- Okra water has been commonly used for blood sugar control, digestion and weight loss.
- There has been a recent rumours that it also enhances women's sexual experience and reduces labour pains.
- Master herbalist disagrees with okra's sexual benefits and says it's more beneficial for pregnancies.
The okra water recipe has been making its rounds across TikTok because it's rumored to have benefits for sexual pleasure for women.
The slime-like drink is made from the okra plant, which is accessible from major retail stores. Okra water is commonly used for health reasons such as blood sugar control, digestion and weight loss. But, recently, it has been trending for some explicit reasons.
Higher sexual stimulation, reduction of discomfort during intercourse, increased lubrication and libido are some of the reasons why women are having one cup a day, according to a blog post on instacare.
Once consumed frequently, it's alleged that both women and men have a pleasurable experience under the sheets, increasing sexual stimulation and chances of easily reaching orgasm. "Nizaba in sync," said TikToker @thandiswamtobeni describing her sexual experience after using okra water.
READ MORE | Sex toys 101: Fine-tune your orgasm with these nifty gadgets
Apparently the drink does not only make the baby-making process more enjoyable but it also assists with the pregnancy journey and giving birth. Okra water is said to help reduce morning sicknesses and ease labour pains as it softens the cervix walls, making for a smoother birthing experience.
"Did this, raspberry leaf tea and dates. Had a five-hour labour, went all natural and pushed baby out in 15 min with one mini micro tear. Definitely works!" commented @Char on a TikTok video.
Bee Stephens, who is a master herbalist at Herbology South Africa, agrees that the okra plant is beneficial for pregnant people and babies but disagrees with it being used for sexual intercourse.
"As a herbalist, it's not something I use for the experience of sexual intercourse. It's not used for that. It's not a sex medicine, it's a uterus medicine," she says.
"All this information has been googled and a content creator put it together," Bee adds and advises people to stay away from the information they find on the internet because at most times it is not true if not provided by experts.
She further states that if people want to use okra for sexual benefits, it should be from a nutritional perspective and it should be used frequently, that is the only time it will provide a multitude of benefits. "It's not [something] you chew today and tonight you horny. You got to change the chemistry inside the body."
Bee warns us of some of okra's side effects, such as diarrhea, bloating and cramping.
She says, "If you have any gastroentero issues, the last thing you wanna put in your body is okra. I don't care how horny you wanna get."
