Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Cucumber Health Benefits

Cucumber is a cool and crisp vegetable that belongs to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. Native to India, cucumber has long been used as a vital cooling vegetable during hot summers. The cooling quality of a cucumber is due to the high water content of the green vegetable.

Cucumber is a low-calorie vegetable with 95% water content. It is best eaten as raw ingredient in various types of salads. Cucumber dip and cucumber soup are also very popular cucumber dishes. Apart from being used in many dishes, cucumber also contains many essential vitamins and minerals that provide a number of health benefits.

Cucumber is a good source of vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C & K, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese.

Due to its high water content, it can keep you hydrated and its B vitamins and electrolytes promote cell growth and provide a quick pick-me-up.

Cucumber is also good for those who want to lose weight as it has very low calories, and its dietary fiber offers the additional bonus of helping with digestion.

Cucumber contains sterols which have been known to lower cholesterol levels and in addition they contain a hormone needed by the pancreas’ cells for producing insulin. This has proven beneficial to people suffering from diabetes.

Read more about the health benefits of cucumber