KNOW YOUR FRUITS SERIES: 9 – Cucumber
Cucumber and Its NutritionalBenefits
Cucumber is full of nutrients that contribute positively to health when eaten and when applied directly to the skin to treat sunburn and other skin reactions that can be treated with it.
12 Amazing Health Benefits of Cucumber
1. It 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. 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.
3. 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.
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. It Prevents Inflammatory Disease
Cucumbers are good source phytonutrient which is a plant chemical that has preventive properties and is capable of preventing the body from inflammatory diseases and treat other skin disorders such as sunburn.
Eating cucumber can help to lower the inflammatory response in the body. The natural face mask helps in protecting the skin from acne, dryness, skin irritation and other skin issues.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
Cucumber Juice Benefits
Just as cucumber fruit is so beneficial to our health; it is also so beneficial when converted to juice.
Cucumber juice contains a lot of nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, riboflavin, phosphorus, iron, pantothenic acid, silica, folate, B-6, zinc, and calcium. These perform wonders for our health such as—
a. It helps in keeping you hydrated due to its high water content. Cucumber juice is full of antioxidants that aids in boosting metabolism, thereby resulting in weight loss.
b. Cucumber is known to be light in the bowel, serves as a laxative and can be a treatment for chronic constipation.
c. Drinking cucumber juice provides your body with hormones, minerals, and compounds that help in protecting the body from diseases.
d. Cucumber juice aids in cleansing the body by eliminating toxic and old waste products due to its high water content.
e. Cucumber juice is also capable of calming your nerves, reduces anxiety and stress, thereby improving your sleep pattern.
f. Cucumber juice boosts energy because it’s an excellent source of vitamin B. drinking cucumber juice provides your body with a lot of vitamins.
g. It contains a lot of magnesium that can aid in preventing low and low blood pressure.
h. Cucumber juice has so many positive effects on our health and the juice can replace energy drinks and supplements; strengthening your overall body.
Nutritional Values of Cucumber
Below are the nutritional facts of cucumber;
| Nutrients | Amount |
| Energy | 15 Kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 3.63 g |
| Protein | 0.65 g |
| Total fat | 0.11 g |
| Cholesterol | 0m g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.5 g |
| Folates | 7 µ g |
| Niacin | 0.098 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 mg |
| pyridoxine | 0.040 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.027 mg |
| Vitamin A | 104 IU |
| Vitamin C | 2.8 mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.03 mg |
| Vitamin K | 16.4 µg |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
| Potassium | 147 mg |
| Calcium | 16 mg |
| Iron | 0.28 mg |
| Magnesium | 13 mg |
| Manganese | 0.079 mg |
| Phosphorus | 24 mg |
| Zinc | 0.20 mg |
| Carotene-ß | 45 µg |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 26 µg |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 23 µg |
Eating Cucumber at Night?
Eating cucumber at night before going to bed helps a lot because it serves as a cooling agent and can be easily be digested due to its low in fat.
Eating cucumber at night can help in controlling blood pressure and sugar levels. Therefore adding cucumber to your night meal is very essential as it improves digestion.
Side Effects:
Cucumbers have its side effect that differs in individuals. Cucumber can cause allergies most especially itchiness, oral cavity sore and it can lead to swelling and this can be prevented by cooking the fruit than eating it in raw form.
Cucumber can also cause gastritis problems in some people and it is caused by a compound called cucurbitacin.
Consuming excess cucumber can lead to toxicity and baldness which is caused by chemicals found in them.
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.
