Okra Extracts May Help Increase the Shelf-Life of Ice Cream

Did you know the flowering plant known as okra or lady fingers can also be used to keep ice cream fresh?

A recent study with findings published in the Journal of Food Science shows that the vegetable's powerful extracts can actually help increase the shelf-life of ice cream.

Scientists determined that as the quality of ice cream significantly depends on the size of ice crystals in the food, the product's consistency becomes courser when it melts and refreezes during distribution and storage as the ice crystals can expand and make the ice cream less smooth and potentially more difficult to consume.

"We have shown that OKW (okra cell wall ) and OKP (water-soluble polysaccharide ) could be used as ice cream stabilizer to retard ice recrystallization and melt down of the ice cream. These naturally extracted stabilizers offer an alternative ingredient for the ice cream industry as well as for other food products," said the study authors, in a news release.

The study was lead by researchers at Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand and their colleagues at Univeristy of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

They discovered that water extracts of the okra fiber could be used to help preserve ice cream in storage, as the natural ingredients can act as an alternative stabilizer in the ice cream industry also.

Findings suggest that these naturally extracted stabilizers offer a different food ingredient for ice cream and other food industries.

Besides the benefits of the plant in this study alone, research has also shown that eating okra can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues.