Benefits of Cucumber
February 25, 2009
Vegetables are very important in our day to day diet. They give us myriads of benefits, both internal and external. Vegetables not only provides the body with the essential nutrients required but certain vegetables also serves as a good revitalizer for the skin, hair and eyes when used externally. Cucumber is one among them.
About Cucumber:
It is a vegetable that belongs to the family of gourds like pumpkin. The scientific name of Cucumber is Cucumis sativus. The cucumber plant is creeper plant. Cucumber is dark green in colour from outside and when peeled it shows either white or light green colour layer. When cut, a cucumber shows many seeds enclosed within that are edible. Cucumbers have a watery taste and are believed to have a good amount of water content in them.
Varieties:
Cucumbers are of two varieties i.e., the pickling varieties and slicing varieties. The pickling varieties are generally used for making pickles that have a peculiar taste. These pickling varieties are smaller than the slicing varieties. The slicing varieties are generally used in salads and for other food preparations.
Nutritional Facts:
Cucumbers are said to a rich source of carbohydrates. Other than carbohydrates, it also comprises of proteins, fats, sugar, dietary fibre, calcium and various vitamins and minerals. The vitamins that are present comprise of vitamin B-complex and vitamin C. It also has minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
Consumption:
Cucumber juice finds a wide application in providing relief from gastritis, acid stomach, heartburns and severe ulcers. Including cucumber in daily diet also has a role to play in reducing eczema, gout and arthritis. It also plays a major role in people suffering from conditions like chest, lung and other stomach related problems.
The content of potassium in cucumber makes it an ideal meal for people suffering from blood pressure. Not only this, consumption of cucumber also helps in relieving people who are affected with problems of urinary bladder, kidney, pancreas etc.
Cucumber juice when mixed in equal proportions with carrot juice helps in rheumatic conditions and in growth of hair.
Since cucumber contains vitamins and minerals, it helps in avoiding the splitting of nails due to deficiency of minerals and vitamins.
Application:
In addition to the many health benefits the consumption of cucumber has, it also has many benefits when used externally. When a paste of raw cucumber is made and applied to the skin as a face mask, it rejuvenates the skin and helps to reduce inflammation and heat.
Cucumber slices when placed on eyes give a relaxed and soothing effect for the eyes by reducing heat and swelling due to excessive stress. Also when applied to the hair as a mask, it increases the shine of the hair acting as a conditioner.






























