9 Reasons Why You Should Have Cucumber

Don’t you feel cool and hydrated after eating a cucumber on a scorching summer day? But did you know, there are many other benefits of cucumber as well? Then check out below the 9 reasons why you should have cucumber!

• Hydrates and improves digestion

Water and fiber are the two main elements that help in your digestion. Guess what? Cucumber is rich in both! You can get 50 grams of fiber per 1000 calories of consumption of a salad or juice with cucumbers. That’s ideal for your body! Cucumber peels have insoluble fiber which gets added to your stool. Cucumbers also help hydrate your body and raise your stomach pH temporarily due to its water content to fight acid reflux.

• Prevents inflammation

Cucumber may enable to cool your body’s inflammatory response. Some animal studies have revealed that cucumber extract helps lower unwanted inflammation, partly by restraining the functioning of pro-inflammatory enzymes (like COX-2, or cyclo-oxygenase 2).

• Helps with weight control

You should know that cucumbers have very less calories. Still they make a wholesome snack! Its soluble fiber takes a gel-like form in your gut and helps slow down your process of digestion. So it makes you feel full longer and helps you control your weight.

• Improves brain health

Cucumbers have ‘fisetin’, an anti-inflammatory flavonol that appears to improve your brain health. Besides developing your memory and preventing age-related decline of your nerve cells, fisetin has shown to prevent impairments of learning and progressive memory in mice having Alzheimer’s.

• Protects the heart

Cucumber has potassium which helps maintain lower blood pressure levels. Potassium, as an electrolyte, requires about 30 times higher concentration inside your cells than outside to carry out its functions, like cooperating with sodium to help control your heart function and muscle contraction.

• Decreases cancer risks

Cucumber has polyphenols known as lignans (secoisolariciresinol, lariciresinol, pinoresinol) which may help reduce your risk of prostate, uterine, ovarian and breast cancers. It also has phytonutrients known as cucurbitacins, that also contain anti-cancer properties.

• Has antioxidant properties

Cucumber has several antioxidants, like beta-carotene and vitamin C. It also has antioxidant flavonoids, like luteolin, quercetin, kaempferol and apigenin, which contain additional goodness. For example, kaempferol helps reduce risks of cancer and chronic diseases like heart disease.

• Removes bad breath

Place a cucumber slice on the top of your mouth to fight its odour-causing bacteria. Ayurveda says that cucumbers can also help release the excess heat inside your stomach that is a primary factor of your bad breath.

• Eases stress and anxiety

Do you know that B vitamins are said to help relax your stress and anxiety? Well, cucumbers have multiple B vitamins, like B1, B5 and B7 (biotin) vitamins. So, having a cucumber daily can wonderfully vanish most of your anxiety and stress.

Start having cucumber regularly after your meals and enjoy its remarkable health benefits! Share your experience in the comments section below!