Popularly known as ‘khira/kheera’ or ‘kakdi’ in Hindi, cucumber is one of the oldest cultivated crops, believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as ‘Dosakaya’ in Telugu, ‘Kakkarikkari‘ in Tamil, ‘Kani Vellarikka‘ in Malayalam, ‘Kakdi‘ in Gujarati, ‘Sosha‘ in Bengali, ‘Kakadi‘ in Marathi, and ‘Tar‘ in Punjabi. Cucumber or Cucumis sativus is a creeper that belongs to the Cucurbitaceous family.
It has a light to dark green color, thin skin, moisture-rich flesh with tiny edible seeds inside, and is enjoyed best in salads, sandwiches, or as a juice. It has a high water content that helps keep your body hydrated, and the low calorie content makes it a great choice for a weight loss diet. So let us try and understand how cucumbers help maintain our bodies in top shape.
The greatest and most important skin benefit of cucumber is that it helps in revitalizing the skin.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
Facial masks containing cucumber juice are beneficial for skin tightening (1).
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Cucumber is a mild astringent that helps get rid of skin tan.
What Do You Need
Juice of a grated cucumber
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
It has a mild bleaching property that can help even skin tone and give you a youthful and glowing skin (2).
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If you are worried about eye puffiness, then cucumbers can provide you with instant relief.
What You Need
A sliced cucumber
What You Need To Do
Put two slices of cucumber on your eyes and let it stay for as long as you want.
Why Does It Work
The ascorbic acid and caffeic acid in cucumber brings down the water retention rate which, in turn, diminishes the swelling and puffiness around the eyes (3).
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Cucumber also heals sunburnt skin and brings instant relief.
What You Need
Sliced or pureed cucumber
What You Need To Do
Carefully apply pureed cucumber or slices carefully and generously on the affected area and allow it to sit for as long as you want.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber is a natural and gentle way to treat sunburn since it helps draw the latent heat out of your body (4).
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The most common use of cucumber is to improve and rejuvenate your skin.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
Application of this mask will improve the complexion and will add a glow to the skin since cucumber is both a mild astringent and contains a lot of water (5).
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You can also use cucumber to treat open pores and heat bumps on legs.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
1. Blend the cucumber to get the juice and use it as a toner.
2. You can also mix it with apple cider vinegar, tomato pulp, and aloe vera gel to make it more effective
Why Does It Work
Cucumber juice can absorb the heat, rendering coolness and closing open pores (6).
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Cucumber can also help banish cellulite from the thighs.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
Cucumber juice contains phytochemicals that help in the production of collagen, the fiber-like protein responsible for skin elasticity and remove cellulite (7).
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Using cucumber slices around the eyes also reduces the appearance of dark circles quickly.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
The abundance of antioxidants and silica in cucumber can help in slowly fading dark circles (8).
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You can use grated cucumber to treat freckles and blemishes.
What You Need
What You Need To Do
Why Does It Work
Cucumber contains anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe your skin (9).
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Drink cucumber juice daily to control hair fall.
What Do You Need
Cucumber juice
What You Need To Do
Apply cucumber juice to your hair and scalp. Leave it on for an hour and then shampoo.
Why Does It Work
The most important benefit of cucumber for hair is primarily due to its content of silicon, sulfur, sodium, phosphorus, and calcium that are some of the most needed nutrients required for hair growth (10).
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Cucumber juice can also be used as a hair rinse to get silky and shiny hair.
Why Does It Work
It conditions the hair owing to the presence of silica and makes it more beautiful (11).
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Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as an effective laxative.
Why Does It Work
The amount of calories in cucumber is very low, but its fiber content adds to your bowel bulk and relieves problems like constipation (12).
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Cucumbers help treat problems arising in your urinary system.
What You Need
Cucumber juice
What You Need To Do
Drink cucumber juice twice, daily.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber juice is a potent diuretic food that helps flush out toxins from your body. It also eases the pressure on your kidneys and keeps them healthy (13).
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Digestive problems like heartburn, acidity, gastritis, and ulcers can be cured by consuming cucumber.
What You Need
Sliced cucumber or cucumber juice
What You Need To Do
Include cucumber in your daily diet.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber contains a high amount of fiber that helps in digestion (14).
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Cucumber is considered as a natural remedy to eliminate tapeworm from the intestinal tracts.
Why does It Work
Cucumber contains the enzyme erepsin that is known to kill tapeworms (15).
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Cucumbers regulate the blood pressure level in your body at the optimum.
Why Does It Work
Cucumbers are one of the best sources of potassium and contain 136 milligrams of potassium per 100 grams (16). Potassium in blood neutralizes the effects of sodium and helps maintain electrolyte balance (17).
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Fresh cucumber extracts are also known to reduce unwanted inflammation.
Why Does It Work
It accomplishes the task by inhibiting the production of prostaglandin, the inflammatory compound (18).
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Cucumbers are also an effective treatment for diabetes.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber juice contains hormones that are needed by the pancreas for producing insulin (19).
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A recent study has found cucumber to be an effective remedy to fight different kinds of cancer.
Why Does It Work
Cucumbers are known to contain lignans that are found to reduce the risks of developing breast cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer (20).
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Cucumber also combats bad breath.
What You Need
Cucumber slice
What You Need To Do
Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of the mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds.
Why Does It Work
The fruit releases phytochemicals that kill the bad breath causing bacteria (21). Cucumber juice can effectively treat gum diseases like pyorrhoea and weak gums (22).
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Cucumber can also be used to cure a hangover and the headache associated with it.
What You Need
Few slices of cucumber
What You Need To Do
Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed.
Why Does It Work
This is because they help to rehydrate the body’s nutrients and eliminate the toxins that are present due to the intake of alcohol. The sugar, vitamin B, and electrolytes in the cucumber will reduce the intensity of the hangover and the headache (23).
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Cucumber can also help lower blood pressure.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber has mild diuretic properties owing to its high potassium and water content that regulate the blood pressure and treat both high and low blood pressure (24).
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One of the most common benefits of cucumber is that it is a great detox.
Why Does It Work
Cucumber contains 95 percent water that hydrates and replenishes the body by eliminating the toxins. The high water content in cucumber acts as a system cleanser and sweeps the waste products out of the system (25).
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Cucumber is also known as a great remedy to strengthen your bones.
Why Does It Work
Vitamin K in cucumbers plays a very important role in strengthening bones by promoting orthotropic activity (26). Also, the high amount of silica in it promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissue (27).
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Another benefit of cucumber is its ability to treat cognitive disabilities like Alzheimer’s disease.
Why Does It Work
Cucumbers contain a flavonoid called fisetin that is neuroprotective and enhances cognitive abilities, thereby delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s (28).
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Cucumber can also be used to remove stubborn stains and tarnish from stainless steel tools, countertops, and walls in the house as well as restore the lost shine.
What You Need
Slices of cucumber
What You Need to Do
Polish your vessels with slices of cucumber.
Why Does It Work
The chemicals found in cucumber prove to be very useful in making your pots and pans shine (29).
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Cucumber is also known to help get rid of pests.
What You Need
Cucumber slices
What You Need To Do
Place slices of cucumbers in containers around the garden to control slugs and pests in the area.
Why Does It Work
The chemical in these vegetables releases a scent that wards of the pests and insects (30).
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Sometimes, cucumbers have side effects that manifest differently in different people. Some of these reactions are discussed along with the precautions that should be practiced:
Here is the nutritional overview of cucumber:
Principle
Nutrient Value
Percentage of RDA
Energy15 Kcal<1%Carbohydrates3.63 g3%Protein0.65 g1%Total Fat0.11 g0.5%Cholesterol0 mg0%Dietary Fibre0.5 g1%Vitamins
Folates7 µg2%Niacin0.098 mg<1%Pantothenic acid0.259 mg5%Pyridoxine0.040 mg3%Riboflavin0.033 mg3%Thiamin0.027 mg2%Vitamin A105 IU3.5%Vitamin C2.8 mg4.5%Vitamin E0.03 mg0%Vitamin K16.4 µg13.6%Electrolytes
Sodium2 mg0%Potassium147 mg3%Minerals
Calcium16 mg1.6%Iron0.28 mg3.5%Magnesium13 mg3%Manganese0.079 mg3.5%Phosphorus24 mg3%PhosphorusZinc0.20 mg2%Phyto-nutrients
Carotene-ß45 µg—Crypto-xanthin-ß26 µg—Lutein-zeaxanthin23 µg—How To Select And Store Cucumbers
Selection
When buying cucumbers, make sure that they are fresh. The color of the cucumbers should be light to dark green, and they should be firm in texture. Avoid buying cucumbers that have spots or cuts and are yellow in color. Also, wash them thoroughly before eating to remove pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
Storage
Cucumbers can be stored in the refrigerator for almost a week. If you have peeled the cucumber, then you can store it in an airtight container to prevent moisture from escaping. For optimum nutrition, a cucumber should be eaten within two to three days of purchasing. Also, they should not be left at room temperature for a long time as this can make them limp and wilt.
This wonderful low-calorie vegetable has more nutrients to offer than just water and electrolytes. It contains almost all the nutrients required for a balanced diet that not only help to maintain a healthy body, but also boost many other processes. So enjoy its many benefits and live a healthy life.