Cucumbers: benefit and harm
The nutritional value of a fresh cucumber lies in its immaturity. Unlike other vegetables, most of it is water, but it is it that bears in itself such an important value for the functions of the human body. In addition to benefits, almost all products have contraindications. For a healthy body, you need to know about all aspects of your diet.
Calorie content and chemical composition of fresh cucumber
Cucumber normalizes the cookability of food, especially protein, its ideal combination is with meat dishes.
The chemical composition shows how many percent of water is in a vegetable and how many calories are in raw cucumber:
| What is contained | Per 100 g / g |
| Water | 95 |
| Calorie content | 15 kcal |
| Zhirov | 0 |
| Protein | 0.8 |
| Carbohydrates | 3.8 |
| Fiber | 0.7 |
| Dietary fiber | one |
| Ash | 0.5 |
| Title | Per 100 g / mg |
| Choline | 6 |
| PP | 0.3 |
| TO | 16.4 mcg |
| N | 0.9 mcg |
| E | 0.1 |
| FROM | 10 |
| BUT | 10 |
| IN 1 | 0, 03 |
| IN 2 | 0.04 |
| AT 5 | 0.3 |
| AT 9 | four |
| AT 6 | 0.04 |
| Beta carotene | 0.06 |
| Title | Per 100 g / mg |
| Aluminum | 425 mcg |
| Iron | 0.6 |
| Chlorine | 25 |
| Phosphorus | 42 |
| Potassium | 141 |
| Sodium | 8 |
| Magnesium | fourteen |
| Calcium | 23 |
| Zinc | 0.215 mcg |
| Cobalt | one |
| Selenium | 0.3 mcg |
| Iodine | 3 mcg |
| Copper | one hundred |
| Manganese | 0.18 |
| Chromium | 6 mcg |
| Molybdenum | 1 mcg |
| Fluorine | 17 mcg |
What are the benefits of cucumbers for the body
Whether cucumbers are useful to you, should be based primarily on the state of your health and contraindications for the use of these vegetables.
They are recommended for people with diseases and problems:
- endocrine system;
- swelling of the body;
- high blood pressure;
- atherosclerosis (cholesterol);
- prostate, biliary, liver.
Antiseptic properties, antipyretic, pain-relieving, antitoxic, laxative, and even antitumor - all this is a big plus to adding cucumbers to your daily diet.
Video: about the benefits of cucumbers
For the digestive tract
Favorable effect on the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract. Help in the work of the pancreas and a mild laxative effect (good for those who suffer from constipation). Freshly squeezed cucumber juice increases acidity in the stomach, appetite improves, food is digested correctly. With a high level of fiber, motility and intestinal microflora are also better, and harmful deposits leave the body.
For the heart and blood vessels
Improves the functioning of the thyroid gland and circulatory system due to the content of fiber and iodine. The latter prevents the growth of goiter and nourishes the thyroid gland with the missing elements. If you eat cucumbers regularly, this will lower cholesterol, improve the circulatory system and blood vessels, strengthen the heart and prevent the development of pathologies in it.
To normalize blood sugar
Those suffering from diabetes, or having a tendency to it, can enjoy another “white product” on their list. Important indicators of carbohydrates and calories in vegetables are very low, and thanks to 95 percent water in cucumbers, excess sugar is perfectly washed out of the body with an increase in glucose.
To strengthen bones and joints
Vitamin K, which is quite a lot in the chemical composition of the fetus, is important for bone tissue. The risk of fractures is significantly reduced. If vitamin D is taken at the same time, the bones will tighten and the balance of calcium in the body will be restored.
Bone and joint cells need rejuvenation just like your face. Ignoring natural needs, you contribute to the deterioration of the functioning of the motor apparatus. Fresh cucumbers contribute to the rejuvenation of the body, not only superficially.
For the nervous system
The vitamin-mineral complex in green vegetables protects the nervous system, improves memory and reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. First of all, this is facilitated by vitamin B1, which calms nerve cells, and vitamin B2, which favorably affects the functioning of the central nervous system.
For the urinary system
Fresh cucumbers neutralize acidic compounds that are formed by the human body. Because of these compounds, the functions of the genitourinary system may decrease, metabolic processes are disturbed, and stone deposits appear in the kidneys.
The salt composition of the fruit destroys the adverse compounds and gets rid of them through the urinary tract. At the same time, useful cucumber water removes excess fluid from the body, removing edema - cucumbers are used as a diuretic.
For healthy teeth and gums
The teeth belong to the bone tissue, but the presence of fluoride in the composition should be highlighted separately. This is a natural mineral, significant for the strength of tooth enamel. In addition to fluoride, cucumbers also contain calcium.
Cucumber juice is recommended for bleeding gums. It is also useful for periodontal disease. The juice should be freshly squeezed and used to rinse the mouth. A noticeable result becomes with a regular repeat of the procedure (once or twice a day) for 2 weeks.
For sight
It is unlikely to improve vision by consuming fresh cucumbers, but vitamin A is required to support the eyes. The immune system also receives good support from this vitamin, and literally everything in the body depends on it.
For weight loss
Normalization of metabolism is another plus from eating fruits. Natural fiber and enzymes, B-group vitamins break down carbohydrates and sugar. Unwanted accumulations in the cells are neutralized and washed out. Cucumbers remain allowed products in the diet, also due to a decrease in puffiness. The benefits are noticeable in slowing down the aging process.
For beauty and health of hair
The full-fledged vitamin composition of the green vegetable and its moisturizing properties strengthen the hair root bulbs and saturate the rods with nutritious moisture. You get additional protection against chlorine, which has weight in living conditions in the city, as well as from sea salt, whether you are on vacation or if you like to use salt baths at home.
For skin
Vitamin C in combination with Vitamin A strengthens the immune system and keeps your skin in good condition. It will not dry, because cucumber juice nourishes the body with water and minerals, it will not peel and crack. The younger the fresh cucumbers, the more beneficial properties they have. To obtain the desired effect, it is not necessary to eat many fruits - they are used for masks, decoctions and tinctures.
Contraindications and health hazards
Due to the increase in gastric acidity when eating fresh cucumbers, be careful if you have a disease of the duodenum or stomach. Important! Early cucumbers usually contain a lot of unsafe nitrates. In order not to harm your health, peel spring vegetables from the peel and cut off the ends of the fruit on both sides by 2 cm.
There are contraindications for serious kidney disease:
- chronic or acute nephritis;
- stones in the kidneys;
- acute failure.
Limit cucumbers in your diet if you have:
- stomach ulcer with exacerbation;
- gastritis or colitis;
- enterocolitis.
Do not abuse the beneficial properties of the fetus, so as not to get the opposite effect.
Among the side effects may occur:
- flatulence and belching;
- indigestion;
- heartburn;
- allergic reaction.
If you are a nursing mother, consider the laxative effect of fresh cucumbers.
Application
Fresh cucumbers have a wide scope: it is cooking, and cosmetology, and even medicine. Get the most out of vegetables, it’s easy to do if you know how.
In cooking
Such a useful product in cooking has found use not only in its raw form, but also in salted, pickled, stewed and even boiled. Most of all useful substances in raw vegetables, their maximum amount is preserved when steaming. Salinity and marinades are harmful to people with gastrointestinal problems, pancreas, but some of the useful elements are preserved in them.
Cucumbers can be added to most salads, it is better to combine green, white, yellow types of vegetables. Everyone’s favorite salad with tomatoes and cucumbers is actually not so useful, since these two fruits contain incompatible chemical elements. Their combination can disrupt the liver. Important! Cucumber juices can be mixed: with carrot juice - good for rheumatism; with carrots, with spinach and salad - useful for accelerating hair growth . Fresh cucumbers are perfectly combined with high-calorie food and meat, the meal is easier to digest, and there is more benefit from it. Pay special attention to cucumber juice - its composition is close to spring, environmentally friendly water. Cucumber juice itself lowers blood pressure and is a prevention of cancer.
In cosmetology
The amazing possibilities of fresh cucumbers in cosmetology have been known for a long time: masks whiten the skin and lighten age spots, in addition, nourish the skin with moisture and smooth fine wrinkles. One of the easiest wrinkle masks to prepare is to simply peel the fruit, rub it on a fine grater or grind it in a blender and apply on face for 20 minutes.
After that, just remove the mask with wet wipes and wash with cool water. This recipe will give a positive result if applied in courses: make a mask every other day for two, maximum three weeks. A whitening mask is also easy to prepare: you need to squeeze 1 tbsp. l cucumber juice and add lemon juice 2/3 tbsp. l Did you know? Useful features of cucumbers protect hair from ultraviolet radiation and make them silky, smooth, without greasy shine.
Next, ordinary gauze is taken, in which it is desirable to make cuts for the nose and eyes, it is moistened in the prepared juice, squeezed so that nothing flows and is applied to the face. Very good if you also capture the neck area. Hold the mask for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. The same mask removes bags under the eyes. You can do it once a week.
In folk medicine
The use of fresh cucumbers in medicine is less known, but this does not reduce their benefits.
Some useful recipes:
- with cough, pain, inflammation - drink 50 ml of juice 2-3 times a day;
- with rheumatism, it is enough to drink pure cucumber juice regularly once a day;
- treatment and prevention of salts - mix juices with berry mixtures (black currant) fruit fresh (grapefruit, apples) and other vegetable juices (beets and even garlic), drink three times a day for 2 weeks, but do not use the method if you have already formed stones.
Fruits have choleretic properties, so do not abuse if you are not sure that you do not have stones in the bubble. Do not forget that such a valuable product will be really useful only if you buy or grow it environmentally friendly. In supermarkets, shopping is very convenient, but for yourself do not be lazy to look for fresh cucumbers grown under the real sun.
