Okra often gets used like a vegetable in cooking. You might be familiar with okra as an ingredient in gumbo, for example. Though not necessarily a household name in healthy foods, okra still has plenty of nutritional value.

Okra is low in calories but packed full of nutrients. The vitamin C in okra helps support healthy immune function. Okra is also rich in vitamin K, which helps your body clot blood.

Antioxidants are natural compounds that help your body fight off molecules called free radicals that can damage cells. Free radicals are most well known for causing oxidation damage, which can eventually lead to cancer.

Okra contains antioxidants called polyphenols, including vitamins A and C. It also contains a protein called lectin which may inhibit cancer cell growth in humans. Studies using concentrated compounds from okra showed they inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells by up to 63%. Further research is needed for definitive proof of okra’s cancer-blocking properties.