You’ve heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away right, but did you know that a cucumber a day can also keep a lot of health problems at bay.
Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin and watermelon and are made up of about 95% water, this makes them naturally low in calories fat and cholesterol.
A 100 gram serving of cucumber contains only 15 point 5 4 calories.
All of these properties make cucumbers very beneficial for your health and in today’s article we’ll tell you all about these health benefits.
From promoting better digestion to bone health to being good for your heart he’ll tell you all of that and much more.
1. Healthier bones.
Cucumbers are loaded with vitamin K which is one of the most important nutritional compounds for promoting bone health.
Vitamin K helps keep your bones strong by building bone density and reducing the risk of fractures, cucumbers are on the list of top vitamin K containing foods.
One cup of crisp fresh cucumber slices contains almost 20% of your daily recommended vitamin K intake.
While a whole medium-sized cucumber can easily fill more than 50% of your daily requirement.
2. Better digestive health.
As we mentioned earlier cucumbers are almost 95 percent water and their skin is made up of insoluble fibers.
This high amount of water and fiber greatly influences your digestive regularity and eating cucumbers helps to suppress acute symptoms of acid reflux.
Insoluble fibers make the skin of the cucumber, allowing your food to move through your digestive tract quickly.
They contain the enzyme yer epson that also helps break down proteins, eating cucumbers daily can relieve you of digestive issues such as gastritis, heartburn, acidity, ulcers and constipation.
3. Healthier skin.
Cucumbers contain silica, which is known to help develop strong and healthy connective tissues in your muscles, ligaments, cartilage and your bones.
It’s high water content helps your skin stay hydrated and in turn keeps it healthy and bright, full of anti-inflammatory benefits cucumbers have a cooling and soothing effect when placed on your skin.
This can treat various skin problems like swelling under the eyes, irritation and even a sunburn.
Gently rub the sunburned area with fresh cucumber slices you can also lay them on the affected area allowing the juices to penetrate the skin for about 10 to 20 minutes, you then rinse off to see the magic.
4. Reduced risk of heart diseases.
Cucumbers contain dozens of antioxidants including flavonoids which can protect you from heart disease.
Eating cucumbers every day can lead to decrease total cholesterol, decreased bad LDL cholesterol, increased good cholesterol and decreased triglycerides which can be very harmful for your heart.
Cucumbers are also rich in potassium, which can help lower the risk of various health problems like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity.
A higher potassium intake is associated with lower rates of strokes and also reduces the risk of heart diseases.
5. Better dental health.
Cucumbers contain phytochemicals which are released among consumption, these phytochemicals kill bad breath causing bacteria in your mouth.
Cucumber can also effectively treat gum diseases like diarrhea and wheat gums, it keeps your gums and teeth healthy by removing bad odor from your mouth.
Regular consumption of cucumber with the seeds neutralizes acids in your mouth and promotes salivation.
Just take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds and see that bad breath disappear.
6. Better brain protection.
Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fie Citan which plays a very important role in maintaining your brain health.
It helps to improve your memory and protect your nerve cells from age-related decline, fie Citan also prevents progressive memory and learning impairments.
Cucumber enhances the cholinergic system associated with your brain and its circulation which makes it helpful in avoiding dementia.
7. Natural detoxification.
Cucumbers are naturally high in antioxidants and have natural cooling and anti-inflammatory properties which help detoxify your body.
Additionally they contain amino acids which help to eliminate toxins from your kidneys and your liver.
Due to their high water content when you eat cucumbers you’re taking in water and fiber together, both of which are essential for removing toxins from your body.
The best way to use a cucumber as a detoxifier is to make detox water infused with cucumber slices and lemon or mint.
This mixture is very effective in flushing out fats and toxins from your system, drink it every day two or three times for best results.
8. You will always be hydrated.
With such high levels of water content present cucumbers are very effective in keeping your body hydrated.
When there’s more loss of water in your body than consumption it leads to dehydration, this causes dangerous abnormalities, diseases and health conditions like nausea, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, weakness, palpitations, headaches.
With more water moving out of your system than coming in the amount of water that you’re currently taking in is not sufficient for your body to perform proper metabolic processes.
More importantly the high water content paired with the mineral salts and vitamins present and cucumbers replenishes your entire body, while effectively filling up your stomach.
9. Maintain healthy weight.
Cucumbers are very low in calories with one cup of sliced cucumber only containing sixteen, since they’re so low, they make a filling snack without adding weight to your body.
The soluble fiber present and cucumbers dissolves into a gel like texture in your gut, helping to slow down your digestion.
This helps you feel full for a longer period of time and helps control your weight.
10. Prevents cancer.
Cucumbers contain two phytonutrient compounds that are associated with anti-cancer benefits, these are lignans and cucurbitacins.
Cucurbitacins can help block the signaling pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation and survival.
Cucurbitacins can also inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, the lignans present in cucumber can help protect against cancer through working with bacteria in your digestive tract.
The bacteria take the lignans and convert them into compounds, such as inter dial and inter a lactone.
These reduce the risk of estrogen related cancers particularly ovarian.
11. Better diabetes management.
Cucumber has been found to be very beneficial for the patients of diabetes.
It consists of certain substances that help the pancreas produce more insulin, this simulation decreases a diabetic person sugar production.
The glycemic index of cucumber is 0 which means eating cucumber will not contribute to increases in your blood sugar level.
It also contains a high fiber content, which is key to lowering your blood sugar levels. it also helps slow down digestion of carbohydrates and sugar which can further lower sugar levels.
12. Reduces extreme pain.
Cucumbers are loaded with anti inflammatory compounds including flavonoids that are powerful pain reducing substances.
These compounds restrict the proliferation of free radicals in your body leading to less pain.
Although keep in mind these only help in reducing the pain not the cause. being a natural antioxidant cucumbers suppress the symptoms arising from a regular cell metabolism.
The tannins and cucumber also contribute to this effect, lowering the risk of increased release of free radicals in your body leading to reduced pain.
13. Less stress.
The phrase cool as a cucumber exists for a reason, cucumbers are rich in multiple B vitamins including vitamin b1, vitamin b5 and vitamin b7.
B vitamins are known to help ease feelings of anxiety and buffer some of the damaging effects of stress.
They can also relax your nervous system and help relieve panic attacks.
You can boil cucumbers and water over the stove and add a few drops of lavender oil to it, then breathe the aroma of the cucumber and lavender mixture and see the anxiety and stress reduce.
Breathe in those cucumber aromas for at least 5 minutes for best results.
14. Relief from migraine problems.
Cucumbers are a good source of magnesium and water, both elements are very helpful in providing relief from migraines.
Magnesium deficiency in your body can lead to various cognitive conditions, such as depression and headaches, which can further lead to migraine problems.
The only way to prevent this is by encouraging a regular dose of magnesium to regulate better absorption in your body.
Migraine headaches can be triggered by many factors including stress, low blood pressure and dehydration, and eating cucumbers is helpful in providing relief from all of these triggers.
15. Maintain adequate blood pressure.
Your blood pressure should always be at optimum level, neither too high nor too low.
The presence of magnesium, potassium and fiber and cucumbers makes it helpful in maintaining the right blood pressure in your body.
Furthermore it helps lower the pressure in your arteries and keeps them hydrated.
Cucumbers are one of the most recommended foods to people suffering from hypertension.
