Cucumbers have a mild, refreshing taste and a high water content. They can help relieve dehydration and are pleasant to eat in hot weather. People eat cucumber as a savory food, but it is a fruit. It also features in some beauty products.
The cucumber is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family. Other members of the family include squash and different kinds of melon, including bitter melon. Cucumbers provide various nutrients but are low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Types
The most commonly available type of cucumber is the hothouse or English cucumber. It is large, with dark green skin, and few or no seeds.
Other types of cucumber include:
Armenian, or snake cucumbers: These are long and twisted with thin, dark green skin and pale furrows. People often use them for pickling.
Japanese cucumbers: These are dark green and narrow. The skin is thin with small bumps on it. People can eat them whole.
Kirby cucumbers: People often use these for dill pickles. They are crispy, with thin skin and small seeds.
Lemon cucumber: These are around the size of a lemon, with pale skin. The taste is sweet and delicate.
Persian cucumbers: Shorter and fatter than the hothouse cucumber, these are crunchy to eat.
The wild cucumber vine (Echinocystis lobata) is a fast-growing plant that is native to North America. Gardeners consider it a weed. Its fruits are not edible.
Cucumber Nutritional Facts
Cucumbers contain 96% per cent of water. They are ideal for detoxification and preventing dehydration. Cucumbers are rich in phytonutrients and vitamin K. They are also a very good source of pantothenic acid and Molybdenum. They also contain copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B1.
13 Health Benefits of Cucumbers
1. Promotes Hydration
Cucumber is a vegetable that helps to keep the body hydrated due to the amount of water contained in it. Cucumbers are known to have 95 percent water and this makes cucumbers one of the vegetables that keep one hydrated especially the summer period.
Cucumber contains an essential nutrient that contributes to hydration like potassium and magnesium. Therefore consuming cucumber regularly keeps you hydrated.
2. Promotes Weight Loss
Cucumbers are low in calories and also contain fiber, thereby helping in maintaining a healthy weight.
Consumption of cucumbers helps you to maintain a healthy weight due to its rich in fiber. You can enjoy cucumbers by adding it to your everyday meal such as salad or in vegetable juices.
3. Rich in Antioxidants
Foods that have antioxidant helps in your body function. The antioxidant also helps in the prevention of cancer and damage to our health. Cucumber contains antioxidants like vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese and anti-inflammatories like flavonoids, triterpenes, and lignans.
These antioxidants aid in fighting free radicals which are associated with a variety of human diseases like cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Therefore constant consumption of cucumber that contains high antioxidants will keep you safe from free radicals.
4. Aids in Reducing Cholesterols
Cucumber has sterol content that helps in reducing the number of cholesterols present in the body. Therefore constant intake of cucumber helps in preventing a buildup of cholesterol because of its rich in fiber.
5. Controls Diabetes
It is a non-starch related vegetable that aids in diabetic health, therefore, it is recommended for diabetic patients. Cucumbers contain cucurbitaficifolia which helps a lot in reducing spikes in blood sugar.
The cucurbitacins found in cucumber helps to stimulate the release of insulin and maintain the metabolism of a hormone in the blood sugar processing and hepatic glycogen. Therefore cucumber is an excellent fruit for people suffering from diabetics.
6. Helps in Skin Care
Cucumbers are used in spa treatment because it contains some skin-friendly elements which are potassium, magnesium, and silicon.
It can be used directly on the skin; it has a soothing and cooling effect that reduces irritation, swelling, and inflammation. It also helps in removing sunburn. It aids in reducing morning puffiness when placed on the eyes.
7. Maintains Adequate Blood Pressure
Cucumbers are rich in fiber, magnesium, and potassium that play a good part in maintaining the right blood pressure that should not be too low or too high. Cucumber aids in reducing the pressure in arteries and also keeps them hydrated.
Consuming cucumber will help you maintain the right blood pressure and it is also recommended for people suffering from hypertension.
8. Prevents Bad Breath
Phytochemicals present in cucumber destroy the bacteria in our mouth that cause bad breath.
9. Promotes Hair Growth
Cucumber is also beneficial to your hair as it helps in strengthening the hair to be shiny and stronger.
Cucumber juice is highly good for your hair due to its richness in silicon and sulfur that prevents hair fall/loss and also promotes healthy hair.
You can apply the cucumber juice to your hair and massage it well and you will see a great difference in your scalp and hair health.
10. Reduces the Risk of Cancer
The fruit contains polyphenolic substances called lignin which are antioxidants that protect the body from cardiovascular diseases and decreased the risk of cancer.
Phytonutrients known as cucurbitacins found in cucumber have anti-cancer properties, thereby helping in lowering the risk of uterine, breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Consuming it whole or juicing the vegetable helps a lot in preventing the risk of cancer due to the presence of flavonoids like fisetin and caffeic acid.
11. Reduces the Risk of Cancer
The fruit contains polyphenolic substances called lignin which are antioxidants that protect the body from cardiovascular diseases and decreased the risk of cancer.
Phytonutrients known as cucurbitacins found in cucumber have anti-cancer properties, thereby helping in lowering the risk of uterine, breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.
Consuming it whole or juicing the vegetable helps a lot in preventing the risk of cancer due to the presence of flavonoids like fisetin and caffeic acid.
12. Helps in Digestion
Cucumber helps in gut health due to its rich in fiber. It also contains ‘erepsin’ an enzyme that helps in the process of digestion and helps the body to absorb protein adequately.
The pectin found in cucumber helps to ease the normal flora of the intestine. Consumption of cucumber also controls the movement of bowel and makes the stool soft due to its high water content which goes a long way in the treatment of constipation, ulcer, gastritis, and others.
13. Promotes Healthy Bone
Consumption of cucumber contributes to the proper health of the bone because it contains vitamin which helps to improve calcium absorption.
It’s a good source of vitamin K that is responsible for bone health as low vitamin K intake leads to a higher risk for bone fracture.
Vitamin K also aids in improving the absorption of calcium in the bones. So it is advisable that you consume cucumber regularly as it will help in strengthening and making your bones stronger.
How to consume cucumbers?
• It is best to eat cucumbers unpeeled, to prevent loss of some fibre, vitamins and minerals.
• Raw cucumbers can be tossed in salads, sandwiches and curd for a crunchy taste.
• You can make sabzi and soups out of them.
How to store cucumbers?
Wrap cucumbers in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator, so that they remain fresh and last longer.
Side-Effects of Consuming Cucumbers
• Consuming cucumbers may lead to digestive problems like bloating and flatulence in some people.
• People with kidney problems should not consume too much cucumber as it can increase the water content and potassium in their body, which is harmful to them.
• People on blood thinners should not consume too much cucumber, as Vitamin K in them can make blood clotting further difficult.
• People allergic to cucumber may show symptoms like hives, swelling and difficulty in breathing.
Conclusion
• Cucumber is a nice fruit that can contribute to health and beauty improvement. Eating cucumbers lead to numerous health benefits which include balanced hydration, promotes digestion, weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and lots more.
• It can be taken at any moment but moderately not in excess because it has some surprising side effects associated with excessive consumption due to the presence of toxins such as cucurbitacins and tetracyclic triterpenoids present in cucumber.
• It helps in combating dehydration due to its high content of water.
• Cucumbers are low in calories and also contain a soluble fiber and a good amount of water; which makes it ideal for improving hydration and helps in weight loss. They can be used in making certain foods such as salads, sandwiches, and pasta.
• Cucumbers have more nutrients to offer to our bodies. It is packed with lots of nutrients required for a balanced diet and healthy body maintenance. It is an all-around food that can be added to varieties of dishes. So enjoy its numerous benefits and live a healthy life.
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