Benefits Of Cucumber
The Many Benefits Of Cucumber
There are many benefits of cucumber that could be listed, some well know others not, and still others trivial. They are fun to grow, a great starter vegetable for a youngster's garden, great in salads, or the main ingredient of a salad, make good pickles, and are good for the skin. The list could be even longer, but the point is, whether consumed, or applied to the outside of your body, cucumbers are good for you.
Nutritional Benefits Of Cucumber - First, let’s look at the nutritional benefits of cucumber. The cucumber contains a number of elements essential to our body for good health. Its high water content, in conjunction with being a source of ascorbic and caffeic acids, makes it an excellent diuretic, and being a good source of magnesium and potassium, the cucumber helps the body maintain proper blood pressure levels and in general aids in proper blood circulation. It is also a source of silica, a trace element vital to the strength in our connective tissues. And, being low in calories, the cucumber makes a nice addition to the diet of anyone trying to control their weight. In addition, cucumbers are a good source of phosphorus, calcium and zinc.
Types Of Cucumber - There are several varieties of cucumber, a member of the squash and pumpkin family, but these varieties can be placed in one of two categories. Large straight cucumbers with a smooth skin, used primarily for slicing, and the smaller prickly-skinned varieties used primarily for making pickles. Both the English and Mediterranean varieties have smooth skins and are relatively seedless. The English variety can grow fairly large, up to a couple of feet long, although shorter lengths are mostly used. Besides pickling and slicing, some people juice cucumbers, which in combination with other juices such as carrot juice, can make a very healthful beverage.
Benefits The Eyes And The Skin - Benefits of cucumber are widely promoted in the marketing of creams and lotions designed to improve skin condition. It's a well known fact that a slice of fresh cucumber placed over each eye relieves tired or puffy eyes. Silica contained in cucumbers has already been noted as helping to strengthen the connective tissues within the body when taken internally. Similarly, cucumber juice, when topically applied to the skin can smooth the skin and is useful as a treatment for some skin diseases. It is more accurate to say that cucumber juices will provide relief from the symptoms of some skin diseases, rather than acting as a cure, but it goes without question that the cucumber is basically good for the skin, and may indeed be helpful in the treatment of some disorders.
Not All Claims May Hold Water - The benefits of cucumber can of course be exaggerated, and at times are, with the words "cure for" used when "providing relief" might be the more accurate term. Cucumbers are often touted as benefiting those suffering from diabetes, but just how this happens is seldom documented. It goes without saying that consuming almost any vegetable that does not have a high sugar content would be good for the diabetic. In fact, a significant portion of the calories found in the cucumber, come from its sugars. Both the calorie content and the sugar content are low, and the cucumber may not be a bad choice for someone with diabetes, but it is hard to see how it could be all that helpful either. Similar claims have been made regarding the benefits of cucumber as related to stomach and cardiopulmonary disorders, although it has been established that cucumber juice does relieve heartburn. Cucumber juice, or raw cucumber slices do in fact provide some relief for someone with a case of sunburn, when applied directly to the affected skin. But beware the creams and lotions which, because they contain significant amounts of cucumber, claim to cure ailments or re grow hair. That is maybe pushing the envelope a little too far.