Health Benefits of Eating Cucumbers
A cucumber -- used often as a culinary vegetable -- is actually a fruit with excellent source of fiber and nutrients. It is low in calories, without any fat or cholesterol, and has high water content. What is cucumber good for?
- Cucumber is a good source of antioxidants such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin. All these antioxidants are useful scavengers to reactive oxygen species and free radicals that are responsible for aging and illnesses like cancer.
- The culinary fruit is rich in potassium, a vital intracellular electrolyte which helps lower blood pressure and regulates heartbeats. Scientific research done by Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension indicated that eating of cucumber -- along with low-starch and low-lean protein diet -- helps reduce blood pressure by as many as 5.5 points in some hypertension patients.
- Like watermelon, cucumber consists of 95% water. Eating the fruit keeps your body hydrated and at the same time keeps the body temperature intact. It is also able to flush out harmful toxins.
- Besides, this delicious fruit also contains nutrients like vitamin K; around 17 mcg per 100 g. Vitamin K promotes osteotropic activity and helps build stronger bones. It also reduces the damage of brain neuron and therefore has natural therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease.
- Cucumber peel contains a great amount of dietary fiber that is useful to treat constipation.
- This wonderful culinary fruit is low in calories, no saturated fats and no cholesterol. It is an excellent food that you should include in your weight loss diet.
- Drinking cucumber juice is said to help promote hair growth as it is rich in sulfur and silicon. The effect is even better when it is mixed with spinach, lettuce and carrot juice.
- Cucumber juice, when mixed with carrot juice, makes a natural remedy to heal rheumatic conditions caused by high uric acid. It also helps to prevent bladder or kidney stones.
Facts about Cucumber
A cucumber, which has a scientific name Cucumis sativus, is a fruit -- not a vegetable -- that belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Other members include squashes and watermelons.
With a long and cylindrical shape and rounded edges, cucumber has a green skin and white flesh, which contains many edible seeds. The culinary fruit has a watery, refreshing and mild bitter flavor and is usually eaten fresh or made into pickles.
Cucumbers, like tomatoes, are known as vegetables as they are usually used as vegetables in various cooking. Moreover, they are not as sweet as other fruits.
There are two popular varieties of cucumber:
- English cucumbers -- generally thinner, longer and with smoother skin, they are sold in wrapped plastic and can be eaten as it is.
- Common garden cucumbers -- have thicker skin and often peeled off before eating, they are waxed to prevent moisture loss.
Cucumber Nutrition Facts and Calories
| Nutrition Value of 1/2 cup (52 g) Raw Cucumber (Sliced) |
| Calories |
8 kcal |
| Total Fat |
0 g |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
| Sodium |
1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates |
2 g |
| Dietary Fiber |
0 g |
| Sugars |
1 g |
| Protein |
0 g |
Cucumber Recipe
Spinach-Celery-Cucumber Juice Recipe
Serve: 1
Ingredients:
- 2 cups packed spinach, chopped
- 1 cucumber, seeded and cut into smaller pieces
- 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
Preparation:
- Put all the ingredients into a blender. Blend and serve.
Cucumber Side Effects
Eating excessive cucumbers may lead to adverse effects such as electrolyte imbalances and fluid loss due to diuretic effects of the fruit.
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