Nutritional Value of Cucumbers: Life with Cucumber

Cucumber has become an inevitable part of people’s culinary. People often include this fruit into their menu. You can find a cucumber in hamburger as you find it as the complementary for another food. Cucumber is often consumed in a different manner. People often make a cucumber juice and drink it. It can be only cucumber juice or it can be mixed with other fruit. Why do people often include cucumber in their menus? It is because cucumber has various benefits for people’s body. Let’s find out the nutritional value of cucumbers.

The Origin of Cucumber

Cucumber is scientifically well known as Cucumis sativus. It becomes one of the melon family like cantaloupe and watermelon, and squash family like winter squash, summer squash, pumpkin and zucchini. Cucumber is often served with two types, pickling cucumbers and slicing cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers are small sliced cucumber, which is thin and then processed into pickles. The slicing cucumbers are large and thick sliced cucumbers for fresh consumption. Both of them have the nutritional value of cucumbers as the fresh cucumber.

Cucumber for Cancer, Aging, and Cardiovascular Disease Risks

Cucumber contains unique polyphenols which are known as Lignans. Nutrition facts of cucumber come from this Lignan. Lignans can be found in Allium vegetables such as garlic and onion, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli. The Lignans that present in cucumber are pinoresinol, lariciresinol and secoisolariciresinol. Those Lignans as one of the nutritional value of cucumbers can help people to reduce some health risk of several cancer types like prostate, ovarian, breast, and uterine cancers. They prevent cardiovascular disease risk.

Cucumber belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. It means, cucumber is very rich of curcubitans, source of triterpene phytonutrients. Fresh cucumber contains cucurbitans A, B, C, D, E that has been studied for their properties of anti cancer. Those cucurbitans can block the survivors and the development of cancer cell. The other antioxidants are Zea xanthine, vitamin A and C and lutein. They work in a good corporation to fight aging and process of various diseases. It is one of the nutritional value of cucumbers that shows cucumber’s benefit for daily life. So, include cucumber into daily diet can be a good idea.

Low Calories in Cucumber

The other nutritional value of cucumbers that you can experience is the low amount of calories. Each 100 grams of cucumber contain 15 calories without any cholesterol and saturated fats. Cucumber helps people to prevent colon cancer as the toxic compound can be eliminated. If you have constipation, just pick cucumber and peel it. The cucumber peel can help you reduce the constipation as it is a nice dietary fiber source. Potassium can reduce heart rate and blood pressure. It is present in cucumber. Each 100 grams of cucumber contains 147 mg potassium. This 147 mg potassium can fight against the effect of sodium.

Cucumber and Alzheimer

Vitamin K and mild diuretic property are available as nutrition facts of cucumber. Vitamin K is very widely available in cucumber. If you have such problems with bone, consume cucumber can help you overcome your problem. Vitamin K can promote bone mass building activity (osteotrophic). Vitamin K takes important role in Alzheimer treatment. It can limit the neuronal damage in the brain. Cure Alzheimer will be much help. Mild diuretic property works along with low sodium content and potassium to control the high blood pressure and weight gain.

Cucumber for Mental Health and Stress Reliever

Those nutritional value of cucumbers proof that cucumber is very beneficial and useful for the body. Besides for physical health, cucumber is useful for mental health. It contains multi vitamin B. That includes vitamin B1, vitamin B5, and biotin or vitamin B7. It is very known that those vitamins B will help people to reduce anxiety and some feelings.

Nutritional value of cucumbers can be a practical stress reliever. If you are getting stressed, grab a cucumber and create such an aromatherapy with cucumber. Cut the entire cucumber up. Place it in a boiling water pot. There will be a reaction from the cucumber and the boiling water. The nutrients and chemicals will be released in the steam. Such an aroma which is soothing and relaxing will spread. It is a good stress reliever that is easy and quick. Multivitamins B in cucumber will buffer some of the stress effects that may be damaging the mental and physical health. From this cucumber nutritional value, you will understand the benefits of this fresh fruit and start to include it into your daily menu.

Cucumber and Bad Breath

The other benefits are that cucumber can help you to refresh your mouth. Have some slices of cucumber and press one of them on the roof of your mouth. Use your tongue to support it. You only need 30 seconds and all the bad breath will be eliminated. The bacteria will be killed by the phytochemical, so you can avoid bad breath. It is very easy and quick. You can mix cucumber with celery, one of fibrous vegetables. They work together to remove the odor causing bacteria. Cucumber can remove the plaque form gums and teeth. Your mouth will be fresher than ever.

Cucumber to Complete Your Water Intake

Cucumber helps us to provide a sufficient amount of water. It is known that 95% of cucumber is water. It can be a good solution for those who can hardly drink eight glasses of water. Just pick a cucumber and munch it. You will have a new intake of water. It is one of cucumber nutrition facts. Cucumber is a good snack that avoids you from hunger. By considering the nutritional value of cucumbers, it will be so hard to deny cucumber.

Cucumber Serving Suggestion: Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Cucumber can be served in various ways. Even though the serving way is varied, it will not lose the nutritional value of cucumbers. As long as it is served fresh, you can still be able to experience the benefits. Let’s try to make tomato and cucumber salad. You will need baby plum tomatoes, salad, cucumber, oregano, red onion, lime juice, fleur de sel, and olive oil. Make sure that the tomatoes are half sliced before you mix it with other ingredients. Lime juice, oil, and oregano should be well mixed and add fleur de sel on the salad and serve it. By this way, you can have a good menu and experience the benefit of fresh cucumber.