Experts reveal the truth about Okra water
Okra displayed at Wakulima market in Nakuru.
Snow White had an evil stepmother who was obsessed with beauty, Cinderalla had a hard life because of her beauty, while Rapunzel had an evil witch who was obsessed with youth.
My examples could be of fairy tales that are purely a figment of the imagination.
But one thing that is common and real about all of them is that one thing has remained constant for women, the search for the magic potion or elixir of beauty and youth.
If you doubt me, just read some history books that talk about beauty and skincare.
Fast forward to the 21st century and things have become more complicated. Walk into any beauty or cosmetics store and women are spoilt for choice when it comes to beauty and skincare products - a good problem to have, you might say.
But this is far from the case.
Being spoilt for choice and spending time on the internet has resulted to women now turning to traditional remedies rather than manufactured products to treat their beauty needs. Why? your guess is as good as mine.
It started with ginger and lemon concoctions that women carried in their water bottles to the office. Now okra has been added to the mix to make the beauty portion more effective.
Okra water is the hottest beauty remedy in town, claimed to enhance sexual wellbeing and flawless skin.
But how true is this?
I spoke to two professional experts, a nutritionist and a gynaecologist, to try and demystify the myths.
Emmanuel Wekesa, a gynaecologist at Pristone Medical Center, notes that okra is a nutritious and healthy vegetable but what it's claimed to do on social media has yet to be scientifically proven.
"Okra is a nutritious food and sexual health doesn't come from drinking okra water. You should take good care of yourself, eat healthy and maintain good hygiene to have better sexual health," Dr Wekesa says.
This is not the first time that there has been hype about certain foods having sexual health benefits. Dr Wekesa however, advices that its important to be careful about what we eat.
He says it is important to have a healthy lifestyle as this will ultimately have a positive effect in an individuals sexual health.
"It is possible to realise the full potential of your sexual health by understanding the crucial physical and emotional elements that play a significant role. It's necessary to go for check-ups to identify any sexual health problems you may have," he said.
Nakuru County Nutritionist, Christine Kihara, says okra is a nutritious crop and very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Okra is rich in vitamin K, potassium, sodium, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6 and vitamin A among others.
She notes that the fibre in okra takes longer to digest and increases the feeling of fullness after eating. It is also low in fat and cholesterol.
According to Ms Kihara, like most vegetables, also helps with weight loss due to its low calorie and high fibre content.
"A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person's chances of developing a number of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease," says Ms Kihara.
She says eating vegetables is important, but it's also necessary to eat other nutritious foods to maintain a healthy lifestyle.