3 Lady Finger (Okra) Remedies For Diabetes, Head Lice, Burn Wounds

By Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD
Lady finger or Okra is a well known vegetable. It balances Pitta and Vata Dosha and is a coolant. Ladies finger is usually contra indicated cold, cough, low digestion strength etc. 

As okra has has significant amount of fibre and mucilage, it is recommended in the treatment of hemorrhoids, dysuria and burning sensation.

Home remedies

Few simple and effective okra home remedies are –

Diabetes

1. Fresh juice of Ladies finger in Type II Diabetes:
1-2 fresh and matured (tender should not be taken) ladies fingers are taken and cut into pieces. This is added to 2 cup of water and macerated well.This is taken early in the morning preferably on empty stomach. Significant decrease in fasting sugar is observed by this recipe.

Burns

2. Ladies finger gum for burn wounds:
20 ml of fresh juice of ladies finger and 100 ml of lime water (dehydrated lime (calcium carbonate) is dissolved in 6 parts of water and supernatant (liquid) part is collected; this is used here) are taken together and mixed thoroughly.

This juice is applied over the burns. This pacifies burning sensation immediately.
If the burn is in extremities, the parts can be dipped in this solution but large amount of the liquid mix is needed.

Lice, dandruff

3. Ladies finger seed powder oil for head lice and dandruff:
30-40 dried seeds are powdered well.
This is soaked in sesame oil or coconut oil for a day.
Next day this is heated with fire for a 5 – 10 minutes.
On self cooling this is filtered and stored.

This oil is a traditional practice in Guni tribal people. This unique practice is found in Maharashtra as well as  Rajasthan.
Preferably red colored ladies fingers are used here.

A well known vegetable is less known in medicinal field. But certain unique practices are carried in few of the villages The readers are open to add few more such medicinal uses of their practice or knowledge.

Raw Okra

Taste – sweet
Properties – heavy (contains mucilage, contraindicated in low digestion strength)
Potency – cold (useful in burning sensation)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka ) – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta balancing
Kapha increasing

Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

Taste – sweet
Properties – not very heavy (as it is cooked, drained)
Potency – cold (useful in burning sensation)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka ) – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta balancing
Kapha nourishing (as it is boiled and drained)

Okra, frozen, unprepared

Taste – sweet
Properties – heavy (contains mucilage, contraindicated in low digestion strength)
Potency – cold (useful in burning sensation)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka )  – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta balancing
Kapha increasing

Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

Taste – sweet
Properties – not very heavy (as it is cooked, drained)
Potency – cold (useful in burning sensation)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka )  – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta balancing
Kapha nourishing (as it is boiled and drained)

Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

Taste – sweet, slightly salty
Properties – not very heavy (as it is cooked, drained)
Potency – not very cold (okra is cold in potency, but salt is hot in potency)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka ) – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta nourishing (okra is Pitta balancing, but salt is Pitta increasing)
Kapha nourishing (as it is boiled and drained)

Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt

Taste – sweet, slightly salty
Properties – not very heavy (as it is cooked, drained)
Potency – not very cold (okra is cold in potency, but salt is hot in potency)
After digestion taste transformation ( Vipaka ) – sweet
Effect on Doshas
Vata balancing
Pitta nourishing (okra is Pitta balancing, but salt is Pitta increasing)
Kapha nourishing (as it is boiled and drained)

Click to consult Dr MS Krishnamurthy MD(Ayu), PhD