I Drank Okra Water Daily For a Month

Confession: I like okra water a little too much. (I'll explain.)

The trouble began in early 2024 when videos with the hashtag #okrawater surfaced on TikTok. Oddly mesmerizing clips portrayed influencers straining okra pods from a clear, viscous liquid, claiming the okra-infused elixir could affect everything from weight loss to vaginal dryness.

Elsewhere on the internet, searches for “okra water” were on the rise, soaring by 470 percent from June 2023 to June 2024, according to Pinterest's worldwide internal search data. The trend began to receive media coverage, with various dieticians weighing in to debunk or support its purported benefits.

Because there is limited research on okra water (and because I am a hero), I nominated myself to embody a human guinea pig for the wellness trend. After resolving to drink okra water daily for a month, I was surprised by the results. (Spoiler: I experienced side effects.)

Experts Featured in This Article

Kaytee Hadley, MS, RDN, IFMCP, is a dietician and founder of the insurance-based practice Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, Virginia.

Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD, is a registered dietician and founder of Eat Well Gulf Coast.

Amy Goldsmith RD, LDN, is the owner of Kindred Nutrition & Kinetics.

What is Okra Water?

On its face, okra water doesn't sound too appealing. The drink is made by soaking okra pods in water overnight. The texture of the resulting drink is thick and slimy, kind of like snail goo. Okra water owes its gel-like consistency to mucilage, a dense, slimy substance found in okra pods, says dietician Kaytee Hadley, MS, RDN, IFMCP. Also found in plants like chia seeds and aloe vera, mucilage is a complex carb often used as a thickening agent in recipes.

Are there any benefits to drinking this gelatinous homemade drink? Hadley says the verdict is still out: “We know that okra contains nutrients that are beneficial for digestion, heart health, and blood sugar regulation,” she tells PS. “However, there aren't any human studies on okra water and its potential benefits.”

What Does Okra Water Taste Like?

I kicked off my month of okra water on New Year's Eve. I'd hoped to use fresh okra, but I couldn't find any at my local H-E-B (the fruit is in season in the late summer and early fall). I settled for frozen okra, purchasing three giant 20-ounce store-brand bags. I made my okra water in a pitcher, adding 15 ounces of okra to three liters of water and steeping it overnight.

The next day (when I may or may not have been hurting from the previous night's New Year's Eve celebration), I poured myself a glass of okra water and took my first tentative sip. Then, I took another.

The texture was indeed quite slimy — but slimy in a weirdly satisfying way. It reminded me of the gooey filling of a jelly donut. I found the okra flavoring surprisingly refreshing, similar to cucumber water.

I polished off my first glass, then moved on to a second one. I was very dehydrated (it doesn't matter why), and the okra water was just what the hangover doctor ordered.

Okra Water Side Effects

In the following days, I continued to drink okra water with abandon. On more than a few occasions, I lost count of how many cups I drank in a day. I was polishing off my okra water stock so quickly that I worried I'd soon need to re-up on frozen okra. Then, I started noticing a side effect: I was bloated. It was subtle, so I didn't notice it until I took a yoga class and stood in front of a mirror.

Then came gas. (TMI?) To my horror, my farts smelled a little like okra. This reaction isn't uncommon, according to Hadley. “You may experience bloating, gas, or an upset stomach if you don't tolerate fiber well or have a sensitivity to fructans — a type of carbohydrate in okra — and start drinking a significant amount of okra water,” she says.

How to Neutralize Okra Water Side Effects

With weeks remaining in my okra experiment, I had to course correct — or risk becoming the least popular person at my yoga studio. Desperate for guidance, I spoke to dietician Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD.

“Just don't overdo it” is Bourgiours' sage, sensible advice. “Everybody is different, so it's important to start conservatively when adding something new to your routine and then ease your way up depending on your tolerance.” Chastened, I cut my consumption down to a more reasonable one six-ounce serving of okra water per day. To my relief, the bloating and gas dissipated.

So, returning to my original confession: even though I'm aware of the gassy consequences, I struggle to limit myself to a single cup of okra water — that's how much I love the weird, slimy texture and refreshing taste. Honestly, I would drink it instead of regular water if I could. Alas, my tummy has other plans.

Benefits of Okra Water

Bloating and gas aside, did I experience any benefits from okra water? Maybe. Let's take it benefit by benefit and run down the list of okra water claims you'll likely see on TikTok:

Claim 1: Okra improves digestion

This one is hard to say — how exactly do you measure improved digestion? I did not experience an increase in pooping, if that's what we're talking about. It makes sense that I didn't experience any discernible digestive (a.k.a. poop) benefits, according to dietician Amy Goldsmith RD, LDN. “Okra mucilage can dissolve in water and provide soluble fiber,” she says. “However, if your overall fiber is low, this will not increase it enough to improve digestion.”

Claim 2: Okra detoxifies your body

Okra water tasted especially delicious while nursing my New Year's Day hangover. Bloating aside, I also felt pretty great during my okra water month (Though, full disclosure: At least some — or all — of these effects might be due to me simultaneously undertaking Dry January.) Still, there may be something to this claim, Bourgeois says.

“The liver is in charge of detoxifying your body,” she says. “The mucilage in okra can bind to bile acid and cholesterol, which can help to support the liver's efforts.” Not to be overlooked is the hydrating power of the beverage, she adds. “Hydration is essential for ridding the body of waste. So, if drinking okra water helps you increase your water intake, that could help with detoxification.”

Claim 3: Okra boosts weight loss

I did not lose weight while drinking okra water. (I wasn't trying to, but still.) However, it's worth noting that I did find okra water to be filling. Drinking okra took the edge off whenever I hankered for a mindless snack.

This reaction is par for the course, according to Hadley. “Fiber is a great appetite regulator,” Hadley says, adding: “Okra water doesn't ‘burn fat' or have any special properties that would lead to more weight loss than simply staying hydrated and eating enough fiber throughout the day.”

Claim 4: Okra helps reproductive health

The most controversial claim surrounding okra water is that it aids reproductive health for women, including enhancing vaginal lubrication, boosting fertility, and easing labor during pregnancy.

Well, I did not get pregnant (though I wasn't trying to), nor did I go into labor (easy or otherwise) while drinking daily okra water. As far as vaginal lubrication goes, neither my partner nor I noticed a difference. The dieticians were not surprised by this news: “I truly have no idea where this claim originated,” Hadley says. “I haven't seen any scientific data to support the idea that okra water — or whole okra, for that matter — supports vaginal health or lubrication.”

Bourgeois agrees: “The benefits of okra water for vaginal health and reproductive health are largely anecdotal.” However, she adds that overall hydration plays a major role in vaginal health and lubrication. “If okra water helps you drink more water, it could potentially help with vaginal health,” she says.

Claim 5: Okra water imparts glowing skin

Real talk: I noticed some huge improvements in my skin during January. My eye bags were less baggy. My skin was definitely plumper. But was my glowing skin the result of Dry January? Was it that I made a New Year's resolution to nix my bad habit of tanning in tanning beds? Was it drinking daily okra water? Or some combination of the three?

Again, it's hard to say. However, we do know okra water can help with hydration, as Bourgeois has emphasized. We also know hydration plays a part in keeping skin looking and feeling healthy.

My Results of Drinking Okra Water

So, after my month of daily okra water drinking, would I recommend the much-hyped, produce-infused potation? I would. Despite not being overwhelmed with benefits from my 30-day trial, I appreciate okra water's flavor and gooey mouthfeel. The beverage is also hands-down a superior alternative to drinking soda or high-calorie beverages.

For the most part, the dieticians I spoke with agree. “I'm all for drinking okra water mindfully,” Bourgeois says. “If you love drinking okra water and feel good doing it, great!” Hadley agrees. “But the idea that it's some cure-all or has more benefits than just eating okra is silly.”

I plan on continuing to drink okra water — at least until my supply runs out. Like I said, I like it! And while it didn't necessarily deliver on all the claims, it didn't not deliver. Bottom line: Give okra water a try! The worst-case scenario is you don't like it and have a bunch of tasty okra leftover to cook with.

Okra Water FAQ

How To Make Okra Water

Okra water has three easy ingredients: Okra pods, water, and time. Add fresh or frozen okra pods to a water pitcher and stick it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, treat yourself to an ice-cold glass of okra water.

Recipes vary, but cocktailing 16 ounces of frozen okra with three liters of water yielded a satisfyingly viscous mixture. You should experiment with more or less okra, depending on your gooeyness tolerance. Some people strain the okra out of the water, but I didn't mind sipping around the okra chunks. I also found the mixture gets thicker the longer you let it sit in the fridge — just don't leave it for more than four days, as it starts to get rancid (I learned this the hard way.)

What is the Nutritional Content of Okra Water?

According to Goldsmith, the nutritional content of okra water will vary depending on how much okra you use. “One cup of raw okra provides 33 calories, 1.9 g of protein, 7.5 g of carbohydrates. 3.2 grams of fiber,” Goldsmith says. However, drinking okra water doesn't guarantee your body will absorb all the calories and nutrition, she emphasizes.

Does Okra Water Break a Fast?

As someone who practices intermittent fasting, I found this distinction important. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of research into whether okra water breaks a fast. “Technically, anything with calories will break a fast, so okra water will end it,” Hadley says. “However, because it contains very minimal calories and macronutrients, the effect is probably negligible.”

Is Drinking Okra Water Better Than Eating Okra?

The idea that drinking okra water is even equal to consuming okra is a hard no, says Goldsmith. “It is much more beneficial for people to eat okra or another vegetable or fruit that provides fiber if they want improved digestion and other health benefits,” she says. But Bourgeois says there is one potential benefit that drinking okra water might have over eating the fruit: hydration. “If okra water helps you drink more water, that's a benefit,” Bourgeois argues.

Who Should Not Drink Okra Water?

Okra contains oxalates, which may increase the risk of kidney stones, Bourgeois says. If you have a history of kidney stones, you may want to avoid okra water. “You can always ask a dietitian for guidance to make sure that the benefits outweigh the risk of anything you're consuming.”

María Cristina Lalonde is a freelance journalist and aspiring kickboxing champion. She has written about sexual health, fitness, and wellness for over a decade. Her articles have appeared in, among other publications, the Houston Chronicle, Everyday Health, Giddy, and U.S. News & World Report.