“Cool as a cucumber” means you’re relaxed, undisturbed, and comfortable. This idiom accurately captures the mood of this dish. Cucumbers are cool and mild in flavor, and delightfully crunchy in texture. If you’ve ever crunched on a fresh cucumber during the summer harvest season from May to August, you’ve experienced this pleasure firsthand.
Of course, dipping into raw crudités isn’t the only way to enjoy cucumbers. Technically a fruit by botanical definition, these veggies have uses in everything from salads and marinades to spa days. Is there another food that makes a great sauce or salsa? And soothes puffy eyes? We don’t think so. Let’s take a look at the healthy, hydrating benefits of cucumber.
Cucumber Varieties
You can grow a garden of many different types of cucumbers, but here are some of the most popular varieties.
- English: These cucumbers have a mild taste and are long and have serrated outer parts.
- Armenian: They are recognizable by their length and mottled green color.
- Garden: Garden cucumbers, the most popular type of cucumber in the United States, are commonly sold in grocery stores and may have a waxy exterior.
- Pickled cucumber: This tiny variety is often used in small pickles.
- Lemon: These round, yellow cucumbers really do look like lemons.
- Kirby: Kirbies, a bumpy-shelled species, make wonderful, thick pickles.
- Persian: These thin-skinned cucumbers can be short or long.
Do You Need to Peel the Cucumber First?
While it may be tempting to peel your cucumbers and make patterns on them, you don’t have to do that before they start crunching. It’s an old myth that cucumber peels contain harmful substances. However, some people aim to remove the waxy outer layer of their garden cucumbers.
Cucumber Nutritional Values
The nutritional values of a whole cucumber (301 grams) are as follows:
- Calorie: 45
- Oil: 0.3 gr
- Protein: 2 grams
- Carbohydrates: 10.9 grams
- Fiber: 1.5 gr
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Potassium: 442mg
- Calcium: 48mg
- Magnesium: 39mg
- Vitamin K: 49 mcg
- C vitamin: 8mg
Health Benefits of Cucumber
Cucumbers are nutritious fruits with high water content. They also offer a number of potential health benefits. Here are some of the benefits that eating cucumbers can give you.
Contributes to Daily Moisturization
Composed of 95% water, cucumbers are one of the most hydrating foods around. And since most of us get about 20% of our daily fluids from food, incorporating cucumbers into your diet is a great way to increase your fluid intake. Staying well-hydrated also reduces the risk of health problems like kidney stones, constipation, and urinary tract infections.
May Reduce Inflammation
Antioxidants are plant compounds that suppress inflammation by clearing cells of free radicals. Cucumbers have several types of antioxidants, including flavonoids and tannins. Therefore, research suggests that cucumber extract leads to improvement in inflammatory conditions such as knee osteoarthritis. Keep in mind that cucumber pulp contains much more antioxidants than the cucumber you buy at the grocery store.
Supports Weight Management
Cucumbers are the opposite of calorie-dense. Even if you eat an entire cucumber in one go, you’ll only be taking in about 45 calories. In other words, they’re a great choice if you’re looking to lose weight. In fact, some studies have found that eating foods with a low energy density is associated with reduced body weight.
The water-retaining power of cucumbers adds to the weight loss equation, as increasing your fluid intake through both food and beverages can naturally suppress your appetite, stimulate your metabolism and reduce your overall calorie intake.
Improves Intestinal Health
With their sky-high water content and a hefty dose of fiber (1.5 grams), cucumbers are a friend of gut health. Studies show that increasing fluids can promote more regular bowel movements in people with chronic constipation. and fiber provides nutrients for healthy gut bacteria.
If you pickle your cucumbers, the gut health benefits can go even further. Fermented foods like pickles help increase microbial diversity in the digestive tract and reduce inflammatory proteins.
Provides a Good Dose of Vitamin K
Cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamin K, providing 41% of the recommended intake per serving for men and 54% for women. This vitamin is known to help with blood clotting, support strong bones and potentially reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.[cite] Since vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, you can increase its absorption by combining cucumber with a fat source, such as a creamy dressing or an olive oil-based dressing for your salad.
Soothes Puffy Eyes
Here’s a benefit that comes outside of eating cucumbers. According to past research, applying slices around your eyes—spa-style—can legitimately reduce puffiness and irritation. It’s worth a try, especially if you don’t have an ice roller at home.
How to Buy Cucumbers
Different types of cucumbers may be better suited to different culinary uses, so if a recipe calls for a particular variety, it’s best to try to find it. For example, certain types, such as pickles or kirbies, may be the best choice for pickles, while sushi recipes often call for English cucumbers. To choose high-quality cucumbers, look for ones that are firm with just a little pliability and no soft spots.
Buying organic produce can support local farms and sustainable farming practices, so if you have the budget for organic cucumbers, go for it! However, cucumbers are not currently on the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) Dirty Dozen list of produce with the highest levels of pesticides.
How to Taste Cucumber
Cucumbers are more than just a side dish. Add them to your diet in any of the following ways.
- As a water infusion: If you find plain water a bit boring, you can try adding sliced cucumber to the pitcher to add flavor.
- With raw sauce: There’s nothing wrong with a good vegetable platter. Choose your favorite sauce to accompany the cucumbers.
- In salads: Sliced, diced or sliced cucumbers add a refreshing crunch to salads.
- In gazpacho or other cold soups: The food processor makes quick work of cucumbers for gazpacho. You can also try it in other cold soups where cucumbers are the star ingredient.
- As sandwich ingredients: Lettuce and tomatoes aren’t the only vegetables that can add vitality and nutrition to a sandwich. Top your next turkey or tuna salad sandwich with some cucumber.
- As quick pickles: Cucumbers are your gateway to the joys of pickling. And some recipes only take 24 hours to marinate.
- In a chutney or salsa: Diced cucumber goes well with many vegetables in these dishes.
- In cereal dishes: When making a grain bowl, throw in a few chopped cucumbers for texture. This works especially well in Mediterranean or Asian-style grain bowls.