Okra vs. Broccoli — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison


Summary
Okra provides more manganese, calcium, Vitamin B1, magnesium, and copper than broccoli. It is also lower in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
On the other hand, broccoli has more Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B5, and iron.
Table of contents
Introduction
In this article, you can find a detailed description of the differences between okra and broccoli.
What's The Actual Difference?
It is difficult to confuse broccoli and okra with each other; they have no similarities on the outside. Broccoli is dark green, with firm stalks and compact bud clusters, while okra fruit is hairy at the base and is a tapering 10-angled capsule 10–25 cm long with numerous oval dark-colored seeds. Raw broccoli has a vegetal, slightly sweet, and slightly bitter flavor. It tastes very different from cooked broccoli, which is usually sweeter. Cooked broccoli can be very tender, crisp-tender, or crunchy, depending on the cook time and method. Okra has a sweet, grassy flavor that deepens with cooking time and a texture that can be crisp, juicy, or dense and creamy.
Nutrition
Below you can find the nutrition infographics that visually show the differences between broccoli and okra. The nutritional information and infographics in this article are for raw broccoli and raw okra.
Calories
Both broccoli and okra are low in calories and have almost equal numbers. Broccoli contains 34 calories per 100g, and okra contains 33 calories per 100g.
Fats
Both broccoli and okra have fats of less than 1g.
Carbs
Broccoli contains 6.64g of carbs per 100g, whereas okra has 7.45g of carbs per 100g. Both are considered low-carb foods.
Fiber
Broccoli has 2.6g fiber and 4.04g net carbs. Okra provides 3.2g of and 4.25g of net carbs.
Cholesterol
Both foods have no cholesterol.
Vitamins
Broccoli contains three times more Vitamin C, two times more Vitamin K, and more Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin E.
Broccoli falls in the range of the top 10% of foods as a source of Vitamin C.
On the other hand, okra contains more Vitamin B6, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B1.
Both have an equal amount of folate.
Vitamin Comparison
Minerals
Okra has a relatively higher amount of minerals than broccoli. It contains more calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc and less sodium than broccoli.
Broccoli contains more iron than okra.
Both have equal amounts of phosphorus and potassium.
Mineral Comparison
Health Impact
Cardiovascular Health
Okra contains mucilage, a thick gel-like substance that can bind to cholesterol during digestion, causing it to be excreted with stools rather than absorbed.
In one 8-week study [1], mice were randomly divided into three groups and fed a high-fat diet containing 1% or 2% okra powder or a high-fat diet without okra powder. The mice on the okra diet had lower total blood cholesterol levels and eliminated more cholesterol in their stools than the control group.
A study [2] on broccoli sprouts in mice revealed a potentially protective effect against cell death and oxidative stress in heart tissue following a cardiac arrest.
In another study [3], people who took a powdered broccoli sprout supplement had lower triglycerides and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and higher "good" HDL cholesterol levels.
Cancer
Okra contains lectins, proteins that may inhibit the growth of human cancer cells. In one test-tube study [4] of breast cancer cells, the lectin in okra was found to inhibit cancer cell growth by up to 63%.
Another test-tube study [5] found that okra extract caused cancer cell death in metastatic mouse melanoma cells.
In some animal studies [6], treatment with broccoli extract reduced tumor growth and prevalence in mice with UV-induced skin cancer. Small human studies have yielded similar results, revealing a significant protective effect of broccoli extract against skin damage and cancer development after sun exposure.
Diabetes
According to the researchers [7], the okra reduced sugar absorption in the digestive tract, resulting in a more stable blood sugar response. However, okra may interact with metformin, a commonly used diabetes medication. As a result, eating okra is not advised for those taking this medication.
In one human study [8], people with type 2 diabetes who consumed broccoli sprouts daily for one month had significantly lower insulin resistance.
Broccoli also contains a lot of fiber. According to some studies, a higher fiber intake is associated with lower blood sugar and better diabetic control.
Healthy Digestion

Okra and broccoli are rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants. Dietary fiber-rich foods may beneficially affect a person’s gut microbiota and overall digestive health [9].
Regular consumption of foods rich in dietary fiber may improve digestion, transit time, and stool formation and lower the risk of several gut diseases, such as constipation, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and colorectal cancer [10].
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23606408/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22325157/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20706790/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24129958/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20013817/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737735/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3263724/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22537070/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33208922/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24876314/
Infographic

Macronutrient Comparison
Fat Type Comparison
Carbohydrate type comparison
Comparison summary table
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Lower in Sugar |
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Lower in Sodium |
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Lower in Saturated Fat |
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Lower in Glycemic Index |
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Lower in price |
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Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
Rich in minerals | Equal | ||
Rich in vitamins | Equal |
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
Nutrient | ![]() |
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Opinion |
Net carbs | 4.25g | 4.04g |
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Protein | 1.93g | 2.82g |
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Fats | 0.19g | 0.37g |
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Carbs | 7.45g | 6.64g |
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Calories | 33kcal | 34kcal |
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Starch | 0.34g | 0g |
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Fructose | 0.57g | 0.68g |
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Sugar | 1.48g | 1.7g |
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Fiber | 3.2g | 2.6g |
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Calcium | 82mg | 47mg |
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Iron | 0.62mg | 0.73mg |
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Magnesium | 57mg | 21mg |
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Phosphorus | 61mg | 66mg |
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Potassium | 299mg | 316mg |
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Sodium | 7mg | 33mg |
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Zinc | 0.58mg | 0.41mg |
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Copper | 0.109mg | 0.049mg |
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Manganese | 0.788mg | 0.21mg |
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Selenium | 0.7µg | 2.5µg |
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Vitamin A | 716IU | 623IU |
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Vitamin A RAE | 36µg | 31µg |
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Vitamin E | 0.27mg | 0.78mg |
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Vitamin C | 23mg | 89.2mg |
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Vitamin B1 | 0.2mg | 0.071mg |
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Vitamin B2 | 0.06mg | 0.117mg |
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Vitamin B3 | 1mg | 0.639mg |
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Vitamin B5 | 0.245mg | 0.573mg |
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Vitamin B6 | 0.215mg | 0.175mg |
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Folate | 60µg | 63µg |
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Vitamin K | 31.3µg | 101.6µg |
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Tryptophan | 0.017mg | 0.033mg |
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Threonine | 0.065mg | 0.088mg |
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Isoleucine | 0.069mg | 0.079mg |
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Leucine | 0.105mg | 0.129mg |
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Lysine | 0.081mg | 0.135mg |
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Methionine | 0.021mg | 0.038mg |
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Phenylalanine | 0.065mg | 0.117mg |
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Valine | 0.091mg | 0.125mg |
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Histidine | 0.031mg | 0.059mg |
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Saturated Fat | 0.026g | 0.039g |
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Monounsaturated Fat | 0.017g | 0.011g |
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Polyunsaturated fat | 0.027g | 0.038g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?


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Low Fats diet |
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Low Carbs diet |
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Low Calories diet |
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Low Glycemic Index diet |
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People also compare
Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score




Comparison summary





References
The source of all the nutrient values on the page (excluding the main article the sources for which are presented separately if present) is the USDA's FoodCentral. The exact links to the foods presented on this page can be found below.
- Okra - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169260/nutrients
- Broccoli - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170379/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.