Cucumber, while usually mistaken for a vegetable, is actually a fruit.
It’s high in essential nutrients, as well as plant chemicals and antioxidants that may aid in the treatment and prevention of certain diseases.
Cucumbers are also low in calories and high in water and soluble fiber, which makes them perfect for improving hydration and weight loss.
This article examines some of the most important health advantages of cucumber consumption.
1. It’s nutrient-dense
Cucumbers are low in calories, yet high in vitamins and minerals.
One unpeeled, raw cucumber weighing 11 ounces (300 grams) contains the following:
• 45 calories
• 0 gram total fat
• Carbohydrates: 11 g
• 2 g of protein
• 2 grams of fiber
• Vitamin C: 14 percent of the recommended daily intake
• Vitamin K: 62 percent of the recommended daily intake
• Magnesium: 10% of the recommended daily intake
• Potassium: 13% of the recommended daily intake
• Manganese: 12% of the recommended daily intake
Although, because a conventional serving size of cucumber is roughly one-third of a cucumber, eating one-third of a cucumber would supply about one-third of the nutrients listed above.
Cucumbers also contain a lot of water in them. Cucumbers, in fact, are made up of 96 percent water.
Cucumbers should be eaten unpeeled to get the most nutrients. The quantity of fiber, as well as some vitamins and minerals, in a serving is reduced when they are peeled.
2. Antioxidants
Antioxidants are chemicals that prevent oxidation, which produces highly reactive atoms with unpaired electrons known as free radicals.
The buildup of these damaging free radicals can result in a variety of chronic illnesses.
Free radical-induced oxidative stress has been linked to cancer, heart disease, lung illness, and autoimmune disease.
Cucumbers, like other fruits and vegetables, are high in antioxidants, which may help to lessen the risk of several diseases.
Cucumber powder was given to 30 elderly people in one trial to see how effective it was as an antioxidant.
Cucumber powder resulted in a substantial increase in various antioxidant activity markers and enhanced antioxidant status at the end of the 30-day research.
However, it’s worth noting that the cucumber powder used in this study likely contained a higher concentration of antioxidants than a regular cucumber serving.
Another test-tube study looked at cucumber antioxidant qualities and discovered that they include flavonoids and tannins, two chemicals that are very good at inhibiting damaging free radicals.
3. It aids in hydration
Water is essential to your body’s function, as it serves a variety of functions.
It is engaged in processes such as temperature regulation and waste and nutrient movement.
In fact, optimal hydration has a wide range of effects, including physical performance and metabolic.
While drinking water or other liquids meets the majority of your fluid needs, some people may get up to 40% of their total water intake via food.
Water can be found in a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables.
In one study, the hydration status of 442 youngsters was measured, as well as their diet records. They discovered that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption was linked to better hydration.
Cucumbers are extremely good in promoting hydration and can help you achieve your daily fluid demands because they are composed of roughly 96 percent water.
4. May help prevent constipation and increase regularity
Cucumbers may aid in the maintenance of regular bowel movements.
Constipation can be exacerbated by dehydration, which disrupts your water balance and makes stool transit difficult.
Cucumbers contain a lot of water and help you stay hydrated. Staying hydrated can help maintain regularity, improve stool consistency, and prevent constipation.
Cucumbers also contain fiber, which aids in the regulation of bowel movements.
Pectin, a soluble fiber present in cucumbers, can help enhance bowel movement frequency in particular.
In one trial, 80 people took pectin supplements. It was discovered that pectin improved digestive health by speeding up the activity of intestinal muscles while also feeding beneficial microorganisms in the stomach.
5. It could help you lose weight
Cucumbers have the potential to aid weight loss in a variety of ways.
They are, first and foremost, low in calories.
A one-cup (104-gram) serving of cucumber has only 16 calories, whereas a full 11-ounce (300-gram) cucumber has only 45 calories.
This implies you can eat a lot of cucumbers without gaining weight because they are low in calories.
Cucumbers can be used to add taste and freshness to salads, sandwiches, and side dishes, as well as to replace higher-calorie alternatives.
Cucumbers may also help with weight loss due to their high water content.
A review of 13 research involving 3,628 persons indicated that eating foods high in water and low in calories was linked to a considerable reduction in body weight.
6. It Has the Potential to Lower Blood Sugar
Cucumbers have been reported to help lower blood sugar levels and avoid various diabetic problems in a number of animal and test-tube studies.
The effects of different plants on blood sugar were investigated in one animal research. Cucumbers have been demonstrated to help manage and lower blood sugar levels.
In another animal investigation, mice were given diabetes and subsequently given cucumber peel extract. Cucumber peel restored majority of the diabetes-related alterations and reduced blood sugar levels.
Cucumbers may also be beneficial at reducing oxidative stress and preventing diabetes-related problems, according to a test-tube study.
The available information, however, is confined to test-tube and animal investigations. Cucumbers may impact blood sugar levels in humans, but more research is needed.
7. It Has the Potential to Lower Cholesterol
Cucumbers have been shown to possess chemicals that may help lower blood cholesterol levels, according to research.
Phytosterols, also known as plant sterols, are substances found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Plant sterols have been shown in studies to lower LDL cholesterol levels by 5–15 percent in most people.
Participants with and without diabetes supplemented with plant sterols in one research. LDL cholesterol levels were lowered by 15% in non-diabetic subjects and by an astonishing 26.8% in diabetic participants, according to the study.
Cucumbers also contain pectin, a naturally occurring soluble fiber that may help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
Pectin isolated from cucumbers was discovered to induce a considerable reduction in blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels in an animal research.
Cucumbers: How to Include Them in Your Diet
Cucumbers, which have a mild, crisp, and refreshing flavor, are often used in salads and sandwiches, both fresh and pickled.
Cucumbers can also be eaten raw as a low-calorie snack or dressed up with hummus, olive oil, salt, or salad dressing.
Cucumbers can be prepared in a variety of ways with a little imagination.
To help you add cucumbers into your diet, here are a few recipes:
• Cucumber Chips (Baked)
• Cucumbers Pickled in a Flash
• Salad with Thai Cucumbers
• Infused Water with Strawberry, Lime, Cucumber, and Mint
• Sorbet with cucumber and mint
• Grilled Cheese with Cucumber and Goat Cheese
Takeaway
Cucumbers are a pleasant, nutrient-dense, and very adaptable food.
They are low in calories but heavy in water and contain several vital vitamins and minerals.
Weight loss, balanced hydration, digestive regularity, and decreased cholesterol and blood sugar levels are just a few of the potential health benefits of adding cucumbers in your diet.
