Dhaka, July 13 -- A new study published in Brain Research has found that okra may offer protective benefits against the long-term health effects of early-life over nutrition, particularly in reducing obesity-related brain inflammation and metabolic dysfunction.

The study, titled "Okra-supplemented diet prevents hypothalamic inflammation in early overfeeding-programmed obese rats" , used a rat model where small litters resulted in overfeeding and rapid weight gain during infancy. As adults, these rats typically exhibited obesity, high blood sugar levels, and insulin resistance.

However, researchers observed that rats fed a diet supplemented with 1.5% okra avoided many of these issues. They had lower fat mass, improved glucose tolerance, ...