The cucumber, scientific name Cucumis sativus, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, just like pumpkin, zucchini, melon and watermelon. It is native to India but it was very appreciated also by the ancient Egyptians. The fruit has an elongated shape, a dark green peel a bit bumpy, a lighter pulp and is made up of 96% water. For this reason, cucumber is the perfect vegetable that can be eaten in summer and on hot days in order to avoid dehydration. In addition to this, cucumbers have also detoxifying and diuretic properties, useful in case of water retention and cellulite, they provide fiber, and therefore are a help to counteract constipation. Thanks to the tartaric acid content, cucumbers play a role in preventing carbohydrates, which are taken in the same meal, from turning into fats, so these vegetables can be easily inserted into the diet of those people who are overweight. Moreover, on the basis of scientific studies, it has been observed that eating cucumbers, in particular their peel, is able to lower glycemic levels (Roman-Ramos et al, J Ethnopharmacol, 1995 and Dixit et al, Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2010). However, it should be noted that the studies have not yet analyzed the possible effects on humans, so more work still remains to do but, for now, these preliminary results are very interesting and encouraging. Finally, cucumbers provide antioxidants, such as beta-carotene but also tannins and flavonoids that counteract free radicals and have an analgesic effect (Kumar et al, J Young Pham, 2010). These vegetables have also vitamins, such as A, group B, C and E, and mineral salts, such as phosphorus, potassium, useful to control blood pressure, calcium, silicon, with important anti-inflammatory properties useful in case of arthritis, manganese, fluorine and zinc. They can be eaten raw, cut into slices and added to salads, preferably with the skin to avoid to lose many nutrients. You can season them with some lemon juice and a little olive oil, they will give a refreshing and crunchy touch to your dishes. Due to the presence of a substance, cucurbitacin, the digestion of cucumber may be difficult for those people who have a delicate intestine and stomach.

Cucumber, as a food
April 29, 2018
Vitamins and mineral salts, antioxidants with analgesic effect and against free radicals, diuretic and depurative properties, helps the work of liver and kidney, fibers against constipation and useful to lose weight
AUTHOR
She combines her passion for a natural lifestyle and her university studies, she has indeed a Master of Science degree in Physics and a PhD in Physics in the field of biophysics. Reading scientific articles, being updated with the latest scientific researches and testing new methods and recipes is since always her job that, we hope, has become useful to you.
You might also be interested in these natural remedies
Natural cosmetics, such as kings and queens Part 33, the land of Greece and its aromas
From the sea, the bay is barely visible, but when you get closer, it opens up surrounded by rocks that reach out into the sea. At the bottom, a sandy beach and a little further a variegated vegetation with olive trees an...
Read more
Anti-inflammatory lifestyle Part 5, friendship and love for a healthy brain
Aristotle was the first to say it in his work Politics, man is, by nature, a social animal and tends to aggregate with other human beings. But this behavior isn’t just natural, it is also the basis for a healthy mind and...
Read more
Is it possible to slow down the graying of hair? A help from diet and lifestyle
Is it possible to reverse or slow down the graying process of the hair? We saw in a previous article that, sometimes, in case of a great stress, the hair can turn white and that, when the stressful period is over, the sa...
Read more
Natural beauty, black cumin seed oil as an elixir of beauty, health and youth for the skin
According to Mohammed, black cumin was capable of curing all diseases, except death. And in fact, recent scientific studies have shown that black cumin, and in particular its oil, is truly a marvel for health, proving to...
Read more
Green tea, a cup of health against viruses, cell degeneration and abdominal fat
An ancient legend tells that the emperor Sheng Nung, a figure of Chinese mythology, always used to boil water before drinking it. One day, tired from countless commitments, he fell asleep next to a plant of Camellia sine...
Read more