Cucumbers are one of nature’s miracle fruit and yes, we said fruit. While many consider this green plant to be a vegetable, due to the fact that it develops from a flower and contains the seeds of the plant, a cucumber is actually a fruit. Logistics aside, cucumbers have amazing health benefits, and you may want to consider adding them to your daily diet.
1. You’ll get additional hydration
It is a well-known fact that your body can’t function without water. Water cleanses your body, by moving toxins out. It also helps carry essential nutrients throughout your body, and hydrates the skin and body, helping to keep it at that all important, 98.6-degree temperature.
But, what some don’t’ know is that people get 40 percent of their daily water intake from food, which is where fruits like cucumbers come in. In fact, cucumbers are 95 percent water. So, when you eat a cucumber, you are basically eating and drinking at the same time.
2. You’ll get necessary nutrients
Cucumbers are low in calories yielding between 15-17 calories in one medium-sized cucumber. But, this low-calorie fruit is packed with nutrients like fiber, carbs, protein, Vitamins C, K and B, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, riboflavin, and magnesium. If you want to keep all those nutrients, however, don’t peel it. Many of the nutrients, especially fiber are found in the outer layer.
3. Reduce the effects of a hangover
If you had a little too much to drink over the weekend, and need to function come Monday, eat a cucumber. While studies have found that vegetable juice, in general, is a good remedy for the after-effects of drinking too much, a popular health blog claims that cucumbers are key.
YouBeauty claims that if you snack on a few cucumbers before bed, it will help your body deal with alcohol, citing the detoxifying and electrolyte balancing effects of the cukes. The site added that the popular cucumber-on-the-eyes will reduce dark circles so you don’t even look like you drank too much.
4. You’ll start to lose weight
Due to the cucumber’s low calorie, high nutrient, and water content, cucumbers help keep the bulk of what you’re consuming down while keeping you full. Research shows that people who consume foods with greater water content lost more weight than diets with less water. In fact, a study conducted by the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise found that Drinking water increases the number of calories you burn, which is known as resting energy expenditure.
6. Your blood sugar will decrease
Cucumbers contain several antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and manganese, as well as flavonoids, triterpenes, and polyphenols called lignans. These polyphenols reduce oxidative stress, resulting in decreased levels of bad cholesterol and blood sugar.
