13 Benefits of Cucumber for Body Health

benefits of cucumber for body health

13 Benefits of Cucumber for Body Health

Cucumber or Cucumis sativus is a crunchy vegetable that's popular almost in every country. Cucumber often to be used as pickles, salad, and fresh drinks. Cucumber is almost growing in every country. The funny fact about this crunchy vegetable is it is considered a fruit even though in culinary considered a vegetable. Cucumber contains high water content, therefore it feels refreshing when consumed.

Besides the refreshing effect when you eat cucumbers, it turns out that cucumbers also have many benefits for your body's health. Cucumber benefits are it has the ability to treat various diseases, including diabetes to provides a calming effect on skin irritation.

In the beauty industries, the benefits of cucumber are well known since ancient times. All of this is due to the presence of vitamin A and vitamin C which act as antioxidants. Vitamin A and vitamin C work wonders in fighting numerous skin problems and help to enhance skin appearance. Please continue to read to explore all the benefits of cucumber.

Cucumber Nutritional Value

Before you read further about the benefits of cucumber for body health, it would be great to learn the nutritional value of 1 cucumber or 300 grams of unpeeled raw cucumber. One cucumber, in contains at least 45 calories, with protein as much as 2g, carbs 11g, and fiber 2g. vitamin C 14% of RDA, vitamin K 62% of RDA, Manganese 12%, Magnesium 10%, and Potassium 13%. In addition, cucumber has an abundant water content which is about 96% water which helps to overcome dehydration. It includes fruits that are low in calories but contain high vitamins and minerals.

Due to the abundant nutrient above, it's no wonder that these fresh and crunchy vegetables have a myriad of benefits.

The benefit of Cucumber for Body Health

Below are some benefits of cucumber for body health

1. Cucumber Prevents Dehydration

Water has an important role in body functions, so make sure the fluids in the body are still met to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can affect the body's work function in the metabolic system. Drinking water at least 8 glasses per day is a great start to prevent dehydration. Other options to get enough fluids by eating more fruits and vegetables include cucumber. A cucumber that has almost 96% water content, has proven to be effective in making your body stay hydrated. Consuming these vegetables regularly can help to obtain daily fluid needs.

2. Cucumber source of Antioxidants

An antioxidant is a natural component that helps to fight free radicals that can destroy your body's health. Based on research, cucumbers are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. A lack of antioxidant inside your body can affect your body to be easily exposed to free radical, which can cause oxidative stress and leads to serious disease. Heart disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, and lung disease are some of the diseases that happened due to the lack of antioxidant presence inside your body. Cucumber which is very rich in antioxidants is useful for reducing these conditions. Cucumber antioxidants contain flavonoids and tannins which are two compounds that are very effective in blocking harmful free radicals.

3. Cucumber help to Lose Weight

The next benefit of cucumber is that it has the potential to help you lose weight. That's because cucumber contains low calories but is rich in fiber. Due to this fact, cucumber is one of the best choices as helps you to lose weight naturally. You can consume it in the form of salads, sandwiches, or side dishes on several food menus. In addition, the high water content can help in significant weight loss.

4. Control Blood Sugar Levels

Based on several studies explain that cucumber has been proven to be effective in lowering blood sugar levels and at the same time also preventing diabetes complications. Due to this fact, drinking cucumber juice regularly is advisable. Cucumber juice will help to increase a special hormone needed by the pancreas to produce insulin.

5. Cucumber Good for Digestive System

Some factors that lead to constipation is due to lack of fiber and fluids in the body. Eating cucumber regularly will help to facilitate bowel movements and improve digestive system performance. The pectin that can be found in cucumber is a fiber that works great to support bowel movement. Pectin itself is a type of soluble fiber that can help increase the frequency of bowel movements and nourish the digestive system.

6. Cucumber Strengthens Bones

Calcium is not the only source of nutrients that can help nourish bones. Based on research, cucumber that is rich in vitamin K is also a great source to strengthen bones. The vitamin K that can be found in cucumber works to strengthen bones naturally. One study found that postmenopausal women who consumed 5 mg of vitamin K daily had a lower risk of fractures than those who did not take vitamin K.

7. Cucumber Controls Blood Pressure

The nutritional content of cucumbers does not need to be doubted. Another great fact on cucumber benefits is to control blood pressure. Cucumber rich in potassium, manganese, and magnesium can help to control blood pressure. Eating cucumber will keep your blood pressure from being too high or too low.

8. Cucumber Help to Relieve Joint Pain

Besides helping to nourish bones, another benefit of cucumber is it can relieve joint pain and gout. Cucumber is a source of silica which is known to strengthen joint tissue. Consuming cucumber regularly can reduce joint pain, gout, and lower uric acid levels. You can consume it in the form of a juice drink. Due to this fact, cucumber juice is one of the natural drinks that can be consumed regularly to maintain joint tissue health.

9. Cucumber Improve Brain Function

Fisetin is one of the anti-inflammatory substances found in cucumbers and plays an important role in maintaining brain health. Fisetin serves to reduce the risk of age-related neurological disease in brain function. In addition, it can also help maintain cognitive function in people with Alzheimer's.

10. Cucumber Prevents Cancer Risk

Another amazing benefit of cucumber is cucumber can reduce the risk of cancer in the body. Cucumbers are rich in polyphenol or lignans, and this compound plays a role in reducing the risk of certain cardiovascular diseases and cancers. In addition, cucumbers also have anti-cancer properties, derived from plant nutrients called cucurbitacins. Based on a study explains that cucurbitacins can inhibit the survival of cancer cells.

11. Cucumber Soothe Skin from Irritation

Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe the skin from irritation and swelling of the skin. Cucumbers are best to treat sunburn due to their ability to reduce skin irritation and inflammation. You can rub a slice of cucumber or apply cucumber juice directly on irritated skin. 

12. Cucumber to Reduce Panda Eyes

Not only to soothe irritated skin, but cucumber is also great to treat puffiness under your eyes, or panda eyes. You can take cucumber juice with some cotton pad, then leave it on top of your closed eyes. Another best method is to put a slice of a cucumber and leave it on top of your eyes for at least 10-15 minutes. Your eyes will feel more hydrated, brighter, and fresher. This ability comes from the high water content that works as a natural humectant. Not only that, but cucumber also contains a lot of vitamin C, that act as a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce any inflammation in your body.

13. Cucumber Reduces Bad Breath

Bad breath not only affects your self-esteem but is also a sign that your body has internal problems. Speaking about bad breath, the presence of bacteria in the mouth will cause some unpleasant odor, called bad breath. If you already suffer from bad breath, you can try to treat the bad odor by eating cucumber. Cucumbers rich in water and fiber, are great to help saliva production.  Eating cucumber regularly will work wonders to eliminate the bacteria in the mouth and that awful odor.

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