Did your Mother ever urge you to eat your cucumbers when you were a kid? Mine certainly did. There’s something so refreshing and soothing about this amazing vegetable.
From chilled soups to smoothies, sandwiches to salads, cucumbers can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Roll them with seaweed and rice or eat them by the slice; cucumbers are a treat. They are also nourishing for your body and health. Here are some significant health benefits of eating cucumbers.
1. Cucumber Hydrates
Eating cucumber hydrates the body almost as much as drinking H20 does; cucumbers are made up of a whopping 90% water!
We all forget to hydrate sometimes. Remind yourself to drink water by making this hydrating, beautifying spa drink: Simply fill a pitcher with distilled water and add 5-10 cucumber slices. Keep the pitcher chilled in the fridge for best results. You will find yourself drinking more water because it tastes so delicious!
2. Cucumber Freshens Your Breath
Defeat odor causing bacteria in your mouth with this ancient Ayurvedic method; place a cucumber slice on the roof of your mouth and leave it there for two minutes. According to Ayurveda, cucumber has cooling properties and releases excess heat in the stomach, which is what causes bad breath to occur.
3. Cucumber Fights Cancer
Cucumber is packed with cancer fighting antioxidants. It is also full of lariciresinol, pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol. These chemical compounds may reduce several types of cancer, included breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer. How amazing is that?
4. Cucumber Feeds Your Body Vitamins
Cucumbers contain vital nutrients that the body craves and requires to thrive. They are loaded with high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B. These vitamins work to improve our immunity; they also impart beautiful skin and hair. Try adding cucumber to your juices and smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition.
5. Cucumber Helps Diabetics
Cucumber is an especially excellent food choice for diabetics; cucumber contains the hormone needed by the pancreas for making insulin in the body. Patients should eat up!
6. Cucumber Helps the Brain
Cucumbers are anti-inflammatory and contain fisetin, a flavonol that is central to proper brain health. Fisetin improves memory and protects nerve cells from the decline that comes with aging. It has also been shown to prevent learning impairments and progressive memory in mice with Alzheimer’s.
7. Cucumbers are Effective for Weight Loss
Low in calories and filling because of it’s water and fiber content, people wanting to lose weight are welcome to eat as much cucumbers as they want.
By incorporating cucumbers into your family’s diet, you can drastically improve their health and well being. More importantly, cucumbers are the perfect addition to any salad, sandwich, or even water recipes.
Be sure to buy them organic or grow them in your own backyard!
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