Wonders of Cucumbers

Cucumbers have been a popular vegetable used in Indian traditional medicine since ancient times. Known for their antidiabetic, lipid-lowering and antioxidant activity, cucumbers have a detoxifying, cleansing effect on the body.

Cucumbers originated in India thousands of years ago, but are now cultivated in many countries. Different varieties of cucumbers are traded in the international market and you will find them in abundance all year long.

In the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, the cucumber was very popular, and its uses were not limited to just being food. It was also praised for its beneficial effects on the skin.

The fourth most widely cultivated "vegetable" in the world, the cucumber, related to both the melon and squash families, is technically a fruit. With its mild, refreshing flavour that mixes so well with other garden offerings, cucumbers are actually 90% water, but still manage to provide many valuable health benefits.

There are dozens of varieties thriving in both cool and warm climates. While commercial cucumber growing operations in California and Florida keep most of the country in this refreshing green fruit between March and November, Mexico is the largest U.S. provider through the deepest winter months. China, however, is by far the most prolific supplier, exporting around two-thirds of the total cucumber production worldwide.

You will find different varieties of cucumber grown in different regions, and they are usually eaten fresh or pickled. Cucumbers, typically eaten fresh, are called slicing cucumbers.  Gherkin cucumbers are specially produced to make pickles.

https://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1387/F-6023web.pdf

 These are much smaller in size than the slicing ones.

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 Slicing cucumbers are available throughout the year, but they are at their best between May and July.

Growing on a long, trailing vine, cucumbers come in two main categories: slicing cucumbers, which are generally larger and thick-skinned; and pickling cucumbers, which are smaller and thinner-skinned. Pickling usually involves slicing and soaking in brine (highly salted water) and vinegar to preserve and ferment the fruit.

An alternative is the longer, thinner English or gourmet cucumber, also known as "burpless," with seeds so small they're basically inconsequential.

Seedless cucumber varieties are attained through a natural parthenogenesis process, which allows them to produce without pollenization.

While seedless cucumbers are popular in the marketplace, the seeds do contain a number of valuable nutrients that are sometimes absent in the rest of the fruit.

In the kitchen, you have several options for fresh cucumber preparation. They're delicious sliced and eaten with salt. Combined with chopped sweet onions in apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, they provide a savoury, summery side dish.

Prevent Constipation & Kidney Stones

Cucumbers are a perfect blend of both fiber and water. Therefore, they help to protect your body from constipation and kidney stones Reports say that a majority of Americans prefer to have a cucumber rich salad regularly as it is a great way to increase the fiber intake.

Cucumber is also a good source of vitamin C, silica, potassium, and magnesium; all of which have their own health benefits.

These fruits have an extraordinary amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally purified, thus making the water content much higher in quality than ordinary water.

Cucumber skin contains high levels of vitamin A, so you will gain more nutrition if you eat the entire thing.

The seeds of a cucumber are known for having a healing, heat-reducing effect on the body, and they’re often used to prevent and naturally relieve constipation in traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda.

Many people suffer from magnesium deficiency without even knowing it, but cucumbers’ source of magnesium and other electrolytes can help hydrate the gut and digestive lining, which keeps you more “regular.”

Supports Strong Bones

With 22 percent of your daily vitamin K in every cup of cucumbers, eating more cukes is a good way to help maintain bone mineral density. Vitamin K (in the form of K2) is a fat-soluble vitamin that works with other essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium to preserve strong bones. In fact, vitamin K builds bones better than calcium.

The health benefits of cucumber include vitamins C, A, K and B5, as well as manganese, potassium, and magnesium, endowing health benefits that fight inflammation and infection while helping to produce energy and support bone and heart strength.

Vitamin K also supports a healthy metabolism, nutrient absorption, aids in heart health, helps with blood clotting, supports neurological function and can help protect against cancer. Yet vitamin K deficiency is common among adults and children due to a diet low in green vegetables, a low-cholesterol diet, medication use and poor absorption of nutrients.

Cucumbers have only 2 mg of sodium per cup, making them an extremely low salt choice. Peas are also low in sodium, with a cup of boiled peas containing just 6 mg of sodium. Canned peas have 428 mg in 1 cup.

Traditionally, cucumbers have been used as a natural headache remedy and somewhat of a pain reducer since they fight inflammation and swelling. Headaches or migraines can be triggered by many things, including dehydration, stress, fatigue, low blood sugar and nutritional deficiencies.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.   

Thank you …Many studies show that foods high in water and magnesium like cucumbers combat headaches by balancing fluids in the body and preventing dehydration. 

For those who've noticed their cucumbers seem to deteriorate soon after refrigerating them, cucumbers maintain freshness longer when stored at room temperature.

Cucumbers are also highly sensitive to ethylene, a natural plant hormone responsible for initiating the ripening process in several fruits and vegetables, so another recommendation is to store cucumbers away

from bananas, melons, and tomatoes because of the natural ethylene they generate.

Want to add word or two?

Gherkin is a term generally used to refer to a savoury pickled cucumber. Gherkins and commercial cucumbers belong to the same species (Cucumis sativus), but are from different cultivar groups.  

They are usually picked when 4 to 8 cm (1 to 3 in) in length and pickled in jars or cans with vinegar (often flavoured with herbs, particularly dill; hence, "dill pickle") or brine. India has today emerged as the origin of the finest gherkin cultivation, processing and exporters to the every-growing world requirement.

Gherkin cultivation, processing and exports started in India during the early 1990s with a modest beginning in Karnataka State in South India and later extended to the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.  

Your comment ….?

Another thing is that I'm pretty sure I've read that cucumbers are one of those that help stimulate bile production (and help release bile), therefore, they are good for digestion.

Cucumbers aid my digestion, which is one of the reasons I like to eat them- (plus organic cucumbers taste great! I definitely notice a difference between organic and conventional cucumbers). In addition, cucumbers are low FODMAP, as well as low carbohydrate- (2 more benefits for people like me).

English cucumbers doesn't mean that they are grown in England. It is a type of cucumber that is long, thin and has a small seed cavity. They are frequently grown in greenhouses. If they are certified organic what difference does it make where they are grown?

Flavonoids and tannins in cucumbers have been found to have both free-radical scavenging and pain-relieving effects, while it has a number of traditional folk uses as well.

 As written in the Journal of Young Pharmacists: "Traditionally, this plant is used for headaches; the seeds are cooling and diuretic, the fruit juice of this plant is used as a nutritive and as a demulcent in anti-acne lotions."

Journal of Young Pharmacists 2010 Oct-Dec; 2(4): 365-368