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There’s a saying “as cool as a cucumber.” That’s because cucumbers are known for their cooling properties and considered to be a great salad component and snack during the long, hot summer months. While cucumbers are available all through the year, you will enjoy them more during the hot months. Slice them fine and sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper before crunching them off. You can eat them fresh or turn them into pickles. Cucumbers are nourishing especially during summer and are also packed with health benefits.
Read more on cucumber health benefits Cucumber Nutrition Benefits
Cucumber is good for a radiant complexion. It has silica, which is necessary for healthy connective tissue such as bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. It improves the complexion and keeps the skin healthy.
The high-water content in cucumber makes it a hydrating vegetable, which is great for nourishing the skin. You can even use cucumbers topically to treat skin problems like sunburn and puffiness under the eyes. Cucumbers have two compounds, caffeic acid and ascorbic acid that prevent water retention.
This is why, cucumbers are used topically to treat dermatitis, burns and swollen eyes.
If you eat cucumbers regularly, then it is a good way to increase your consumption of water and fibre. Slice some and munch them as a snack, or add chopped pieces into a fibre-rich salad.
When you consume cucumbers, you are eating a dose of fibre and drinking fluids that your body needs. You also get magnesium, potassium, silica and vitamin C.
Cucumbers are good for controlling your high blood pressure and can cool your body. Studies show that foods rich in fibre, magnesium and potassium can reduce the blood pressure.
- Description: Cucumbers have high water content and are known for their cooling and moist taste. The scientific name of this vegetable is Cucumis sativus, and it can be eaten fresh or pickled. The fresh cucumbers that are often eaten raw, are known as slicing cucumbers. Cylindrical in shape, these vegetables are about 6-9 inches in length. Some can even be smaller or larger. Cucumbers can be green or white, ridged or smooth. The pale green flesh is crunchy and dense with several edible seeds.
- History: It is believed that cucumbers originated in southern Asia some 10,000 years ago. Travellers introduced cucumbers to other parts of Asia, including India. This vegetable was also very popular in the ancient civilizations of Rome, Greece, and Egypt. These people ate cucumbers and also used the vegetable for healing skin problems.
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