Cucumbers are long, lean and green garden vegetables. It is one of the most nutritious and highly refreshing foods which contain high amounts of water in it. Cucumber basically belongs to the Cucurbitaceous family. Its other members include squash and different kinds of melons, like bitter melon etc. all of which are considered to be a great source for hydration. There are a lot of other health benefits of cucumber, as they provide many essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals which are required by our body for proper functioning. These are also low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories, which prevent you from gaining fat as well. People in India have grown cucumbers for decades for various purposes, mainly medicinal and food, and so they have been a part of the Mediterranean diet as well. But still there are a lot of people who do not consume these frequently because they are not aware of the benefits of eating cucumbers. So to help you get an idea of all the positives, we got everything covered in this article.
As you scroll down, you will find out complete details about cucumbers, such as what are the health benefits of these, different ways to eat more cucumbers in diet and much more. So just keep reading below to check out all the info.
What are the health benefits of cucumber?
- Very high in Nutrients- Cucumbers are very low in calories, but are very high in essential minerals and vitamins. Almost 300 gram of raw and unpeeled cucumber contains the following the nutritional values-
- Carbs- 11 grams
- Total Fat- 0 grams
- Calories- 45
- Vitamin C- 14% of the RDI
- Vitamin K- 62% if the RDI
- Potassium- 13% of the RDI
- Manganese- 12% of the RDI
- Fiber- 2 grams
- Protein- 2 grams
- Magnesium- 10% of the RDI
This is one of the major health benefits of cucumber, as it consists of all the required nutritional values. And even though a normal serving size is generally about 1/3rd of a cucumber, eating a usual standard part of it would give you about 1/3rd of the nutritional value that is mentioned above. In addition, cucumbers have a very high content of water and are made of 96% of water, which provides hydration to the body. And in order to get the most benefits of cucumbers, you should eat them peeled and raw, as peeling them reduces the content of fiber and vital vitamins.
- Promotes Hydration in the Body- Water is a very important thing for our body to function well. It is a part of various processes like transportation of nutrients and waste products in the body and in regulating the temperature. So while most of the water or fluid requirements of the body are fulfilled by drinking water, you can also complete as much as 40% of the total required water intake from some foods, like cucumbers, as they are almost 96% water and make you feel refreshed.
- It contains Antioxidants- This is another in the list of health benefits of cucumber. Antioxidants are basically the molecules which are formed by a chemical reaction of atoms that are highly reactive and unpaired electrons, called as free radicals. So the accumulation of such harmful free radicals promotes several types of chronic illness, which are also associated with heart, lung cancer and other diseases. So fruits and vegetables like cucumbers are rich in essential antioxidants which reduces the risk of these diseases.
- Lowers the level of Blood Sugar- It is found in many studies that cucumbers might help to reduce the levels of blood sugar and prevent the possible complications of diseases like diabetes.
And there are many more health benefits for it, such as it helps in losing weight, is good for maintaining digestion, leads to better skin, promotes gut health, protects against cancer like diseases, strengthens the bones and many more.
What are the different ways to eat more cucumbers?
One of the best things about cucumbers is that they are very versatile. They have a mild flavor which makes it easy to add it to a variety of dishes. As, they are quite affordable, available almost the whole year and there are a lot of health benefits of cucumber, as mentioned above. So now, different ways to add cucumbers in your diet to get more benefits are as follows-
- Blend them- Adding cucumbers to your home made smoothie gives all the amazing health benefits of cucumbers to you, without even overpowering the soothe.
- Drink them- Drinking cucumbers is also a way, by simply making a juice out of it by blending the peeled cucumbers using water and straining it.
- Slice them- Cucumbers are considered to be an amazing add on to sandwiches, salads and wraps, as they provide that little crunch to you. So clicking and eating is one of the best and easiest ways to eat them.
- Dip them- The crunch of the potatoes are quite similar to that of a potato chip. So dunk it in your salad dressing, hummus or any favorite dip.
- Eat them raw- Eating them raw is one of the best ways to consume them. So just wash them and dive in. Keep the peel of the cucumber on and do not remove it to get maximum benefits of it.
- Top them for better taste- You can also treat cucumbers as a cracker, which means that you can top them with crease cheese, veggies or anything else.
Conclusion
Cucumbers are undoubtedly one of the best add-ons to your everyday diet. They are very refreshing and nutritious, low in calories, contain many essential minerals, vitamins and high content of water, which all-together makes a lot of health benefits of cucumber, such as it helps in managing the weight as it is low in calories, helps in regular digestion, lower levels of blood sugar and balanced hydration throughout the day. So if you haven’t started to eat cucumbers yet, it’s the right time for you to add it in your diet and enjoy its benefits!
