, 770 people | Lower (reported on a different scale)23 | Lower (reported on a different scale)23 |
Lower fasting blood sugar with okra in five reviews
Food and drink forms did at least as well as capsules. In the 2026 review of 14 trials, the seven that gave okra as water, tea, cooked pods or powder stirred into yogurt lowered fasting blood sugar about 32 mg/dL on average.2 In a 10-week placebo-controlled trial of 64 adults with diabetic kidney disease, one 125 mg capsule of dried okra extract a day lowered fasting blood sugar, HbA1c and insulin resistance within the okra group, though the difference from placebo wasn't statistically significant.24
In my Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes protocol, the foundation comes first: "Eating vegetables and protein first and carbohydrates last leads to a smaller blood-sugar rise than the same meal in reverse."25 Of the blood-sugar supports it ranks, the protocol says, "None of these replace protein, muscle and walking after meals — they make the foundation work harder."25 Okra water belongs right there, as a simple fiber habit on top of a strong foundation. See the diabetic diet plan and meal timing for diabetes.
Three markers that show how your body handles sugar
These three markers show where your blood sugar stands. Targets are Dr. Axe's functional ranges.
- Fasting glucose: Your blood sugar after an overnight fast. It's the measure that fell in the okra water trial.
- HbA1c: Your average blood sugar over about three months. The optimal range is 4.8% to 5.3%.
- Fasting insulin: How hard your body works to hold blood sugar steady. The optimal range is 2 to 8 µIU/mL.
See the cellular bloodwork panel
Have results? Analyze them free →How do you make okra water?
Quick answer
Slit 40 grams of fresh okra (3 or 4 three-inch pods) lengthwise, cover them with about 7 ounces (200 milliliters) of warm water in a covered glass, and let them soak overnight in the refrigerator, up to 12 hours. In the morning, squeeze the pods into the water, lift them out and drink it. That's the recipe tested in the blood sugar trial, with the refrigerator added for food safety.11226
Wash up. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, then rinse the pods under running water. Skip soap and produce washes on the okra itself.26
Measure. Use 40 grams of fresh okra. That's 3 or 4 pods about three inches long, or 2 large or 3 medium pods as the trial described it.112
Trim and slit. Clip off both ends and slit each pod in half lengthwise to open the gel.1
Soak. Set the pods in 200 milliliters (about 7 ounces) of warm water in a covered glass and leave it overnight, up to 12 hours.1 The trial didn't say where the glass sat; the refrigerator, at 40°F or below, follows FDA advice for keeping fresh produce.26
Squeeze and lift. In the morning, squeeze each pod into the water to release the last of its gel, then lift the pods out.1
Drink. People in the trial drank it early in the morning, on an empty stomach.1
A few tips make it easier to stick with:
- Taste: Okra water tastes mild and green, and a squeeze of lemon brightens it. Keep it unsweetened; my Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes protocol is plain about it: "Cut sweet drinks, juice and refined carbs: soda, sweet coffee, bread, pastries, cereal."25
- Fresh pods: The trial used fresh okra, so fresh pods are the tested choice. Frozen okra is still a good vegetable to cook; see frozen vs. fresh vegetables.
- One glass at a time: Make a fresh glass each evening for the next morning, the way the trial did.
- Use the pods: Cooking produce thoroughly kills harmful bacteria,26 so cook the soaked pods into a meal the same day.
How much okra water should you drink, and when?
Quick answer
One glass a day, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, is the amount and timing that was tested: 40 grams of pods in 200 milliliters of water, every day for 15 days.1 There's no established dose beyond that.
In the 14 trials pooled in a 2026 review, people took okra in various forms daily for 2 to 24 weeks with no harmful change in liver or kidney tests.2 I recommend at least 30 grams of fiber a day for most people.27 Okra water supplies the soluble gel, and a cup of raw okra pods adds 3.2 grams of fiber,12 so drinking the water and eating the pods work together.
What can you do with the soaked okra pods?
The soaked pods are still okra, and any of these dishes turns them into a meal:
Roast whole pods at high heat until the edges brown
Simmer them with tomatoes for an okra-and-tomato stew
Stir them into chicken soup to thicken the broth
Want a plan built around your blood sugar?
Ask Dr. Axe AI. Answers are grounded in this library, with sources shown.
Okra water side effects and who should be careful
Quick answer
Okra water is a food-based drink, and the only problem its trial reported was a cold in three people during the first few days; they kept drinking it.1 The main caution is glucose-lowering medication, because okra water can add to what the drug does. Okra carries some oxalate, though very little of it is absorbed; if you've had kidney stones, rotate it with other vegetables.28
If you take medication for blood sugar
Okra water lowered fasting blood sugar on top of diabetes pills in its trial,1 so it can add to what your medication does. For metformin specifically, there's one animal study: in diabetic rats, metformin given in the same mixture as the part of okra that dissolves in water lowered blood sugar far less than metformin given alone, and a plain thickening fiber had the same effect.15 In people, 51 of the 56 who drank okra water in the trial also took metformin-class pills, and their fasting blood sugar still fell more than on pills alone; no study has tested how far apart to take the two.1
As my Type 2 Diabetes Protocol puts it, "If you take medication for blood sugar, keep taking it exactly as prescribed — changes come only with your prescriber, as your labs improve."29 Check your meter more often when you start, and tell your doctor you've added okra water, because glucose-lowering doses may need adjusting as your numbers improve.
If you've had kidney stones
Okra carries a moderate amount of oxalate, 264 mg in the large serving tested, but when nine healthy adults ate it, their urine oxalate rose by only 0.28 mg.28 Oxalate in okra water itself hasn't been measured. Heal Your Cells notes that oxalates aren't harmful in small amounts, but overconsuming high-oxalate foods can contribute to kidney stones in susceptible people.30 If you've had calcium oxalate stones, rotate okra with other vegetables, just as you'd rotate spinach and chard, two of the highest-oxalate vegetables.31
Digestion and pregnancy
Okra water adds soluble fiber, so if extra fiber tends to leave you bloated, start with a smaller glass and see how you feel. Okra is a nourishing food in pregnancy, with 60 micrograms of folate per cup.12 Okra water hasn't been studied in pregnancy, and its trial didn't include pregnant women,1 so keep to food amounts: an ordinary glass at most, and okra cooked into meals.
The bottom line
Should you drink okra water?
Yes, if you'd like a simple, food-based habit for healthy blood sugar. In its trial, a morning glass of okra water lowered fasting blood sugar on top of diabetes pills in just 15 days, and seven research reviews of okra point the same way, with lower HbA1c and LDL cholesterol along with it. Okra has served as a traditional medicine in Africa and India for generations, and it's encouraging to see modern trials line up with that tradition.
Make it the way it was tested: 40 grams of slit pods soaked overnight in about 7 ounces of water, drunk first thing in the morning, with the pods cooked into dinner. Build it on the foundation: vegetables and protein first at meals, fiber with every meal and a walk after eating. Your body was designed to heal, and small daily habits built on a strong foundation give it what it needs.
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Open the free protocol →Okra water: frequently asked questions
What is okra water good for?
Okra water is best known for supporting healthy blood sugar, and okra itself has also lowered HbA1c, insulin resistance, and total and LDL cholesterol in trials.2
Does okra water lower blood sugar?
Yes. In a randomized trial of 168 adults with type 2 diabetes, a glass every morning for 15 days lowered fasting blood sugar 21.0 mg/dL on top of their diabetes pills, against 4.7 mg/dL with pills alone.1
How do you make okra water?
How long should okra soak in water?
Overnight, up to 12 hours, which is how long the pods soaked in the trial that tested okra water.1
When is the best time to drink okra water?
First thing in the morning on an empty stomach, which is when people drank it in the trial that lowered their fasting blood sugar.1
How much okra water should I drink a day?
One glass, made from 40 grams of pods in 200 milliliters of water, is the daily amount that was tested.1 There's no established dose beyond that.
Can I drink okra water if I take metformin?
Most of the people who drank okra water in its trial did: 51 of 56 also took metformin-class pills, and their fasting blood sugar fell more than on pills alone.1 Because a rat study found okra's water-soluble gel blunted metformin when the two were given in one mixture, keep taking your medication exactly as prescribed and tell your prescriber you've added okra water.15
What are the side effects of okra water?
In its trial, the only problem reported was a cold in three people during the first few days, and they kept drinking it.1 The main caution is glucose-lowering medication, which okra water can add to. Very little of okra's oxalate is absorbed, but if you've had kidney stones, rotate it with other vegetables.28
Is okra water bad for your kidneys?
Does okra water help you lose weight?
It may help as part of a bigger plan: a 2025 review of 12 okra trials found lower body weight, BMI and fat mass,23 though three other reviews, including a 2026 review of 14 trials, found no significant change in weight.21921 Okra water itself was tested for blood sugar, so for weight it fits as one habit in a plan built on protein, vegetables and daily movement.
Does okra water lower cholesterol?
Okra does: in a 2026 review of 14 randomized trials, okra in other forms lowered LDL cholesterol by 8.55 mg/dL and total cholesterol by 12.58 mg/dL.2
Can you drink okra water while pregnant?
Can you use frozen okra to make okra water?
Use fresh pods if you can: the trial made okra water from fresh okra, and frozen okra hasn't been tested for it.1 Frozen okra is still a good vegetable to cook.
How can you make okra water taste better?
Add a squeeze of lemon and drink it chilled. Keep it unsweetened, with no honey, sugar or juice, since you're drinking it for your blood sugar.25
Does okra water remove microplastics from your body?
Okra's natural polymers have been tested for pulling microplastics out of water, not out of the body: in a lab water-treatment study, they removed about 80% of the microplastics from ocean-water samples.7
Is it better to drink okra water or eat okra?
Do both: drink the water for its soluble gel, then cook and eat the strained pods for their vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and fiber.12
Freshness & update log
What changed in this update (October 18, 2026) — Updated the optimal lab ranges to DrAxe.com's current standard.
What changed in this update (October 6, 2026) — Matched Dr. Axe's quotes to his own words, with their sources.
What changed in this update (October 2, 2026) — Rewritten around the randomized trial that tested okra water as a drink (168 adults with type 2 diabetes, 15 days) and seven research reviews of okra and blood sugar, with their numbers; replaced the general recipe (4 to 5 pods in 2 to 3 cups of water, soaked 8 to 24 hours) with the recipe that was tested, plus FDA produce-safety steps; corrected the nutrition values to USDA FoodData Central (33 calories and 3.2 grams of fiber per cup of raw okra, not 22 calories and 2.5 grams); removed the immune, sexual-health and skin benefits, which had no okra studies behind them; added the cholesterol, triglyceride and inflammation results, the oxalate data for people prone to kidney stones, and what an animal study showed about metformin; added the Dr. Axe Score, three charts and a diagram of how okra's gel works; and added study designs and sizes.
References
- Radhika R, Navaneetha M, Ravichandran K, Hemavathi P. Comparing the effect of ladies' finger water with fenugreek seeds water on the blood glucose level among subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus-a randomized controlled trial. Int J Clin Trials. 2021;8(1):10-16. doi:10.18203/2349-3259.ijct20210140
- Jafari A, Mardani H, Karimi MA, Sahami Gilan M, Hemmat H, Shoja F, et al. Therapeutic potential of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in dysglycaemia and metabolic dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis across the diabetes spectrum. Exp Physiol. 2026. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1113/EP093293. PMID:41823653
- Axe J. #1 Cellular Health EXPERT: Most Longevity Advice Gets It Backwards. The Dr. Josh Axe Show; 2026. Video lbZ-z-GS_b4, food as medicine at 2:59–3:04.
- Kwok CT, Ng YF, Chan HL, Chan SW. An Overview of the Current Scientific Evidence on the Biological Properties of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (Okra). Foods. 2025;14(2):177. doi:10.3390/foods14020177. PMID:39856844
- Gemede HF, Haki GD, Beyene F, Rakshit SK, Woldegiorgis AZ. Indigenous Ethiopian okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) mucilage: A novel ingredient with functional and antioxidant properties. Food Sci Nutr. 2018;6(3):563-571. doi:10.1002/fsn3.596. PMID:29876107
- Negash E, Belachew T, Tamiru D. Understanding the traditional values and use of okra among pregnant women in western Ethiopia: a qualitative study. BMJ Open. 2023;13(4):e071612. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071612. PMID:37045582
- Srinivasan R, Bhuju R, Chraibi V, Stefan MC, Hien N, Ustundag D, et al. Fenugreek and Okra Polymers as Treatment Agents for the Removal of Microplastics from Water Sources. ACS Omega. 2025;10(15):14640-14656. doi:10.1021/acsomega.4c07476. PMID:40290963
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