WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CUCUMBER-min

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CUCUMBER?

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Cucumber is a long and lean fruit. Although people mostly take them as vegetables, they are fruits and are often used to make salads. Learn about the health benefits of cucumber in this blog.

Adding to its beneficial nutrients, cucumber also has certain antioxidants that help treat and limit some disorders. In addition, they also have low calories, a good amount of water, and soluble fiber, hence promote hydration and help in weight loss.

Nutritional Facts of Cucumbers

Cucumbers have flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes. These are antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory substances and fight cancer. Dieticians have recommended that we take cucumbers as a whole since it has major nutrients necessary vital to the body. For instance, 50 grams of unpeeled cucumber has eight calories, a milligram of sodium 1%, and calcium, with no sugar or cholesterol.

The Benefits of Cucumber

Promotes Hydration

If you don’t like drinking water, cucumbers will be handy. However, you will add mint to it to enhance its flavor. Cucumbers mostly have water and important electrolytes. This will help hydrate the body when in a hot environment or after workouts. When the body is hydrated, you will reduce the risks of constipation and kidney stones and helpmaintain healthy intestines.

Healthy Bones

Did you know that 140g of raw cucumber has 10 milligrams of Vitamin K that helps in blood clotting? Furthermore, the cucumber also has calcium that promotes the growth of healthy bones. Vitamin K also enhances calcium absorption. The daily recommended cucumber intake is 90mcg for the 19 years and above for the females and 120mcg for the males of the same age.

Protects the Body against Cancer

Cucumbers have high levels of bitter-tasting substances known as cucurbitacin, preventing cancer by stopping its cells from reproducing.

Promotes Growth of Hair

Cucumber has sulfur and silicon that help in the growth and rejuvenation of the hair. Besides, your hair will feel soft and silky to the touch and beresistant to breakage.

Promotes Regularity

Cucumbers help in regular bowel movements. First, dehydration is among the major factors causing constipation. If you alter your water intake, you might end up misbalancing your water levels in the body, making it hard to pass stool.  Cucumber’s high-water level promotes hydration, improving and maintaining stool consistency and regularity.Second, cucumber has pectin fiber that facilitates bowel movement. A study showed that people who take pectin supplements, the movement in the small intestinal muscles while feeding the beneficial bacteria in the alimentary canal, improving digestive health.

Aids in loss of Body Weight

You cannot lose weight when eating a single food and exercise. However, it becomes handy in weight loss or in maintaining body weight. When you take them, you will have a feeling of fullness for a long. This will prevent you from eating up more food.

Regulation of Diabetes

In the same way that they help you control your weight, cucumbers also help keep diabetes in check. The high water level also helps expand the stomach, reducing snacks’ cravings. This makes it easier to controlsugar intake, which helps regulate insulin levels.

Prevents Chronic Inflammation

The vitamin C and the water present in the cucumber can prevent the spread of the damaged cells in the body, saving you from multiple chronic inflammations that might have been formed in our bodies, limiting heart diseases. In addition, the antioxidants present fight inflammations and improve bodies’ immunities.

Natural Cure for Kidney Stones

The amount of water present can completely flush out the toxins from the body and help prevent kidney stones. This will also help in the removal of debris present in the bladder during urination. Cucumber also helps in the regulation of uric acid levels in your body.

Relieves Migraines

Sometimes you may experience tough migraines that cannot stop till you sleep.  If you experience that next time, take cucumber. Cucumber has magnesium that will help keep blood pressure on watch, boosting your immunological system.Moreover, you can relieve others’ pains by taking cucumbers. The flavonoid and tannins present in the cucumber help cure pains by controlling the number of free radicals. It is advisable to eat them daily to minimize these pains.

Removes Bad Breath

Do you always brush your teeth twice a day but still have bad breath? Cucumber may come in handy here. You don’t have to buy expensive treatments for you to fight bad breath. Use as much cucumber as you can to fight the stubborn bacteria accumulated in your teeth and gums.

Glowing skin

When you consume lots of cucumbers, you are likely to have clear, glowing, and healthy skin. The wrinkles will become a past thing.

Reduces Blood Pressure

Cucumbers are non-starchy. A three to five servings of non-starchy vegetables per day are recommended by the American Diabetes Association. However, more non-starchy vegetables can help satisfy hunger without raising blood sugar levels. When hunger strikes, fresh cucumbers are an excellent choice for glycemic control due to their high fiber and water content.

Strengthens your body’s immunity

The high levels of antioxidants prevent the accumulation of harmful radicals in the body.

The Bottom Line

Cucumbers contain few calories but with important vitamins, minerals, and high-water content. Therefore, eating cucumbers is advantageous to the body. Its benefits include enhancing weight loss, digestive regularity, lower blood sugar levels, and balanced dehydration.

Julia Davis

Mental health expert
MS, University of Latvia

I am deeply convinced that each patient needs a unique, individual approach. Therefore, I use different psychotherapy methods in my work. During my studies, I discovered an in-depth interest in people as a whole and the belief in the inseparability of mind and body, and the importance of emotional health in physical health. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (a big fan of thrillers) and going on hikes.

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