Health benefits of cucumbers
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a vegetable that belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which includes gourds, melons, and squashes.
Cucumber is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables and is believed to be originated in northern India. Today, cucumbers are the fourth most-widely grown vegetable crop in the world behind tomatoes, onions and cabbage. They’re grown worldwide in temperate regions.
Did you know that cucumbers originated in India? Their cultivation took place for about 3000 years in Western Asia. The cultivation process started in France in the 9th century, then in England in the 14th century and finally in North America by the mid 16th century. The Romans introduced cucumbers to Europe. Although cucumbers are fruits, we eat them as vegetables. Cucumbers have more than 90% of water.
Cucumber is often regarded as a healthy food because it is low in calories and fat. Cucumber also contains many vitamins and minerals that make them a healthy choice for cooking and snacking.
Here are Health benefits of cucumbers:
Quick pick me-up - Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins. Put down your sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.
Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins - Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminates toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Don't forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.
Skin and hair care - If you don't like to eat the skin, it can be used for skin irritations and sunburns as aloe would be used. Place a slice over puffy eyes and its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce puffiness. The silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth. For best results, mix cucumber juice with the juices of carrot, lettuce or spinach.
Fight cancers - Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.
Control Blood Pressure - Cucumber juice contains a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber that work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumber good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.
Beneficial for teeth and gums - Cucumber juice is also beneficial for people with teeth and gums problems, especially in cases of pyorrhea. Cucumber is a good source of dietary fiber and this fiber massage in theteeth and gums.
Treat tapeworms - Cucumber seeds are used as a natural remedy for treating tapeworms. Bruised cucumber seeds mixed with water are also effective in the treatment of swellings of the mucous membranes of the nose and the throat.
Relieves bad breath - Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
Hangover cure - To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.
Aids in weight loss and digestion - Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.
Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure - Cucumber juice contains a hormone, which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin, which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.
These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.
Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain - Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels.
Some secret benefit’s of cucumbers.
Stop Bathroom Mirror from Clouding: Eliminates a foggy mirror. Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the mirror fogging up.
Nail care: The high silica content of cucumber also helps to prevent splitting and spoiling of nails of the fingers and toes.
Acts as a diuretic: The water content of Cucumber acts as a diuretic. It encourages the elimination of waste products from the body through urination. Regular intake of cucumber helps to dissolve bladder or kidney stones.
Cure for Dark Circles under Eyes: Cucumber helps to lighten dark circles under the eyes. Cut two slices of cucumber. Lie down and place one slice on each eye for 5 to 10 minutes. Close your eyes as the juice from the cucumber may irritate them. I have also used this method to brighten my eyes. It works! It’s also beneficial for soothing tired eyes; especially for those of us who stare at a computer screen for long periods.
Energy Booster: If you want to get rid of afternoon tiredness without resorting to using caffeine, eat some cucumber. The Vitamin B and Carbohydrates in the cucumber will offer the energy boost your body needs.
Quick Fix for Cellulite: Rub a slice of cucumber on the problem area for a few minutes. There’s a substance in the cucumber called phytochemicals. This will cause the collagen in your skin to tighten and firm up the outer layers. It works wonders on wrinkles as well.
Curb Afternoon or Evening Snack Bingeing: If you want to fight those hunger pangs, eat some cucumber. It’s been used for centuries by European trappers, traders and explorers to sustain them and prevent starvation.
Stress Buster: Need to relax and unwind? Cut up a whole cucumber and put it in a pot of boiling water. The nutrients and chemicals from the cucumber will react with the boiling water, and release the beneficial properties through the steam. This will induce a calm, relaxing aroma in the atmosphere. This has worked to cut stress in new mothers and students taking exams.
Magic Eraser: This is useful for rubbing out pen writing. Use the outside of a cucumber as an eraser. Use it to rub off crayon marks from walls as well.
Control Slugs in Your Garden: There’s nothing more annoying than slugs destroying your flower beds. Try this to keep them away. Cut some cucumber slices. Put the slices in a small tin and place it in your garden. The chemical in the cucumber and the aluminum reacts to produce a scent. The smell is not detectable to humans but will keep those annoying slugs out of your garden.
Fix That Squeaky Hinge: Need to stop squeaky hinges and don’t have any WD-40? Rub a slice of cucumber along the area of the hinge that squeaks. It works like a dream.
Clean and Shine Your Sink and Stainless Steel Areas? Rub a slice of cucumber over the surface that you want to clean. It will remove tarnish and restore the shine. As an experiment, I rubbed a thick slice of cucumber over my glass top table and wiped off the juice with a kitchen towel. The result was a beautiful, shiny glass table. Try it for yourself
Remedy for Sunburn: To soothe your sunburn skin, try this. Cut some thin slices of cucumber and put them on the sunburn area. Remove them when the cucumber starts to feel warm on your skin. They’re beneficial for delicate areas, such as the face and neck.
Face Mask: For oily skin – grate 1/2 cucumber into a bowl and add 1 tea-spoon of rose-water. Apply to the T-Zone, which is the forehead, nose and chin. To reduce pores and tighten skin – apply the mixture all over the face including under the eyes and eyelids. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse with warm water. Pat dry with a clean towel.
When buying cucumbers, choose the ones that are firm to touch and dark green in color. Do not buy overly matured or yellow colored as they are prone to contain more insoluble fiber and mature seeds. Go for organically grown cucumbers to get a rich taste and nutrition’s content.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any tips on using cucumbers, please share your comments in the box below. Thank you for reading
Post by : Doshti
