It’s been a year since I started drinking okra water every morning and I still find it slightly strange that this is now a part of my routine. It began with a fairly ordinary bout of digestive discomfort and advice from my nani. She told me to wash, slice and soak four okra pods in a glass of water overnight and drink the water first thing in the morning, before my chai. Until then, I’d only encountered okra water benefits through Instagram glow-ups, never seriously considering trying it myself.
The first few mornings were an adjustment. The taste was mild, kind of like thick coconut water without the sweetness. The texture, though, was unmistakably slimy.
The first few weeks
Within the first week, I noticed my morning chai seemed to feel less harsh on my stomach. A few weeks later, my skin began to look brighter and less withered, for lack of a better word. My acne was still very much around, so I wasn’t suddenly waking up with glass skin. There was just a healthier-looking quality to my complexion that I hadn’t noticed before.
That got me wondering whether my digestion and my skin might somehow be connected.
Turns out, the gut-skin axis is an area of growing research, with scientists looking at how the gut microbiome, inflammation and diet may influence skin health. The relationship is complicated and there is still plenty we don’t know. Still, the possibility that what was happening in my gut could be showing up on my skin was enough to make me stick with the ritual.
Why is it slimy?
The thing that makes okra water so distinctive is the slimy mucilage in it. Okra contains soluble and insoluble fibre and its mucilage is a type of gel-forming soluble fibre.
“Gut issues are everywhere in India, which is why I love slimy foods like okra, since that slime is a fibre that feeds the good bacteria in the gut and when digestion settles, the skin tends to follow,” says Anushka Gokani, perinatal and infancy functional nutrition practitioner. “It also slows how fast sugar hits the blood and with so many Indian women struggling with insulin resistance, PMOS, and fertility, it makes okra one of the most underrated vegetables in our kitchens.”
The blood-sugar angle is particularly interesting. Some research on whole okra and okra preparations has found potential effects on blood glucose, although the research is still limited. Could blood-sugar changes have had something to do with my skin? Possibly.
My family got involved
Three months in, my parents started joining me in the morning ritual. They both noticed changes in their digestion fairly quickly. Their experience made me feel a little less like I was imagining the okra water benefits.
Then my friends started noticing my skin. A few of them were intrigued enough to try it. One friend later told me that her bowel movements had never been better. It’s quite funny how quickly a casual conversation can turn into a surprisingly detailed discussion about everyone’s bathroom habits — but perhaps that’s just what happens in your 30s.
Should you just eat the okra?
Eating whole okra gives you the complete vegetable, including its fibre and nutrients. Soaking it in water extracts some of the mucilage and soluble components, but you’re leaving much of the actual vegetable behind.
Dr Arim, expert in gut health and microbiome, explains that “okra water has gained traction largely because of its rich mucilage: a gel-like soluble fibre. When soaked, these fibres leach into the water, helping to slow gastric emptying and blunt post-meal blood glucose spikes. It can also act as a mild demulcent, soothing the gut lining and supporting microbial diversity. However, it’s not magic. Drinking the infused water delivers hydration and some extracted nutrients, but you miss out on the insoluble fibre and full nutritional density of eating whole okra.”
