Growing in the garden or buying in a store, in the market, from grandmothers this straightforward vegetable, we hardly think about its benefits.
We just love the familiar taste from childhood. But it’s worth digging a little deeper to understand
how cucumbers are useful and why they must be included in your diet.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), belonging to the pumpkin family, is one of the oldest plant species (known for about five thousand years). Probably comes from India, areas at the foot of the Himalayas. In ancient times, they were already known in Rome and Greece. The Romans knew very well how useful cucumbers were, which were then used not only as food, but also as a cosmetic.
These vegetables contain a relatively small amount of vitamins and minerals, and their value lies primarily in aroma and improved digestion. They help remove excess water from the body, so nutritionists suggest using cucumbers for weight loss. They are included in a variety of diets. What other cucumber has useful properties? Its peel, unfortunately, contains hard-to-digest substances, but it is great for wiping the face. Fresh cucumbers are not recommended for some people with digestive problems. But after pickling they are much easier to digest.
They still have one drawback - cucumbers contain ascorbinase. This is f
An enzyme that oxidizes vitamin C. If we know about the benefits of cucumbers, then it is also worth remembering that they should not be mixed in salads with other vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers. But
pickles, in which vitamin C is produced by bacteria, can be used with any food other than fresh milk.
100 g of raw vegetable contains 6-8 kilocalories, 0.6 g of protein, 1.8 g of carbohydrates, 140 mg of potassium, 24 mg of phosphorus, 23 mg of calcium, 13 mg of sodium, 9 mg of magnesium, 0 3 mg of iron, 0, 1 mg of zinc, 0.04 mg of vitamin B1, 0.2 mg of vitamin B3, 0.04 mg of vitamin B6, 0.2 mg of vitamin C, 16 mg of folic acid. Thanks to this list of micronutrients, there is no doubt about how useful cucumbers are.
This type of vegetable often appears in the diet of those who want to lose weight. This works by cleansing the body of toxins, so fat burning is much faster and more efficient. What are the benefits of cucumbers?
They have a lot of water, which helps flush the kidneys and cleanse the body. 100 g contains only 6 kilocalories! In addition, cucumbers are rich in vitamins A and B. Many of us have tried at least once cucumber pickle, not even knowing that it not only helps to cope with a hangover, but also prevents infections due to the content of vitamin C. In addition, the brine and cucumbers themselves help with persistent constipation. However, in a marinated form, they are not recommended for people with peptic ulcer. Cucumbers can also be advised to those who suffer from anemia: these vegetables improve the absorption of iron.
The advantages of fresh or salted cucumbers also in the fact that they are easily absorbed and effectively cleanse the body of toxins and heavy metals. Cucumber soup is a great idea for dinner, as well as okroshka with cucumbers. Other important factors for weight loss are spices used for salting, such as bay leaves, black and allspice, dill and mustard. All of them not only improve the taste of cucumbers, but also affect the suppression of appetite. This helps to overcome the urge to snack between meals. A cucumber juice removes fluid from the body and helps to cope with edema.