(GreenMedInfo ) Marvel over the humble cucumber with these 18 health benefits, which range from keeping your body cool and hydrated to helping prevent diseases such as diabetes.
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by GreenMedInfo, October 7th, 2021
Eat them raw and you get a juicy crunch. Cucumbers, however, do more than just serve as a refreshing feature of salads, sandwiches, slaws, pickles, noodles, cocktails and more. This popular produce pick, a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with melon, squash and pumpkins, has been used in traditional medicine since ancient times for its unnumbered health benefits.
Cucumber is rich in polyphenols and cucurbitacins, plant compounds that are known to be antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperglycemic, diuretic, antimicrobial and analgesic, to name a few.[i] Here are 18 of its valued medicinal wonders.
18 Health Benefits of Cucumber
1. Keeps you hydrated. Cucumber is approximately 96% water, so it can be particularly effective at promoting hydration and helps you meet your daily fluid intake needs.[ii]
2. Useful for weight loss. Each half-cup serving of cucumber offers just 7.8 calories.[iii] In an analysis, consuming high-water, low-calorie foods was linked to a significant reduction in body weight.[iv]
3. Eases osteoarthritis pain. In a study, using 10 milligrams (mg) of an aqueous extract of cucumber twice daily proved effective in reducing pain related to moderate knee osteoarthritis and can be used to address knee pain, stiffness and physical functions related to the condition.[v]
Osteoarthritis, caused by wear and tear on the joints, presently has no known cure and is conventionally managed through high doses of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs that often come with side effects.
4. Helps treat liver damage. Heat-treated cucumber juice showed a significant protective benefit on alcohol detoxification among animal subjects, suggesting a potential use in treating liver injury due to excess alcohol consumption.[vi]
5. May lower blood sugar. A number of animal studies show that cucumber may effectively reduce and control blood sugar levels.[vii] Another study induced diabetes in animal subjects, provided them with cucumber peel extract and found that the peel reversed most of the changes associated with diabetes, causing a reduction in blood sugar.[viii]
6. Acts as a skin whitener. An active component in cucumber leaves may have an inhibitory effect on melanin production and is a potentially useful skin whitening agent.[ix]
7. Anticancer effects. The aqueous extract of cucumber contains bioactive compounds that exert anticancer activity.[x] “Our conclusion supports additional in-depth study of this pharmacologic activity as a malignant tumor agent,” wrote the researchers.
8. Promotes regular bowel movement. Cucumbers are water-rich and help prevent dehydration, a major risk factor for constipation. Staying properly hydrated can improve stool consistency as well as regularity.[xi] The seeds, while having a cooling effect on the body, are used to prevent constipation.[xii]
9. Soothes skin. Cucumber is known for its soothing effect on skin irritations and its ability to reduce swelling.[xiii] It also has the power to alleviate pain from sunburn.
10. Helps prevent wrinkles. A clinical trial showed that cucumber juice can be an effective skin care ingredient as it helps prevent wrinkles by restoring the natural elasticity of skin.[xiv]
11. Potent anti-inflammatory. An iminosugar amino acid in cucumber, called idoBR1, may function as an anti-inflammatory agent and its importance in the diet therefore warrants further investigation, according to a 2020 study.[xv]
12. Supports bone health. A half-cup serving provides 8.53 µg of vitamin K.[xvi] Based on a review of the current literature, supplementing with vitamin K1 (the type found in cucumbers) and K2 can reduce the incidence of fractures among postmenopausal women.[xvii]
13. Serves as a natural eye mask. Research suggests that applying cucumber to your eyes can impart a cooling effect on skin, hydrate the eyes and surrounding areas and help reduce dark circles due to its vitamin K levels.[xviii]
14. Supports cardiovascular health. Cucurbitacins in cucumber may prevent atherosclerosis, on top of tested effectiveness against inflammation, cancer and diabetes.[xix]
15. Slashes mortality risk. Beta-carotene, found abundantly in cucumber, is an important pro-vitamin A carotenoid. A meta-analysis showed that dietary or circulating beta-carotene was inversely associated with risk of all-cause mortality, citing the possibility of extending human lifespan.[xx]
16. Helps combat prostate cancer. Cucurbitacin B, a naturally occurring compound in cucumber and other vegetables, significantly and specifically inhibited prostate cancer cell growth.[xxi]
17. Protects against diabetes complications. In a study, cucumber was able to prevent oxidative stress and carbonyl stress, considered a safe and suitable way to protect against the complications typically observed in diabetes.[xxii]
18. Supports brain function. Fresh cucumbers were ground and turned into a paste of varying concentrations.[xxiii] The conclusion: They helped increase cognition in animal models.
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https://www.naturalblaze.com/2021/10/18-medicinal-properties-of-cucumbers.html
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Excellent info. re benefit of cucumbers – which of course are alkaline in the body. Here is an A5 handout that I made as it contains important info. re sea salt and coconut oil :-
AMAZING HEALING POWER OF SEA SALT and COCONUT OIL
Excellent references :- https://drjockers.com/health-benefits-pink-salt/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Salt-Essence-Healing-Nature/dp/0974451517
I cured osteoarthritis in my right foot back in 2013 after having two steroid injections, which only worked for one month, by applying to the skin over the painful swelling a home made ‘SALVE.’ (‘SAL’ is Latin for sea salt and gives rise to the words ‘Salary’ – Romans were paid in salt; ‘Salvation’ – it will save your life and ‘salve’ – a healing balm.)
I put about 2 tablespoons of good pink Himalayan sea salt in a small saucepan and added the same amount of coconut oil, which was then heated gently until the oil melted.
After pouring the salt mix into a glass jar, it then needed stirring until cooled, as the salt will separate from the oil if not stirred. THE SALVE IS READY FOR APPLICATION
(This recipe also cured a sprained ankle recently within a very short time and a mild tooth infection.)
New info. – coconut oil has been proved to help with alzheimers recovery. See book by
Mary Newport entitled ‘WHAT IF THERE WAS A CURE FOR ALZHEIMERS.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfux-5Z4COo