Did you ever think something as simple as a cucumber can actually improve your health? In fact, a food you take can become a cure if you know about its special properties and pair it with other foods in a balanced way. Cucumbers are cool in more ways than you realise: they are packed with all kinds of vitamins; they have a cooling effect; they moisturize your skin and keep your water balance in check. This is only the tip of the iceberg! Here are 8 incredible health benefits of cucumber.
It’s nutritious
Watery cucumbers are low on fat and calories, but offer an incredible amount of vitamins and nutrients. Apart from Vitamin C and Vitamin K that are essential for your well-being, they also contain potassium and magnesium. With no fat whatsoever, they contain only 45 calories. It’s a perfect food for weight loss!
It fights cancer
Cucumber is packed with antioxidants that, among other things, have been known to fight cancer, all the while protecting your DNA. Cucumber contains compounds like cucurbitacins, glucosides, and lignans take care of those “free radicals” that increase the risk of cancer. All these are powerful antioxidants!
It fills you up with water
Hydration is important no matter what you do and where you live. You might be forgetting to drink actual water, but if you eat one cucumber it’ll be like drinking a glass of water as they contain around 95% of water. This is one of the best ways to stay hydrated via food.
It detoxifies your body
Cucumber is one of the few foods with diuretic properties, which means they aid liver in washing out toxins from your gut and blood. It also cleanses the liver itself and filters any harmful elements you ingest, removing them from the digestive tract.
It helps you lose weight
They key to healthy weight is eating at least 30 grams of fibre every day. There are many foods containing fibre, cucumber being one of them. All its fibre is in the skin, so make sure it stays on when you make salads or a green dietary smoothie. Low on calories and packed with antioxidants, cucumber is your perfect weight loss veggie!
It keeps your bones healthy
One cup of cucumbers contains 22% of your daily intake of Vitamin K, the one responsible for bone health and strength. Low levels of Vitamin K result in bone fracture and fragility. Higher levels of Vitamin K aid in blood clotting in case of injury and improve calcium absorption, which is beneficial for both your bones and teeth.
It will soothe your skin
Fresh cucumber juice is incredibly moisturising, with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Eating cucumbers is perfectly fine, but you can also use pieces of cucumbers or cucumber skin, applying them directly to your face or hands. Cucumber juice will reduce redness and swelling, making your skin smooth and silky.
It will cure your headache
Most of the time headaches are caused by dehydration, which means cucumbers can become the perfect remedy you can take instead of meds. Cucumbers are one of the few foods (along with watermelons, bananas, and pineapples) that can make your headache go away.
