Reasons you should start eating cucumber

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are number four most cultivated vegetable in the world and known to be one of the best foods for your overall health, often referred to as a super food. Pick a handful of firm, dark green cucumbers and drop them into your shopping cart. Congratulations! You have just bought yourself stuff full of good health.

Rehydrates body

If you are too busy to drink enough water, eat the cool cucumber, which is 90 per cent water. It will cheerfully compensate your water loss.

Fights heat inside and out

Eating cucumber will get your body relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin and you will get relief from sunburn.

Eliminates toxins

All that water in cucumber acts as a virtual broom, sweeping waste products out of your body. With regular eating, cucumber is known to dissolve kidney stones.

Replenishes daily vitamins

Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Vitamins A, B and C, which boost your immune system, also keep you radiant and give you energy. Make it more powerful by juicing cucumber with spinach and carrot. Don’t forget to leave the skin on because it contains a good amount of vitamin C, which is about 12 per cent of the daily recommended allowance.

Supplies skin friendly minerals

Cucumber is high in potassium, magnesium and silicon. That is why spas abound cucumber based treatments.

Aids digestion and weight loss

Due to its high water and low calorie content, cucumber is an ideal source for people who are looking for weight loss. Use cucumbers in your soups and salads. If it is not your favourite snack, you can eat crunchy cucumber sticks with creamy low fat yogurt dip. Chewing cucumber gives your jaws a good workout and the fibre in it is great for digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as an aid for chronic constipation.

Revives the eyes

Placing a chilled slice of cucumber over puffy eyes is a clichéd beauty visual, but it really can help reduce under-eye bags and puffiness due to its anti inflammatory properties.

Fights cancers

Cucumber is known to contain secoisolariciresinol, lariciresinol and pinoresinol. The three lignans have a strong connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including ovarian, breast, prostate and uterine cancer.

Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure

Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin, which is widely spread to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers have found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers can help decrease levels of cholesterol. Cucumbers contain a lot of fibre, potassium and magnesium. These nutrients work effectively for regulating blood pressure. That is why cucumber is good for treating both high blood pressure and low blood pressure.

Refreshes the mouth

Cucumber juice heals and refreshes diseased gums. Get a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for a half minute. The phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing unpleasant breath.

Smoothes hair and nails

The wonder mineral, silica, in cucumber makes your hair and nails shinier and stronger. The sulfur and silica in cucumbers help to stimulate your hair growth.

Promotes joint health, relieves arthritis and gout pain

As cucumber is an excellent source of silica, it promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. When mixed with carrot juice, cucumber can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering levels of the uric acid.

Cures hangover

To avoid a morning headache or hangover, you can eat a few cucumber slices before going to sleep. Cucumbers contain enough B vitamins, sugar and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients and reduce the severity of both hangover and headache.

Keeps kidneys in shape

Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your body and is thought to keep the kidneys healthy.

                                           Adapted from: fitnea.com

culled from Punch