Cucumber

Reasons why Cucumbers are Good for You

If you’ve ever eaten a salad, and let’s face it, who hasn’t? You’ll no doubt be familiar with cucumbers. In fact, along with lettuce and tomatoes, cucumbers are staple ingredients found in virtually all salads.

Contrary to popular belief, cucumbers are not actually vegetables at all, but technically they’re a fruit.

Cucumbers are used in culinary dishes all over the globe and are immensely popular in a variety of dishes from salads and sandwiches, to soups and starters.

Despite their very high water contents, there’s also heaps of natural goodness found in these crunchy, tubular, green delights.

Cucumbers are rich in ingredients that help to promote all around health and wellness, they improve hydration, they can help reduce and regulate blood sugar levels, they promote digestive health, and they’re a great food for people looking to lose weight.

Here’s a more detailed look at why cucumbers are good for you.

Assists with weight loss

Looking to lose weight? If so, then cucumber is one of the best foods you can consume.

Cucumbers contain fiber, which helps to promote satiety so you stay full for longer. Not only that, but cucumbers are also high in water, which also helps to increase satiety levels and reduce your appetite.

On top of that, they’re fat free and are very low in calories so not only will eating them keep you feeling full for longer, but you’ll also find yourself taking in very few calories when you do eat them, so it’s really a win-win.

Improves hydration

Staying hydrated can provide a wide variety of different health benefits from avoiding headaches and migraines, to preventing muscle cramps, muscle pulls, and constipation.

Dehydration can be very serious, which is why optimal hydration is essential.

Cucumbers are fantastic for people looking to improve their hydration as they are loaded full of water.

Whereas the best way to stay hydrated is to drink water, sometimes that’s not always an option, in which case your water should come from foods instead.

In fact, many people find that as much as 40% of their recommended daily intake for water comes from solid foods, which is where cucumber proves to be so useful.

Cucumbers are made up of as much as 96% water so they can go a long way towards ensuring that you stay hydrated and get the fluids you need to function.

Rich in nutrients

Despite the fact that cucumbers are made up of 96% water, they’re also packed full of beneficial nutrients that promote general health and wellness in a number of different ways.

Cucumbers have a very impressive nutritional profile, as they contain ingredients such as:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Fiber
• Manganese

These nutrients help to fight off illness and infection, plus some of them have antioxidant properties that help to eradicate free radicals that cause oxidative stress and damage in the body.

Oxidative stress has been linked with cardiovascular conditions, cancer, cellular damage, and a whole lot more besides.

Cucumbers are rich in antioxidants that help reduce the likelihood of these ailments occurring.