Alma Lee
Health consultant at pHLabs
17w ago
The cucumber, a regular visitor in your side salad, is actually considered a fruit. But whether you call cucumbers fruits or veggies, is beside the point. They are packed with a ton of nutrients, so it is well worth our while to make the effort to include them in our diet.
And there are many ways to eat these delicious, nutrient-packed green gems other than slicing them over a salad. Cucumbers make great chip alternatives. Use them as a vehicle to eat guacamole, hummus and other healthy dips. Add sliced cucumber to water for some “spa water.” You can pickle them for a tangy, refreshing side dish. And if you really like to get creative in the kitchen, check out this cucumber soup recipe.
I personally enjoy cucumbers simply sliced with a little bit of sea salt and black pepper. This is the perfect snack when I am craving something crunchy and salty, like potato chips or pretzels.
Whatever your preference, here are some reasons why adding cucumbers to your life is a smart choice.
Cucumbers may help protect your brain & fight several types of cancer.
Cucumbers contain an antioxidant called fisetin.
“Several studies have demonstrated the effects of fisetin against numerous diseases. It is reported to have neurotrophic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and other health beneficial effects,” according to the National Institutes for Health (NIH).
Fisetin may also help prevent brain tissue inflammation and damage. This may lower your risk for Alzheimer’s.
If you are diabetic, you may want to eat more cucumbers.
Fiber is important for diabetics, because fiber helps lower blood sugar. Not only are cucumbers a great source of fiber, but they are fruits with a very low sugar content.
Cucumbers are rich in an essential mineral, you likely never even heard of.
Cucumbers are a good source of the mineral molybdenum. Molybdenum’s actions are mainly in the production of enzymes, proteins that trigger chemical reactions in the body. These enzymes are involved in uric acid formation, transportation of iron, carbohydrate metabolism and sulfite detoxification. In China, living in areas with poor molybdenum concentration has been linked toesophageal cancer.
Need to freshen your breath? Try a cucumber.
If you are out of mints or gum, take a cucumber slice and press it to the roof of your tongue for about 30 seconds. The phytochemicals (chemicals made by plants) in cucumbers help kill odor-causing bacteria in the mouth that may cause bad breath. An added bonus is you will avoid the refined sugar in many mints and unnatural materials in many sugar-free gums.
Having trouble staying hydrated? Eat cucumbers.
It’s important to drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. And water has so many purposes in the human body including transporting nutrients, aiding digestion and flushing toxins from the liver and kidneys (which helps these organs function properly). But let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to be diligent about drinking water all day. If you need some help staying hydrated, eat sliced cucumbers as a mid morning or late afternoon snack. Cucumbers are about 95% water. Water also helps prevent hunger pangs, headaches and may even keep your energy levels up. Cucumbers may even help relieve a hangover!
Have a sunburn? Try some cucumbers.
Aloe vera is not the only plant you can use to treat sunburns. If you have a sunburn, apply some sliced or mashed up cucumber to the affected area. The anti-inflammatory compounds found in cucumbers may help soothe inflammation caused by your sunburn.
Eyes a bit puffy due to lack of sleep or maybe after a long flight? Try some sliced cucumber.
Cucumbers contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, which helps soothe skin irritations and swelling. The skin around your eyes is very sensitive. Give it a little TLC with some sliced cucumbers. This may even help get rid of dark circles.
And cucumbers are packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Do not nix the skin, which is full of nutrients. Some of the nutrients in one raw cucumber with the skin include:
Calcium, 48 mg. An adult between 19-50 years of age (male or female) in general should aim to have about 1,000 mg. of calcium per day. This mineral is needed to build and maintain strong bones and teeth. Calcium is also needed for clotting of the blood to stop bleeding and for proper functioning of the nerves, muscles and heart. The National Cancer Institute conducted a study that monitored calcium intake in 135,000 men and women. The subjects who had a calcium intake of more than 700 mg. per day had a 35-45% reduced risk of cancer of the distal (lower) part of the colon than those who had a calcium intake of 500 mg. or less per day.Magnesium, 39 mg. This must-have mineral helps with blood pressure regulation and also has antioxidant properties. Several studies have also shown an improvement in the severity of symptoms of depression when study participants were given 125-300 mg of magnesium with each meal and at bedtime.Phosphorus, 72 mg. This mineral often does not get the credit it deserves, but it does so much for your body. Phosphorus is almost as abundant in your body as calcium and helps calcium build strong bones and teeth. Phosphorus is also important for how your body stores and uses energy, repairs cells and is needed to make proteins like the one responsible for the oxygen-carrying capabilities of our red blood cells. This mineral has also been linked to weight management. In a study of almost 40,000 women in Korea, phosphorus deficiency correlated with weight gain from oral contraceptives. Furthermore, a study from Lebanon showed that phosphorus supplements in a small group (63 people) for 12 weeks significantly decreased body weight, BMI, waist circumference and subjective appetite scores.Potassium, 442 mg. Potassium may help lower blood pressure by balancing out negative effects of salt. According to Harvard Health, “[w]hen it comes to fighting high blood pressure, the average American diet delivers too much sodium and too little potassium. Eating to reverse this imbalance could prevent or control high blood pressure and translate into fewer heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from heart disease.”Vitamin K, 49.4 mcg. This vitamin is very important, as it helps regulate normal blood clotting. It also helps to transport calcium throughout the body, so it is very important for bone health.
They say you are what you eat, and in this case it feels good to be ‘cool’ as a cucumber.
Hope this was helpful! Please read more health related articles here: Health Information and News – Proactive Health Labs Blog (pH Labs)
Enjoy your healthy life!
Matt Wasserman
Top Writer 2014, 2015, 2017
160w ago
It depends on what you would have eaten instead. Cucumbers are empty calories – crunchy water. A 2 ounce cucumber has 2 grams of carbs, no fat, no protein, no fiber, and almost no vitamins. Hardly any macro or micro nutrients.
If you would have eaten a bag of chips or some cookies, then eating cucumbers is good. If you would have eaten something with some nutritional value, eating cucumbers is bad.
Kent Fung
spends far too much time thinking about food.
160w ago
It’s marginally good, I suppose. Cucumbers aren’t very nutritionally dense: they’re most fiber and water. There are probably some micronutrients to be absorbed from the skin, but nothing you couldn’t easily get elsewhere.
Eating raw cucumbers in large quantities can trigger allergies in some people, including minor digestive problems. These can be mitigated by cooking the cucumbers. And in any case, if you haven’t experienced them or noticed them by now, you’re probably fine.
I hope and assume, of course, that you meant that you eat two large cucumbers a day in addition to other types of foods including foods rich in proteins, fats, and other nutrients. If not, you should definitely do so.
Joy Schwabach
works at On Computers
159w ago
Yes, there are more nutritionally dense foods, but the key is variety. Every fruit and veggie has something to offer. Here’s a cucumber analysis from The World’s Healthiest Foods.
What’s New and Beneficial About Cucumbers
Researchers have long been familiar with the presence of unique polyphenols in plants called lignans, and these health-benefiting substances have been studied extensively in cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli or cabbage) and allium vegetables (like onion or garlic). Recent studies, however, have begun to pay more attention to the lignan content of other vegetables, including cucumbers. Cucumbers are now known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol—three lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.Fresh extracts from cucumbers have recently been show to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While research in this area must still be considered preliminary—since it’s only been conducted on animals in a lab setting—the findings are clear and consistent. Substances in fresh cucumber extracts help scavenge free radicals, help improve antioxidant status, inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes like cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), and prevent overproduction of nitric oxide in situations where it could pose health risks. It’s highly likely that cucumber phytonutrients play a key role in providing these antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, supporting health alongside of the conventional antioxidant nutrients—including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese—of which cucumbers are an important source.As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, cucumbers are a rich source of triterpene phytonutrients called cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins A, B, C, D and E are all contained in fresh cucumber. They have been the subject of active and ongoing research to determine the extent and nature of their anti-cancer properties. Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways (for example, the JAK-STAT and MAPK pathways) required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins. We expect to see human studies that confirm the anti-cancer benefits of cucumbers in the everyday diet.
Alexis Ritzy
20w ago
Cucumber Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts
The most common use of cucumber is a salad as a daily meal. However, the association with food is popular as a cucumber, as the cucumber is much more the importance of nutritious food. Cucumber called is fruit. The fruit grown on the planting is a long-sized shape and it is about 10-12 inches tall.
Nutrition Facts of Cucumber
Cucumber is a vegetable full of vitamins and minerals. It’s 96 percent water. Nutrition facts of cucumber are vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, potassium and a good source of manganese. There are also high levels of Riboflavin, pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Silica and Vitamin B6. Cucumber is classified as to be near to tomato.
Food fiber is available from the cucumber. However, it has a very low amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, it is very useful for almost all types of people. There are also phytonutrients, cucurbits, ligands, and flavonoids. In addition, low-cholesterol, low-fat and excess calories are available-from a cucumber for those who want to lose weight, cucumbers are always considered as a diet. There is no saturated fat or cholesterol.
Health Benefits of Cucumber
There are many health benefits of cucumber. Reduce body fat and the face Stain used of cucumber. Not only for eating but also for the treatment of ancient Rome.
To learn full article —→ Steps to Follow
Kathleen Grace
artist, art photographer, top writer 2017,16,15, MVW Arts
160w ago
Any food can become problematic if you eat it in excess, even the healthiest foods when you eat too much. Water can become toxic, so any foods taken in excess can be bad for your health.
Looking at the nutrition available in cucumbers, while they are mostly water and fiber, they are high in vitamin K, and molybdenum; K being necessary for clotting, and molybdenum being needed for breaking down amino acids. Sometimes people end up craving foods that their bodies need or may have a hidden health issue they are unaware of. Whether you are consuming an excess is something that should be checked – both those nutrients can cause problems if too much is taken – vitamin K can cause numbness and tingling sensation in the extremities; molybdenum can have an impact on the body’s copper levels.
It would be in your best interests to see a doctor and get a health check-up, and be sure to tell them.
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