Did you know okra (okro) can negatively affect sperm quality?
ABIGAIL BARRETT / Our Today
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No more steam fish and okra? Okra has been a Jamaican staple touted for millennia to boost vitality and sperm quality, but recent research suggests that it might negatively affect sperm.
Okra, though very nutritious, can lead to infertility in men of reproductive age, Dr Ochuko Erikainure, a Senior Research Officer at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos, warns.
Erukainure said that okra has a unique substance called “Gossypol”.
“Gossypol inhibits sperm production and motility by blocking several enzymes that are highly important in energy metabolism in sperm and sperm-producing cells,” he noted. “Okra seeds are very rich in toxic pigment called Gossypol which promotes infertility in men by arresting sperm production (spermatogenesis) even at lower doses.”
Some studies suggest that excessive consumption of okra may negatively affect sperm parameters, testicular weight, and testicular tissues. These harmful effects could potentially reduce male fertility or lead to male infertility.
Gossypol is a natural polyphenol that is oil-soluble and secreted by plants as a defence mechanism against predators.
In some countries, okra seeds are used as a natural contraceptive for men, while in Jamaica, they serve the opposite purpose.
“I had no clue about this, because as a man, growing up in Jamaica, them tell yuh to eat nuff okro and steamed fish to build up stamina and a ‘strong back’,” Everol, 50, said. “Yuh soon hear say wi not to drink blend up (oats, peanut, Supligen, Guinness) either.”
The pro-apoptotic activities of gossypol found in okra seeds—meaning it can promote the death of cells—have also put it on researcher’s radar for its potential as an anticancer agent. Additionally, nutritionists note that, despite its effects on men, consuming okra can provide health benefits for individuals with diabetes, obesity, or those who are overweight.
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