10 Health Benefits of Cucumbers

Photo – © sommai – fotolia.com

One of the most popular and widely grown of all vegetables, cucumbers are considered beneficial to health for numerous reasons. We’ve picked out 10 benefits of cucumbers for you to learn about. Note – as with other salad vegetables, it’s important to wash them properly first. Organic produce is recommended so as to avoid intake of pesticide sprays. Also – at many commercial grocery stores and online you can buy fruit and vegetable sprays that are designed to remove pesticides and toxins from fresh produce.

1. Morning Pick-me-up: Cucumbers contain minerals and vitamins that are important for wakefulness and clarity of mind. So instead of drinking espresso in the morning — just eat a cucumber! You will not believe how effective cucumbers are as a immediate “pick me up” because of the potent rejuvenating properties contained within.

2. Skin Health: Cucumbers are great for skin health. ^[1] The skin of the cucumber is very effective as a soothing agent for sunburn and other skin problems. Have you ever gone to the spa or gotten a facial? You might recall that cucumbers were placed over your eyes! This is done because cucumbers help to reduce puffiness and help the skin to tighten, resulting in a more youthful appearance.

3. Healthy Hair: Cucumbers contain silicon and sulfur, which are minerals that support and promote hair growth and strength. ^[1]

4. Cancer prevention: Cucumbers may also prevent cancer, because of the lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol they contain. These three lignans have been associated with reduced risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. ^[2]

5. Mosquito repellant: Another interesting, little known-fact we learned is that cucumber works as mosquito repellent! Instead of using commercial products that contain deet and other chemicals, you can rub a cucumber on your skin and avoid irritating insect bites. ^[3]

6. Rich in vitamins: Cucumbers not only refresh and hydrate the body, but they replenish the vitamins we lose throughout the day. Fat free, cholesterol free, and extremely low in calories— cucumbers perfect for a snack between meals.

7. Hangover cure: We also learned that the Vitamin B and electrolytes they contain make them the perfect cure for hangover and headache. In addition, studies show they may be effective for weight loss and useful as a natural treatment for indigestion and constipation.

8. Diabetes: We also found out that cucumbers are high in magnesium, fiber, and potassium, which aid in the treatment and prevention of diabetes. ^[4]

9. Arthritis and joint inflammation: Eating cucumbers may help to reduce inflammation and pain in the joints— which can aid in preventing or treating arthritis.

10. Cholesterol The minerals in cucumbers are also considered beneficial towards lowering high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Bonus: Did you know that cucumbers can be used to clean fog off a mirror, and can also be used as a natural alternative to products like WD40 to fix squeaky door hinges.

The amazing properties of cucumbers makes us want to coin the phrase “A cucumber a day keeps the doctor away!”