The benefits and harms of salted cucumbers

Lightly salted (freshly pickled) cucumbers are no less popular than salted ones. In the article we will tell you what the main benefits and value of instant cucumbers are for the body, and also dwell on the main contraindications to the use of this product.

Did you know? The fruits of cucumber began to be used for food about 6 thousand years ago. The vegetable is even mentioned in the Bible as one of the main products of the ancient Egyptians.

Properties of Salted Cucumbers

During the preparation of salted cucumbers, the fruits are exposed to prolonged exposure to sodium salts (edible salt), which, in combination with other ingredients, almost completely change the structure of a fresh vegetable. It acquires new beneficial properties, often unusual for fruits in vivo. These include: a change in the density of the pulp, its color, structure and aromatic properties, which almost completely alters the fresh cucumber.

However, few people think that in addition to morphological features, the long-term exposure to cucumber pickles dramatically changes the amount of various substances in it, including dissolved minerals. Despite the fact that such compounds are important for human health, in some cases they can cause serious disorders.

Did you know? For the first time, conservation of cucumbers by the salting method was resorted to even in ancient India and Mesopotamia. According to the findings of scientists, this happened back in the III millennium BC. e.

Benefit

During pickling, salted cucumbers accumulate sodium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc and calcium, due to which salted fruits become more useful and turn into one of the main sources of rare minerals. This is especially important for maintaining health in the winter, as well as during the off-season. In addition, salted cucumbers are also rich in vitamins. First of all, these include B vitamins, as well as A, C, E and K, which have a beneficial effect on the whole organism.

  • Most often, the complex effect of such substances contributes to:
  • normalization of the digestive system;
  • stimulation of the stomach;
  • improving heart function and blood circulation;
  • the fight against pathogenic bacteria and infections;
  • decrease in muscle and emotional stress;
  • activation and normalization of the thyroid gland.

Harm and contraindications

During cooking, light-salted cucumbers are not subjected to sharp aggressive action, which creates an ideal dietary product from fresh vegetable, which is characterized by a rather short list of contraindications. That is why it is allowed to be consumed even by young children. However, such a product, with certain characteristics of the body, can aggravate the state of human health.

  • First of all, salted cucumber can be harmful:
  • with hepatitis, gallstone disease and other pathologies of the kidneys - causes a delay in body fluids;
  • in chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines - has a laxative effect and activation of diseases;
  • under the age of 5 years - an excessive amount of minerals can cause acute and chronic diseases of the kidneys and liver.

Important! Soaking in water is not able to return the dense structure to withered fruits, so only young and fresh cucumbers are selected for pickling.

  • In addition, it is worth sharply limiting and consuming salting with:
  • problems with blood pressure - can cause hypertension or hypotonic seizures;
  • lactations - are allergens for the baby;
  • diabetes of the first and second type - can aggravate the pancreas, including the secretion of specific enzymes.

Calorie and nutritional value of the product

From a nutritional point of view, salted cucumbers are a unique food product. It is characterized by low calorie content, as well as high nutritional value. 100 g of product contains only 12 kcal.

Of these, accounted for:

  • proteins - 2 kcal (0.6 g);
  • fats - 1 kcal (0.08 g);
  • carbohydrates - 9 kcal (2.2 g).

Important! Salted cucumbers are indicated for consumption during pregnancy. The product is able not only to eliminate the deficiency of minerals in the body of a woman, but also to weaken the manifestations of toxicosis.

Cooking recommendations

Each housewife has more than one recipe for cooking light-salted cucumbers, but not everyone gets this product with high-quality and aromatic. This is attributed both to errors in the process of preparing pickles, and during the preliminary preparation of fruits for pickling. To give the fruit a special crispy structure will help pre-soak the cucumbers in cold water. This helps to nourish the fruit with extra fluid, which will make them more dense and elastic.

Particular attention should be paid to the correct filling of cans. During the preparation of pickles, the container can not be packed tightly, it is best if there is a small layer of liquid between the cucumbers. To do this, they must be placed vertically, no more than 2 layers. Often, many housewives note a rather short storage period of salted cucumbers. The blame is the temperature of the marinade.

According to the general rules for the preparation of pickles, vegetables should always be filled with hot liquids, this helps to avoid the development of pathogenic microorganisms in banks that impede high-quality pickling. That is why light-salted vegetables are prepared on the basis of boiling marinades, which dramatically reduces their storage time.

You will be interested to know if bitter cucumbers are good for the human body.

To avoid this, the fruits are poured only with a cooled, and preferably a cooled liquid that prevents instant salting and fermentation. In addition, cooked pickles must be stored in the refrigerator, otherwise after depressurization of the tank for a week they will go bad.

Salted cucumbers are not only a tasty product, but also a good source of micro and macro elements, which can optimize the mineral balance in the human body in a short period of time. However, with problems with excretory, digestive and cardiovascular systems, the use of salted cucumbers should be approached with caution.

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