The cucumber is one of those versatile products that can eat all possible ways: in salads, as a companion to the main course, the pasta, mashed with yogurt … and even some people will check the gin & tonic cucumber. But in addition to offering us so many possibilities in the kitchen, cucumber has a lot of positive qualities, so here we are going to talk a little about the benefits of eating cucumber.
- With 90% water, cucumber is one of the richest foods in water and helps us hydrate. It is a good complement to achieve the necessary daily hydration, especially in the hottest months of the year.
- That high percentage of water helps us eliminate toxins. It absorbs everything that our body does not need, like a vacuum cleaner, and eliminates it. Cucumber and cucumber water (water, cucumber, and sugar) help eliminate kidney stones.)
- But it is not only rich in water, cucumber has very few calories, which makes it a food present in many weight loss diets. Its high fiber content also helps improve our digestion and regulate intestinal transit, avoiding chronic constipation.
- It contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamins A, B and C, which we consume daily. Did you know that cucumber skin contains 12% of vitamin C that we should consume every day? As for minerals, it has a high content of silicon, magnesium and potassium, which among other things tone, soften and improve the appearance of the skin.
- Another benefit of cucumber is that it is anticancer. On the one hand, it contains lignan polyphenols (pinoresinol, lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol) that help prevent cancers of the breast, uterus, ovary, and prostate; On the other hand, they contain cucurbitacins, some phytonutrients that have also been found to have anti-cancer properties.
- We have already said that cucumber is rich in B vitamins, including B1, B5 or B7. Among the many properties of these vitamins we find the relief of anxiety and the reduction of some harmful effects of stress, so it is perfect to get to live a calmer life without excess nervousness.
- It also helps us fight bad breath. If you put a slice of cucumber on your tongue it will kill the bacteria that cause the bad smell. Another option, based on Ayurveda, is that eating cucumbers reduces excess heat in our stomach, another major culprit for bad breath.
- At the beginning we said that many people add it to the gin and tonic, we do not know if due to its aroma or to prevent hangovers because the electrolytes, sugar, water and vitamin B it contains make it the best ally after a night of partying. It is advisable to eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed to minimize the effects of alcohol when we get up.