To be in good health is first of all a gift from God but as men, we have a role to play to make sure that not just only our bodies but our minds and our spirits are in good health. Our bodies are gifts handed over to us to take care of and one of the ways to take care of them is to consume nutritious foods and fruits.
Why should you eat Cucumber?
Cucumber is a low calorie vegetable belonging to the same plant family as pumpkin and watermelon with much nutrients to offer you than just water. Cucumber ranks high as one of the oldest cultivated crops and is easy to grow. It is best harvested young, before reaching maturity. At this stage, they are crunchy with a neutral flavour. Fresh cucumbers are available throughout the seasons and can be eaten raw, in salads or juiced. Here is why you should eat cucumber all year long.
1. Cucumber is the perfect hydrating and cooling food as it is made of 95% of water and full of important electrolytes. It is a good source of potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte which is a heart friendly electrolyte that brings a reduction in total blood pressure and heart rate by countering the effects of sodium, a nutrient that is high in common foods. This makes it the perfect vegetable/fruit/food to snack on a hot day to prevent dehydration. When you are hydrated, your skin stays smooth and supple with extra nutrients from cucumber to ensure it stays that way.
2. Cucumber contains an anti-inflammatory flavanol known as fisetin which is important to your brain’s health. It helps improve your memory by protecting the nerve cells from the decline that stems from aging.
3. Cucumber contains lignans which helps lower the risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, prostate cancers. Cucumber also contains anti-cancer properties.
4. Cucumber reduces unwanted inflammatory response in your body by hindering pro-inflammatory enzymes.
5. It is low in calorie and high in dietary fiber therefore it is useful for weight loss and digestive health plus it offers some protection against colon cancer by removing toxic compounds from the gut.
6. Cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which is beneficial to diabetic patients.
7. It is an excellent source of silica which is known to help promote joint health by strengthening connecting tissues. Cucumber can also reduce gout and arthritis pain when mixed with carrot juice.
8. Cucumber provides extra minerals and vitamins that can help supplement the rest of your diet. With multiple vitamins such as the B vitamins, it can help reduce the feeling of anxiety and the damaging effect of stress. They are also a good source of vitamin C which is well known for its immune system benefits and a good source of Vitamin K which plays a potential role in bone strength.
9. You may have come across pictures of people at a spa relaxing with cucumber slices on their eyes. This is because cucumbers have a soothing effect that decreases swelling, inflammation and irritation when used on the skin. It reduces puffiness when placed on the eyes.
10. Cucumber can also help rid your mouth of odour-causing bacteria when you place a slice on the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds.
11. You can also avoid morning headaches by eating few cucumber slices before going to bed. With enough vitamin B and electrolytes, they replenish many essential nutrients thereby reducing the intensity of the headaches.
12. Cucumber has healing attributes for the diseases of urinary organs- the bladder and the kidney. The water content aids the function of the kidney by promoting urination. The regular consumption of cucumber can also dissolve kidney stones over time.
13. Cucumber seeds serves as a natural remedy to eliminate tape worm from intestinal tracts. The seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties that helps in swellings in the nose and throat.
Warning: Watch out for bitter tasting cucumbers! Taste a small slice of cucumber first before eating the whole fruit to ensure that it is not bitter. If bitter, the whole vegetable should be discarded.
What do you think of the health and nutritious benefits of cucumbers? Do you like eating cucumbers? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
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This article was first published on 22nd July 2015
Comments (2)
I never liked this veggie called Cucumber but when i saw the benefits, i said to myself i can not lose out on these.
Now i have taken a leap of faith by blending it as a smoothie…Next line of action.
This is an eye opener. Well researched thread. I am a small scale cucumber farmer thinking how to increase my capacity for exports. However the bitter taste in cucumber is as a result of shortage of water during farming and does not constitute health challenge. Keep it up.