Cucumber health benefits includes reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, healthy weight management, detoxifying the body, enhancing the skin, supporting eye health, alkalizing the blood and treating cancer. Other benefits includes combating bad breath, supporting digestion, controlling blood sugar level, maintaining adequate blood pressure, supporting bones, repairing hair, supporting nails and supporting dental health.
Since ancient times, cucumber have been used as traditional, herbal medications in India. The vegetable contains various lipid–lowering and anti-diabetic properties that prevent the body from overheating, exerting a more the natural cooling effect.
1. Treats Cancer
Cucumbers contain fisetin, caffeic acid, cucurbitacins, lutein, which have the capability to reduce cancerous symptoms at the early stages. The phytochemicals in the vegetable have strong anti-cancer properties including antioxidants, which eliminate the free radical cells and boost your immunity.
Eating it whole or juicing the vegetable can reduce the occurrence of breast, ovarian, prostate, uterine and lung cancer due to the presence of flavonoids such as fisetin and caffeic acid.
2. Maintains Adequate Blood Pressure
The rich amount of magnesium, fiber and potassium makes cucumbers useful in maintaining the right blood pressure – which should not be too high or too low. It also helps lowers the pressure in arteries and keeps them hydrated. This is one of the main reasons why cucumbers are recommended to people battling hypertension.
3. Anti Diabetic
Studies have found it effective against diabetes, and medical scientists recommend eating cucumber peels, which helps maintain an adequate blood sugar level. Plus, eating its peels can also reduce oxidative stress.
A hormone in cucumber helps the pancreas to utilize insulin that converts the carbohydrates into energy.
4. Relieve pain
Flavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory substances, and tannins in cucumbers have both been shown to limit the release of free radicals in the body and to reduce pain.
As explained in the Journal of Young Pharmacists, “traditionally, this plant is used for headaches; the seeds are cooling and diuretic, the fruit juice is used as a nutritive and as a demulcent in anti-acne lotions.”
5. Protect your bones
Cucumber are a good source of vitamin K: One cup contains 22 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. This vitamin is essential for bone health, as low vitamin K intakes have been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture. Vitamin K is also important for improving calcium absorption in the bones.
6. Support heart health
Cucumbers contain potassium (152mg per cup), which can help lower blood pressure. A review of the best studies conducted on potassium intake showed that a higher intake “is associated with lower rates of stroke and might also reduce the risk of total cardiovascular disease.”
As less than 2 percent of U.S. adults consume the recommended 4,700 mg potassium per day, eating cucumbers is an easy way to start increasing your potassium consumption.
7. Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
Cucumbers contain polyphenols called lignans (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and secoisolariciresinol), which may help to lower your risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.3 They also contain phytonutrients called cucurbitacins, which also have anti-cancer properties. According to the George Mateljan Foundation:4
"Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways (for example, the JAK-STAT and MAPK pathways) required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins."
8. Protect Your Brain
Cucumbers contain an anti-inflammatory flavonol called fisetin that appears to play an important role in brain health. In addition to improving your memory and protecting your nerve cells from age-related decline,1 fisetin has been found to prevent progressive memory and learning impairments in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
9. It May Aid in Weight Loss
Cucumbers could potentially help you lose weight in a few different ways. First of all, they are low in calories. Each one-cup (104-gram) serving contains just 16 calories, while an entire 11-ounce (300-gram) cucumber contains only 45 calories.
This means that you can eat plenty of cucumbers without packing on the extra calories that lead to weight gain. Cucumbers can add freshness and flavor to salads, sandwiches and side dishes and may also be used as a replacement for higher calorie alternatives.
Furthermore, the high water content of cucumbers could aid in weight loss as well. One analysis looked at 13 studies including 3,628 people and found that eating foods with high water and low calorie contents was associated with a significant decrease in body weight.
10. Good for Your Skin
You can use it as a home remedy to nourish your skin by applying a thick paste on your face. The natural face mask will provide you with a soothing and cold effect. It also protects the skin from dryness, acne, skin irritation and other skin issues.
Source:naturalfoodseries,medicalnewstoday
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