It is kind of incredible that cucumber is 95% water! It’s not wrong to say you’re eating water whenever you’re eating a cucumber.
According to research, cucumber contains a lot of elements that are healthful and even refreshing, especially during the summer period. It belongs to the same family as squash, watermelon, and pumpkin. You can count on cucumber all year long to keep you hydrated and boost your health in general.
Nutritional Value of Cucumber
These are some of the elements found in cucumber –
Health Benefits of Cucumber
There are many reasons to eat cucumber. Here are 10 of them.
1. Cucumber is a Good Brain Food
One thing is certain, as you get older, your brain will definitely decelerate in information processing. Your articulation, focus, and concentration become more difficult than they use to be. It is nothing to be embarrassed about; it is a natural aging process.
However, the rate of brain deceleration varies from one individual to another. Some people lose their brain functions at a very rapid rate to the point of developing Alzheimer’s disease. While in some others, the process is a lot slower, and may never even get to the point of having Alzheimer’s disease.
What if you can protect your brain? If you can reduce the rate of deceleration and avoid diseases like Alzheimer’s, that would be cool. As a matter of fact, you can actually protect your brain by eating healthy brain foods like cucumber.
Cucumber contains a certain flavonoid known as Fisetin. Eating foods that are rich in fisetin is a great way to protect the brain and it even slows down aging amidst other health benefits.
2. Cucumber is Good for the Skin
Take a good look at the beauty industry and you’ll see how everyone is all about smoother, clearer, and brighter skin. This has been the case since time immemorial, but recently, people are beginning to embrace more natural skin brightening procedures as opposed to harsh skin bleaching.
Cucumber is one of the products used by beauticians to brighten the skin and give it a healthier glow. This is as a result of Silica, which is abundantly present in cucumbers.
In addition to its beauty effects, cucumber can also be used in treating some forms of skin defects like sunburn and swelling under the eyes. All you have to do is apply cucumber extracts to the affected area on a regular basis and you’d be good in a matter of days.
3. Cucumber is Good for the Hair, Bones, Nails, and Teeth
Let’s just say eating cucumber on a regular basis will improve your physical appearance and make you look more appealing. This water-fruit has something to offer your skin, hair, nails, teeth, and even bones.
Cucumber contains ascorbic acid and caffeic acid. These two elements are very effective in strengthening the body’s ligament, cartilage, bones, and tendons. A regular supply of these elements guarantees stronger bones, teeth, nails, and helps with the formation of connective tissues.
For your information, your hair thrives if it’s properly hydrated or moisturized. For best results, you should eat a lot of cucumbers. You can also use it as a conditioner for your hair. Apply the extract or paste to your hair, just like you would a conditioner. Massage it for a couple of minutes to suit your scalp, and wash it off after at least 5 minutes.
4. Cucumber Promotes Regularity of Bowel Movement
Cucumber is 95% water, and it is made of a lot of fiber. Eating it regularly can improve digestion and aid bowel movement. One of the major risk factors for dehydration is constipation. It alters the water balance of the body and makes it difficult to pass stool.
Eating cucumber is a simple and inexpensive way to stay hydrated and improve your gut health.
5. Cucumber Can Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular diseases
Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that block or narrows blood vessels which can lead to heart attack, chest pain, stroke, and other forms of heart diseases. All these heart diseases can be prevented by eating healthy and exercising regularly.
Eating healthy connotes eating less synthesized foods, more organic foods, fruits, and vegetables. Drinking a lot of water helps too.
Cucumber is one of the fruits you can take to reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases. It plays important roles in improving the body’s neurological functions and keeping blood pressure under control. This is as a result of their rich content in potassium and magnesium.
6. Cucumber Can Lower Blood Sugar
What is the worst that can happen to someone with high blood sugar or diabetes? Frequent peeing, unhealthy weight loss, blurred vision, lack of focus, slow healing of wounds, heart attack, kidney problems, stroke, etc. These are not comforting in any way, neither are they healthy.
All these symptoms can be avoided by eating foods that can lower your blood sugar; like cucumber. A person with a history of diabetes can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by eating a lot of cucumbers and a person who already has diabetes can manage his or her health situation more effectively by eating a lot of cucumbers.
Cucumber contains anti-inflammatory elements that help to boost the immune system. Studies show that the high fiber content of cucumbers is key in lowering high blood sugar.
7. Cucumber is Effective for Weight Management
If you’re struggling with your weight, and you do crazy things just to lose weight, you better stop it right away. Starving yourself or taking all the diet pills in the market will do more harm than good to your health.
Exercise is great. If you combine it with an actual diet where you don’t have to starve yourself, you’d see yourself losing weight with time.
One of the best adjustments you can make to your diet in order to lose weight is to eat cucumber as often as possible. You can eat them as raw as they come, you can use them in salads and other meals, you can even infuse and drink them in your water. This is a typical case of “whatever you do, keep eating cucumber!”
How are cucumbers able to facilitate weight loss?
First, they are very low in calories. You can eat as much as you want without packing on some unnecessary extra calories that lead to weight gain.
Second, the high water content of cucumber also facilitates weight loss. Water is such a great weight loss catalyst. Taking a lot of water can help you lose weight.
8. Cucumber Contain Lots of Antioxidants
As human beings, our bodies are always reacting in one way or the other. The process of metabolism is pretty much chemical in nature. However, when some elements in the body do not react appropriately with other elements as required, free radicals are formed.
These free radicals are rogues. There is no telling what exactly they are up to, which is of no good most of the time. If nothing is done to put these free radicals in their place, they can cause health problems like hepatitis, allergies, asthma, chest pain, heart attack, etc.
One of the ways you can prevent these free radicals from causing you some health complications is to take antioxidants rich foods. Cucumber contains a lot of antioxidants, which are responsible for blocking oxidation, thereby reducing the number of free radicals produced in the body.
In a study, it was discovered that cucumber can cause a significant increase in the antioxidant status of the body in 30 days (or less) of daily consumption.
9. Cucumber Promotes Detoxification
Do you think it’s better to stay in a remote area with no pollution, no internet, no technology, and no noise?
The answer is always “yes”.
But these factors/pollutants are deeply embedded in today’s civilization that it seems alien not to want them. (Vegetarians can tell you more). Even if you can choose to lead a quiet life in a peaceful country village, you’ll also have to deal with exposure to toxins, just at a lower rate.
Point is, there is no avoiding it, but you can prevent it from destroying your health by eating right.
Cucumber promotes detoxification. Eating it on a regular basis will boost the liver functions. Impurities, wastes, accumulated toxins from your bloodstream and guts are channeled out of the body without causing much harm.
10. Cucumber Takes Care of Bad Breath
We’ve all dealt with bad breath at one point or the other; on the daily if we’re being honest. But some adults have to deal with much more than morning breath. This could be as a sign of sickness, poor diet, or poor hygiene.
What this means is that if you live a healthy lifestyle, you can overcome bad breath. A little diet adjustment like drinking a lot of water or eating a lot of cucumbers can help to eliminate bad breath.
Cucumber does not just make the breath go away, it also eliminates the bacteria responsible for the bad odor in the mouth; which can lead to oral health complications.
From all that’s been said, it is obvious that cucumbers are great for anyone at all. They contain a plethora of powerful nutrients and vitamins that are essential for supporting your overall physical and mental wellbeing.
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