Cucumber Uses , Nutrition And Its Benefits
About Cucumber
Cucumber is scientifically also known as cucumis sativus belongs to the cucurbitaceae family in common mans language the gourd family. It was first originated in India, where a variety of cucumbers were grown such as green, yellow, etc. They are being cultivated for 3000 years now; beyond the borders of India cucumber was cultivated in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century and America in the 16th century. In India cucumber was initially used to make rich food; as the market and demand for this food grew Indians indulged in mass production and started trading it with the Middle Eastern countries. It is started gaining its popularity in world market and gained its royalty as well as its low class treatment in the Roman Empire. Emperor Tiberius was so fond of cucumber that he demanded to eat cucumber every day, all throughout the year but soon after his fall the popularity of this food reached rock bottom. Christopher Columbus brought cucumber grown in Haiti to Spain where it started gaining its popularity again. This is a fruit often eaten like a vegetable just like tomatoes. The world’s largest producer and exporter of cucumber is China that produces approximately 40.7 million tons of cucumber annually.
Cucumber Nutrition Facts
[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id="47"]
- It contain Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
- Ability to cool the temperature of the blood.
- Kill the Bacteria that are responsible for causing bad breath.
Cucumber Benefits
- Avoiding both a hangover and headache.
- Improving your memory and protecting your nerve cells from age-related decline.
- Lower your risk of breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight Support Heart Health.
- Support Your Digestive Health.
- Manage Stress Skin and hair care.
- Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure.
- Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain.
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 15 Kcal | <1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.63 g | 3% |
| Protein | 0.65 g | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.11 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0.5 g | 1% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 7 µg | 2% |
| Niacin | 0.098 mg | <1% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 mg | 5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.040 mg | 3% |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 mg | 3% |
| Thiamin | 0.027 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 105 IU | 3.5% |
| Vitamin C | 2.8 mg | 4.5% |
| Vitamin E | 0.03 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin K | 16.4 µg | 13.6% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 147 mg | 3% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 16 mg | 1.6% |
| Iron | 0.28 mg | 3.5% |
| Magnesium | 13 mg | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.079 mg | 3.5% |
| Phosphorus | 24 mg | 3% |
| Phosphorus | ||
| Zinc | 0.20 mg | 2% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 45 µg | — |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 26 µg | — |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 23 µg | — |
Cucumber
This is not just popular for its culinary use but also for its medicinal properties and nutritional values. One cup of cucumber which is 104 g contains only 16 calories.It is 95% water, biting into a slice of cucumber makes you feel hydrated and fresh. Its hydrating quality helps you flush out unnecessary toxins from the body thus having a detox effect.They are known to contain compounds such as lariciresinol, pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol these 3 compounds are known profoundly for fighting cancer such as breast cancer , ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. Its anti inflammatory properties and fibre compounds helps in weight loss and smooth digestion, cucumber can also be used as a laxative that aids in evading constipation. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin B and calcium cucumber promotes bone health keeping joint pain and arthritis at bay. The peep of the cucumber is used as a beauty hack for a good skin; it helps in treating sun burns on skin just like aloevera.It stimulates hair growth; those who are longing for good tresses should include cucumber in their diets.
How To Enjoy Cucumber
It is used in fresh salads; an ingredient that keeps the salad crunchy low on calorie and also hydrating your body. Cucumbers are summer food and always eaten to beat the heat, sliced cucumber is used in sandwiches with tomatoes and coleslaw making it a nice high tea snack. Pickled cucumber is popular in the western countries also known gherkins. Cold soup made out of cucumbers and mint is a refreshing palate cleanser.
Cucumber
In order to improve the quality of cucumber farmers are resorting to heavy usage of pesticides and other growth inducing medicines, care needs to be taken while picking the right cucumber. Always opt for organically produced cucumber as it has no side effects.
(Visited 1,382 times, 1 visits today)
