Cucumbers are the fourth most cultivated
vegetable in the world and known to be one
of the best foods for your body’s overall
health, often referred to as a ‘superfood’.
Cucumbers are often sprayed with
pesticides so it is important to buy organic
or even better, grow them yourself.
Here are 10 Benefits of cucumbers:
1.Quick pick me-up – Cucumbers are a
good source of B vitamins. Put down your
sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.
2. Rehydrates body and replenishes daily
vitamins – Cucumbers are 95 percent
water, keeping the body hydrated while
helping the body eliminate 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 chest cancer,
ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate
cancer.
5. Home care – Eliminates a foggy mirror.
Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber
slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the
mirror fogging up. Instead of WD40, take a
cucumber slice and rub it along a squeaky
hinge and your door will stop squeaking.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Promotes joint health, relieves gout and
arthritis pain -Cucumber is an excellent
source of silica, which is known to help
promote joint health by strengthening the
connective tissues. They are also rich in
vitamins 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.
