Few people know that the crunchy and refreshing cucumbers we love are members of the pumpkin family. An annual plant with an oval shape, some varieties with pimples, others smooth - frequent and welcome guests on our table. While crunching on delicious cucumbers, it’s time to think about the benefits and harms of vegetables, what beneficial properties can improve our health, and whether it’s possible to lose weight on a cucumber diet. Let's talk about everything in order.
Composition and calorie content of cucumbers
Although water is the main component of the vegetable, useful substances are also present in cucumbers. These are balanced, easily accessible and quickly absorbed minerals and vitamins by the body.
Nutritional value of cucumber
| Weight | Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates | Energy value |
| 100 g | 0.8 g | 0.1 g | 2.5 g | 14 kcal |
Vitamins
Composition of vitamins in cucumbers per 100 g
| A | B1 | B2 | B3 | B6 | B9 | C | E | H | PP |
| 0.06 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.04 mg | 4 mcg | 10.0 mg | 0.1 mg | 0.9 mcg | 0.2 mg |
Minerals
Composition of microelements per 100 g
| Iron | Potassium | Calcium | Magnesium | Sodium | Phosphorus | Chlorine |
| 0.6 mg | 141.0 mg | 23.0 mg | 14.0 mg | 8.0 mg | 42.0 mg | 25.0 mg |
In addition to those listed above, cucumber consists of manganese, copper, iodine, silver and other chemical trace elements, but in smaller quantities.
Benefits of cucumbers
The cucumber hides unprecedented beneficial properties under its green skin. It finds its application in areas such as:
- Disease prevention;
- Cosmetology;
- Dietetics;
- Aromatherapy.
Composition and calorie content
Calories 14 Kcal
- Fat:
0.1 g - Proteins:
0.9 g - Carbohydrates:
3.5 g - Water:
95 g - Ash:
0.5 g - Fiber:
0.8 g
| Vitamins (per 100 g): | Quantity | %RDN |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 mcg | 383% |
| Vitamin K | 16.4 mcg | 13,7% |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 10-13.7 mg | 12% |
| Minerals (per 100 g): | Quantity | %RDN |
| Silicon | 53 mg | 177% |
| Silver | 6 mcg | 85,7% |
| Cobalt | 1 mcg | 10% |
Other important connections:
- Purines
— 2 mg (2% of RDA)
- Oxalic acid
— 1 mg (0.3% of RDA)
Full chemical composition ➤
[Video] Cucumbers are much healthier than they might seem. Dr. Berg - how to eat cucumbers for maximum benefits:
The benefits of cucumbers for various diseases
Cucumber is very good for the heart, because despite the fact that 95% of its mass is water, it is one of the leaders in potassium content.
Due to this, cucumbers help prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system associated with a lack of this microelement:
- Rhythm disturbances;
- Decreased strength of heart contractions;
- Edema.
Due to the special ratio of minerals and water in the cucumber pulp, it has the ability to reduce the acidity of the internal environment, that is, alkalize the blood.
Increased acidity of the body develops with diseases such as:
- Diabetes;
- Kidney and liver failure;
- A number of endocrine diseases.
In turn, a chronic decrease in the pH of the body leads to stimulation of the proliferation of malignant cells. Therefore, fresh cucumbers will be useful in preventing the development of cancer.
The rich fiber content and the special structure of water in the form of a flowing gel, which forms the basis of the pulp, allow cucumbers to be an excellent remedy for constipation. In addition, this composition interferes with the absorption of animal cholesterol that enters the digestive tract with food. This prevents the development of vascular atherosclerosis and, as a consequence, the development of such severe complications as stroke and heart attack.
I would also like to mention the beneficial properties of bitter cucumbers. As you know, the base of a vegetable becomes bitter if it does not receive enough moisture. Despite the sharp taste, such fruits stimulate the secretion of bile well. Therefore, they can be used to prevent congestion in the liver.
The high content of special substances - cucurbitacins, which suppress the growth of tumor cells, which makes bitter cucumbers a promising means of combating cancer.
Are cucumbers good for facial skin?
Cucumbers are a wonderful cosmetic product. Grated cucumber pulp has the following effects on the skin:
- Tonic. Makes the skin elastic, saturates it with moisture.
- Matting. Fights oily skin and oily skin.
- Bleaching. Lightens the skin slightly, giving it an even tone and radiance.
- Cleaning. Cleanses pores and gets rid of blackheads.
Cucumber-based cosmetics are suitable for any skin type. The main thing is to choose the right additional components.
Dry skin.
There are many simple and effective cucumber-based products that can make dry skin soft, relieve irritation and flaking, nourish it with moisture and prevent premature aging.
Cucumber Olive Lotion:
- Take 1 small cucumber, peel it, cut it into small cubes, put it in a glass jar and pour natural cold-pressed olive oil at the rate of 1:1 (1 tbsp pulp per 1 tbsp oil). Let sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Every day before going to bed, after washing your face, wipe your face with a cotton pad soaked in the resulting lotion. Store the finished product at a temperature of +4C for no more than 2 days. Energy mask
- Take 1 medium-sized cucumber, chop on a fine grater or in a blender, squeeze out the juice. Mix 3 tbsp. l. cucumber juice with 1 tsp. cream and yolk of 1 egg. Apply to cleansed face and décolleté, leave for 10-15 minutes. After drying, rinse the mask with warm water and dry your face with a towel using blotting movements (do not rub).
Oily skin.
This type of skin is characterized by increased activity of the sebaceous glands. Cucumber-based products can normalize sebum production, cleanse clogged pores and give the face an even tone.
Mattifying mask.
Grate 1 medium-sized cucumber with its peel (grid with a blender or pass through a meat grinder), add the white of 1 egg, beat well with a fork until richly foamy. Cleanse your skin with a cleansing gel and apply a towel soaked in hot water to your face for 1 minute, this will help open the pores. Apply the cucumber-egg mask to the entire face, except for the area around the eyes and lips. Leave until dry. Rinse off with warm water. Dry with a towel using blotting movements.
Lotion.
Grate half a cucumber along with the skin, squeeze out the pulp, strain through a strainer or double gauze, add 1 tsp. cologne (any alcohol lotion or tincture of medicinal herbs in alcohol), stir. Apply with a cotton pad to cleansed face, paying special attention to the T-zone. Do not rinse off.
Normal and combination skin.
For these skin types, you can simply wipe your face with sliced cucumber slices or pieces of ice (freeze cucumber juice in molds).
Cucumbers for weight loss
The beneficial properties of cucumbers appear in diets for people who want to lose weight. Cucumber is an amazing food product, with its uniquely low calorie content - 100 g of the product contains only 16 kcal; due to its high fiber content, it quickly creates a feeling of fullness. Therefore, cucumber-based salads are an important component of any diet.
The high content of tartranic acid in cucumbers stimulates lipid metabolism and reduces the conversion of excess carbohydrates into fats, thereby helping to get rid of extra pounds.
Due to their high water content, cucumbers perfectly quench thirst, so they are an indispensable companion for lovers of outdoor recreation.
Fiber, which is part of the pulp, and a special form of water in the form of a flowing gel, which cucumber is rich in, stimulate the intestines, reducing the absorption of fats from food.
All this leads to a gradual normalization of body weight.
In dietetics, fasting days based on cucumbers are used. They are helping:
- Clear the blood of toxins
- “Rinse” the urinary tract;
- Reduce cholesterol levels;
- Replenish the water supply in the cells.
It is better to do a cucumber fasting day once a week during the ripening season of ground vegetables. Since greenhouse cucumbers contain many chemical impurities.
To unload, you need to eat 1.5 kg of cucumbers during the day, divided into 5-6 meals. It is better to eat them with the skin. But if the cucumbers are not from your own garden, then before eating, you need to wash the peel well with the hard side of a dishwashing sponge. This will remove any remaining fertilizers and growth stimulants from the surface of the vegetable. To prevent the menu from seeming monotonous, you can cut a cucumber salad with parsley, cilantro, and dill. It is better to season with natural olive oil - 0.5 tablespoon is enough. For better absorption, it is recommended to sprinkle the salad with lemon juice. It is better to avoid adding salt.
Useful properties of fresh cucumbers
The benefits of cucumbers for the human body are invaluable.
The liquid contained in vegetables washes out harmful substances, but retains beneficial elements due to its high diuretic properties.
The functioning of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys improves thanks to the potassium in the composition.
Coarse fiber and cellulose stabilize intestinal function, cause a laxative effect, and normalize metabolism.
Antioxidants do not allow cholesterol to accumulate, reduce acidity and the level of fat deposits.
The fruits of the plant, due to the presence of iodine, restore the body’s hormonal levels and improve the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Vitamin C contained in cucumber strengthens the immune system.
Cucumbers for gout relieve the human body of uric acid due to the healing properties of the juice.
Magnesium and phosphorus are effective against insomnia, improve sleep, relieve anxiety, fatigue and irritability.
The high iodine content normalizes the functioning of the endocrine system and prevents the occurrence of thyroid pathologies; this chemical element also has anti-sclerotic properties.
Not only ordinary fruits have medicinal properties, the benefits of bitter cucumbers are also significant. Due to the content of cucurbitacins, such vegetables have a pronounced anti-cancer effect. If you cut off the peel, dry it and grind it into powder, you get a powder that is used for burns, ulcers or diaper rash.
For women
Cucumbers are valued by women for their low calorie content and helping prevent the formation of fats from carbohydrates. They speed up the digestion of other components of the dish and stop slagging in the body. This also applies to high-calorie foods.
Cucumbers rejuvenate and refresh the skin, relieve fatigue. Cucumber juice is a tonic, so you drink it in the morning.
For men
Cucumbers have a similar effect on men. They help you lose weight and prevent possible obesity. Representatives of the stronger sex are more susceptible to slagging in the body than women, so the fruits will provide significant assistance in cleansing it.
The main benefit of cucumbers for men's health is their effect on the hormonal system. Vegetables normalize testosterone production and protect against hair loss.
Harmful properties of cucumbers
The watery base of the cucumber at the same time as its usefulness is very vulnerable. It can accumulate harmful substances. Early or out-of-season cucumbers are likely to use artificial stimulants or pesticides and may be harmful to the human body. Doctors categorically do not recommend buying such vegetables. Risks: poisoning, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. Nitrates may not make themselves felt immediately, but they will remain in your body for quite a long time, waiting to be replenished to a critical amount.
Other negative aspects of cucumber:
- Harmful for people who are not advised to drink excess water. For example, in case of kidney pathologies, vegetables are limited to 100 g per day.
- Dangerous due to excessive stretching of the stomach. For those who want to lose weight, this can have the opposite effect: increasing appetite instead of dulling it.
- Has restrictions for people suffering from stomach ulcers or gastritis.
Pickles
Is it possible to eat cucumbers while breastfeeding?
Mothers who are breastfeeding should not eat fresh cucumbers during the first three months of their baby’s life. Increased gas formation will cause severe colic in the baby. At three months, the baby’s digestive system calmly reacts to changes in the composition of the mother’s milk, and flatulence no longer bothers him.
Mothers should gradually introduce vegetables into their diet. First you should eat a few pieces and check if your baby has a negative reaction. If everything is in order, you can gradually increase the amount of fresh cucumbers you eat. Pickles are also not prohibited if the child does not react to them. You shouldn’t eat a lot of pickled cucumbers; they interfere with the removal of fluid from the body.
Vinegar and salt are contraindicated for a child, so nursing mothers should not consume pickled cucumbers.
A little history
Prickly to the touch and very juicy, with a characteristic light green color on the outside and snow-white inside, and the cucumber also contains a huge number of seeds. If the vegetable is overripe, it looks like pumpkin and melon. We are accustomed to eating cucumbers when they are relatively unripe. But, in a fresh cucumber, the seeds are not felt, which allows you to enjoy slightly perceptible seeds.
As it turned out, mankind has known this vegetable, which is common to us, which we include in our food fresh, canned and in other forms, for more than 6 thousand years. The wild plant was first grown in India, then the vegetable moved to the countries of Asia, Egypt and Europe.
Thus, the cucumber has confidently moved to other parts of our planet. Some will argue that cucumbers do not grow in Antarctica and the Arctic. By installing a greenhouse with noble soil and introducing modern developments, you can grow fresh cucumber.
After all, the method of growing vegetables in greenhouse conditions appeared in ancient times, thus, in cold times, the inhabitants of Byzantium collected fresh vegetables from greenhouse beds, and only later the fruits found their way onto the tables of our ancestors.
Even in those days, the beneficial properties of the prickly vegetable were discovered. Therefore, everything was used: pulp, peel, plant juice.
Benefits of cucumber juice
Cucumber juice is very popular. It regulates the acid-base balance, removes excess water and sodium, normalizes blood pressure and prevents the occurrence of cancer.
Cucumber-carrot juice is indispensable for rheumatism.
Juice from spinach, cucumber, carrots and lettuce restores and strengthens hair.
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Rinse the mouth with cucumber juice to avoid problems with teeth and gums.
Honey and cucumber juice are mixed and drunk when a dry cough occurs.
Traditional cucumber recipes
For gallbladder diseases
1 tbsp. l. beet juice, 2 tbsp. l. Mix carrot and cucumber juice and drink half an hour before meals. Take the drug with a seven-day break for twenty days.
For constipation
Pour 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and a tablespoon of honey into a glass of cucumber pickle, mix thoroughly and drink. If there is no effect, repeat after a day.
For renal colic
Boil 10 g of cucumber seeds for 15 minutes in 100 ml of hot water. Wait until the broth cools completely and strain. Add boiled water to the original volume. Warm before use.
For diseases of the spleen
Grind dried overripe cucumber seeds in a coffee grinder. Take 3 times a day, half an hour before meals, 15 g.
For bleeding in the eyes
Place a cucumber slice on each eyelid and hold for 30 minutes. If you are allergic to pollen, using a vegetable can get rid of itching and inflammation.
Application
Fresh cucumbers have a wide range of applications: cooking, cosmetology, and even medicine. Get the most out of your vegetables, it's easy if you know how.
In cooking
Such a useful product in cooking is used not only in its raw form, but also in salted, pickled, stewed and even boiled. The most beneficial substances are found in raw vegetables; the maximum amount is retained when steamed. Pickles and marinades are harmful for people with gastrointestinal and pancreatic problems, but they also retain some of the beneficial elements.
Cucumbers can be added to most salads; it is better to combine green, white, and yellow types of vegetables. Everyone's favorite salad with tomatoes and cucumbers is actually not so healthy, since these two fruits contain incompatible chemical elements. Their combination can disrupt liver function.
Important! Cucumber juices can be mixed: with carrot juice - good for rheumatism; with carrots, spinach and salad - useful for accelerating hair growth
.
Fresh cucumbers go well with high-calorie foods and meat, the meal is easier to digest, and there are more benefits from it. Pay special attention to cucumber juice - its composition is close to spring, environmentally friendly water. Cucumber juice itself reduces blood pressure and prevents cancer.
In cosmetology
The amazing capabilities of fresh cucumbers in cosmetology have been known for a long time: masks whiten the skin and lighten age spots, in addition, nourish the skin with moisture and smooth out fine wrinkles. One of the easiest masks to prepare against wrinkles is to simply peel the fruit, grate it on a fine grater or grind it in a blender and apply it to your face for 20 minutes.
Afterwards, just remove the mask with wet wipes and wash with cool water. This recipe will give a positive result if used in courses: make a mask every other day for two, maximum three weeks. The whitening mask is also easy to prepare: you need to squeeze out 1 tbsp. l cucumber juice and add lemon juice 2/3 tbsp. l.
Did you know? The beneficial properties of cucumbers protect hair from ultraviolet radiation and make it silky, smooth, and without greasy shine.
Next, take ordinary gauze, in which it is advisable to make cuts for the nose and eyes, moisten it in the prepared juice, squeeze it out so that nothing flows, and apply it to the face. It’s very good if you also capture the neck area. Keep the mask on for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. The same mask removes bags under the eyes. You can do it once a week.
In folk medicine
The medicinal uses of fresh cucumbers are less known, but this does not diminish their benefits.
Some useful recipes:
- for coughs, pain, inflammation - drink 50 ml of juice 2-3 times a day;
- for rheumatism, it is enough to drink pure cucumber juice regularly once a day;
- treatment and prevention of salts - mix juices with berry mixtures (black currants), fresh fruit juices (grapefruit, apples) and other vegetable juices (beets and even garlic), drink three times a day for 2 weeks, but do not use the method if you have stones have already formed.
The fruits have choleretic properties, so do not overuse them if you are not sure that you do not have stones in your bladder. Don't forget that such a valuable product will only be truly useful if you buy or grow it organically. It is very convenient to shop in supermarkets, but for yourself, do not be lazy to look for fresh cucumbers grown under the real sun.
Cucumber for face
Cucumbers play an essential role in many beauty treatments.
Thanks to their folic acid content, cucumbers effectively fight acne, inflammation and rashes. They help lighten the skin with various pigmentations, eliminate the first signs of aging and rejuvenate cells.
With all these advantages, rubbing your face with cucumber is absolutely safe, because it almost never causes allergies.
Homemade cucumber lotion
To make cucumber lotion that has nutritional properties, you need to use fresh, home-grown vegetables in small sizes. That is why the product should be made in season, so as not to purchase ingredients of unknown origin. Depending on their purpose, lotions are:
- To remove makeup;
- For acne;
- Rejuvenating;
- For a perfect tan;
- For skin whitening, etc.
At home, you can make your own either a universal lotion or one for a specific skin type.
To make a remedy for all skin types, grate the cucumber and add green tea. Cucumber lotion is infused and then used as needed.
Homemade cucumber face masks
Women use the cosmetic properties of the vegetable to improve skin condition. Infusions and decoctions are used, but most often - cucumber masks. They tone, moisturize dry skin, rejuvenate, eliminate pigmentation, rashes, acne and minor inflammatory processes.
A cucumber mask is an effective replacement for expensive creams.
In order to make a simple cucumber mask, you need to cut the vegetable into thin slices without removing the peel and apply them to previously cleansed facial skin. The procedure should be carried out lying down so that the muscles absorb the maximum of nutrients. Keep cucumber slices on your face for no more than 30 minutes.
If the mask contains other ingredients besides cucumber, you need to check your skin for an allergic reaction. A drop of the composition should be applied to the wrist, held, then washed off. If there are no signs of irritation, then you can apply the mask to your face.
Important! Before use, the cucumber should be cooled, washed and dried thoroughly.
Cucumbers for weight loss
Cucumber removes moisture from the body, has a laxative effect, normalizes and cleanses the intestines, and perfectly quenches hunger and thirst.
Thanks to these properties, the benefits of cucumbers for weight loss are very great; the vegetable is indispensable in the diet menu.
To lose weight, you should consume up to 2 kg of fresh cucumbers per day. You can add vitamin-rich citrus juices. The most effective are small homemade fruits with pimples. Most of the nutrients are in the peel, so you shouldn’t cut it off.
In addition to the cucumber, you need to drink two liters of clean water. Instead, you can choose green tea, with caution - low-fat kefir, because dairy products in combination with cucumber act as a strong laxative. During the cucumber diet, you should avoid physical activity.
During the diet, you can only eat fresh cucumbers; pickles should be avoided due to the high content of salt and seasonings.
How to eat cucumbers?
If there are no problems with the stomach, and in general there are no contraindications, vegetables should be eaten washed and with peels. The most delicious and healthy ones will be those that are smaller, elastic, crispy and with small bones. If there are some difficulties in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it makes sense to clean the fetus.
An important point: people with liver diseases can safely eat fresh fruits. But pickled, salted and pickled ones are prohibited. They are also prohibited for hypertensive patients and those with Alzheimer's disease.
How to choose cucumbers?
During the hot season, it is better to purchase this vegetable in the morning, before it loses its freshness in the sun. If you bought slightly wilted fruits, you can “revive” them by keeping them in very cold water for half an hour. By the way, this same method helps remove nitrates from them,
Choose only dense fruits without unnatural shine, yellow spots or damage. If you choose them in winter, they will probably be covered in paraffin. In this case, it makes sense to eat the fruit without the skin.
If you choose fruits for pickling, take those that are up to 10 cm in length, dark green with light tips. Or with dark spikes - they will also be good. You can easily remove the thorns during the washing process, and this will allow the brine to better saturate each fruit.
How to store cucumbers?
High-quality fruits behave well in the refrigerator, up to 5 days. It is advisable not to store them next to other ripe vegetables, and to allow access to air. For long-term storage (up to 10 days), place the fruits in a plastic bag, without closing it tightly, and cover the top with wet gauze. Fruits can be kept fresh for 4 weeks by dipping their tails 2 cm into cold water and placing the container in the refrigerator. The water must be changed every day.
Original recipes
Finally, I’ll give you a couple more original recipes. In the summer, be sure to make a smoothie with cucumber, watermelon and lime. To do this, grind 200 g in a blender. watermelon pulp, half a lime and a cucumber without skin, a bunch of mint and a glass of cold drinking water.
To make a cucumber, apple and celery smoothie, also chop 1 green apple (cut into pieces), 1 cucumber, 1 celery stalk, 2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice, a piece of ginger and a glass of water. Such drinks not only perfectly refresh, they quench both hunger and thirst at the same time. They also work as a detox and saturate our body with biological activators!
Now, I hope, the benefits of cucumbers have become obvious to you. I sincerely wish you to start actively using this fruit - for health, beauty, slimness and just pleasure! I would be grateful for your subscriptions to this blog, your likes and comments. See you again!
Use of cucumbers in cooking
In cooking, salads are prepared from fresh cucumbers in combination with other vegetables (cabbage, carrots, onions, bell peppers) and herbs. They are served as a side dish for any meat dish, as they help digest it. Fresh vegetables are the most delicious and valuable.
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In salted or pickled form, cucumbers are used for pickles, solyankas, stews and salads, including winter ones. Pickles are also good as a stand-alone snack or in combination with vegetables or meat dishes.
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Can children eat cucumbers?
As soon as the summer days arrive and beautiful cucumber fruits form in the beds, the children themselves are ready to pick them and eat them right away. But before you feed your child, you should find out what the benefits and harms of cucumbers are for children.
So, let's start with the main thing - is it possible and at what age to include cucumbers in a baby's diet ? Young mothers should not rush to feed their baby green vegetables for up to one year. As soon as the child is one year old, you can serve cucumbers in a minimum portion as an addition to the main food.
Important: premature introduction of cucumbers into feeding can cause colic in the baby.
In what form should it be given? Children are strictly not allowed to eat pickled cucumbers, even if they are made with their own hands, in compliance with technology and sterility. They contain a lot of salt, vinegar, and minimal nutrients. You should choose a fresh vegetable grown in open ground. The fruit should be elastic, with a bright color and a non-shiny, matte skin. It is not recommended to purchase cucumbers with dents, grown in a greenhouse and sold near roads and highways.
How to feed. Rinse the fresh cucumber thoroughly and cut off a small piece for your baby. Carefully monitor the reaction of the child’s body and if there are complaints of abdominal pain, moodiness and symptoms of colic, postpone the introduction of vegetables into the diet to a later date.
The benefits of consuming cucumbers for children:
- Silicon, iodine, potassium, sulfur, fructose, essential oils, carotene, vitamin C and essential oils help regulate metabolism, stimulate peristalsis and improve blood flow.
- Beneficial substances and antioxidants destroy putrefactive and pathogenic microbes, including staphylococcus, which is common among children.
- The vegetable is hypoallergenic and practically does not cause adverse reactions: redness, rash, swelling, etc.
There are also situations in which cucumbers should not be included in a child’s diet:
- · inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, digestive disorders;
- · Store-bought vegetables may contain nitrates and pesticides - real poison not only for children, but also for adults.
Important: you need to carefully monitor how the child chews and swallows the cucumber. Vegetables, especially pickled and salted ones, are smooth and may cause the baby to choke. For this reason, it should be cut into small pieces and given under supervision.
The benefits of tomato and cucumber salad
According to nutritionists, the popular salad of tomatoes and cucumbers causes significant harm to the body. When digested, tomatoes create an acidic environment, cucumbers create an alkaline environment, and as a result of their interaction, salts are formed and deposited in the body.
In addition, ascorbic acid contained in tomatoes is neutralized by ascorbinase found in cucumbers. As a result, the value of vegetables for the body is reduced to zero.
Thus, tomatoes and cucumbers should be eaten separately from each other and at different meals.
Cucumber and its varieties
Cucumber belongs to the pumpkin family. This summer vegetable is native to South Asia, and currently grows on almost all continents.
The cucumber is a vine that can take root in the soil environment or on a supporting structure (trellis), as a result of which the plant will grow with the help of tendrils. The large leaves of the vine form a shady canopy that covers the fruits, protecting them from the scorching sun.
The fruits of most cucumber varieties are cylindrical in shape, turning into elongated cone-shaped ends. If allowed to ripen, they can reach a length of 62 centimeters and a diameter of 10 centimeters.
They eat unripe vegetables that have a color of different shades of green (from light to dark emerald), since when ripe they usually acquire a bitter and sour taste. Ripe cucumbers are yellow in color. Basically, we are used to eating cucumbers raw or salted and pickled. But there are varieties that are subjected to culinary processing, mainly for Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Small fruits are salted and pickled. Although any cucumber can be pickled, specially grown fruits are used for commercial purposes. They have a uniform ratio of the length of the vegetable to its diameter, and there are no voids in the flesh. Such cucumbers reach 7-11 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter, sometimes have an irregular shape and pimply skin with tiny spines. The color of the fruit is all shades of green.
The most common cultivar groups by shape are slicers and European cucumbers.
Slicers are the name given to a group of slicing cucumber varieties grown commercially throughout the world. They are long and have a smooth, hard skin of uniform color. But most countries grow cucumbers, often called European cucumbers, which are smaller in size and have more delicate, thin skin, often with fewer seeds.
Small cucumbers, often with pimply skins, are usually used for pickling. These are gherkins . This is the name given to several groups of cucumber varieties, or their small fruits, picked before they are fully ripe. A little more than 4 cm, but less than 8 cm is the classic length of the fruit. The word gherkin translated from modern Dutch means “small pickled cucumber.”
Seedless cucumber varieties are considered sweeter, have a pleasant taste, and their peel is thinner than other varieties. These fruits are easily digestible in the human body and can reach a length of 60 centimeters. Most often they are grown in greenhouses or greenhouses. Such cucumbers, wrapped in cling film, can be purchased in grocery supermarkets at any time of the year.
The listing of numerous varieties of cucumbers indicates that these vegetables are so diverse in use and preparation that we cannot even imagine. Many of them are unknown to us. As of 2021, 1,365 varieties and hybrids of cucumbers are registered, but no one can say for sure how many are unregistered. Here are a few varieties, some of which I have not seen or tried:
Lebanese cucumbers are small, smooth-skinned vegetables with an excellent taste and fragrant aroma. This variety of vegetable has virtually no seeds.
Asian cucumbers
Asian cucumbers are green fruits with pimply and ribbed skin. They can be used for slicing, in salads, for pickling and pickling.
Persian cucumbers are mini cucumbers, with a sweetish taste and virtually no seeds, with an average length of 10 to 18 centimeters. They are usually eaten crushed and mixed with mint in plain yogurt. Thinly sliced cucumber drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with salt makes a great appetizer. These are parthenocarpic cucumbers and are very easy to grow.
Parthenocarpic cucumbers are hybrids that can form fruits without pollination.
Beit Alpha cucumbers
Beit Alpha cucumbers are parthenocarpic cucumbers that are small in size, sweet in taste, hybrids that are unpretentious and well adapted to the dry and hot climate of the Middle East.
Apple cucumbers
Apple cucumbers are round-shaped fruits grown in some European countries, as well as in New Zealand. They are known for their slightly sweet taste and unique skin color, light yellow-green. The fruits are eaten raw.
Cucumbers variety Dosakai
Dosakai is a yellow cucumber grown in California and parts of India. Vegetables, as a rule, have a spherical shape and are prepared in the form of curries, as a separate dish, and added to national lentil soups (for example, sambar or daal).
Orange cucumber
Kekiri is a relatively hard cucumber with a smooth skin that turns orange when ripe. It grows in the dry areas of Sri Lanka. It is used in preparing spicy curries. This variety of cucumbers is not consumed raw.
Nutritional value in grams per 100 grams of raw cucumber
Vitamins in milligrams per 100 grams of raw cucumber
Macro and microelements in milligrams per 100 grams of raw cucumber
The benefits and harms of pickled cucumbers
Pickles are very healthy. They:
- Due to the content of lactic acid, they cleanse the walls of blood vessels from excess fat and prevent the development of cholesterol.
- Prevents the occurrence of intestinal infections.
- Causes appetite.
- Improves intestinal function.
- Normalize metabolism.
- Used as antidepressants, relieve muscle fatigue after physical activity.
Despite their undoubted advantages, pickles can cause harm to humans. They:
- Destroy tooth enamel;
- Harm to the kidneys;
- Dangerous for stomach diseases;
- Cause of pressure surges.
The benefit of lightly salted cucumbers lies in the many useful substances preserved as a result of short pickling. Lightly salted cucumbers do not contain vinegar or salt, so they are safe for hypertensive patients, people on diets, and also for expectant mothers.
Lightly salted cucumbers cause harm in diseases of the stomach and kidneys.
What are the benefits of cucumbers?
Cucumber is not just a food product, it is practically a medicine, since it has many beneficial properties:
- This is a low-calorie food, therefore it is widely used in proper nutrition and various diets for weight loss.
- It is rich in fiber, perfectly cleanses the intestines, and has a mild laxative effect.
- Due to the antioxidant flavonol, the plant activates brain function and fights free radicals that cause aging.
- Dietary fiber, together with mineral salts and phytosterols from garden crops, has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels, and reduces cholesterol.
- Due to the presence of iodine, this product is useful for the thyroid gland.
- The rich mineral composition makes the culture an effective skin and hair care product.
- Carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin contained in the fruit are important for good vision and eye health.
- Special plant enzymes improve the digestion of protein foods, thereby activating metabolism.
The benefits and harms of pickled cucumbers
Pickled cucumbers increase immunity, prevent anemia, and improve the condition of bones and tooth enamel.
Thanks to vinegar, vegetables are effective against pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and infectious diseases, burn fats and normalize sugar levels.
Sodium in pickles in small doses has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and improves muscle activity. An excess of this element in the body threatens the deterioration of kidney function, the appearance of vomiting, thirst, nervousness, and frequent urination. Blood pressure increases, swelling appears, and tooth enamel is destroyed.
Pickled cucumbers are contraindicated for gout, liver and heart diseases.
Cucumber composition, calories, vitamins and minerals
This vegetable can rightfully be classified as a dietary product; its calorie content is no more than 15 kcal. It is perfectly absorbed by the body and goes perfectly with meat dishes. These fruits are 98% water, so they perfectly quench thirst and stimulate the body’s cleansing process.
Cucumbers are very low in carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Contains a small amount of B vitamins, vitamin E and PP. But the vegetable is rich in potassium, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the kidneys and heart muscle. Cucumbers contain a lot of iodine, iron, fluorine, molybdenum and other minerals.
Storing cucumbers
At room temperature, vegetables wither, lose flavor and spoil. Cucumbers are stored for up to three weeks in the refrigerator at a temperature close to zero and a relative humidity of 80-90%. Greenhouse varieties and some others do not like such conditions. The optimal environment for them is thin plastic bags and a temperature of 15-20°C. They can stay in them from two weeks to a month.
Long fruits from a greenhouse can be lowered with their tails down into a container of water; the liquid must be changed daily. This way the vegetables will be preserved for a long time.
Place the vegetables in a non-metallic bowl with vinegar so that they do not touch the liquid (for example, on a wire rack) and close tightly.
Wash the fruits thoroughly, dry them, coat them with egg white (the resulting film allows the vegetable to breathe) and put them in a cool, dark place.
How to choose good cucumbers
When you buy cucumbers, pay attention to the peel of the fruit - it should not have any soft, water-covered spots. It is advisable to consume cucumber along with the peel and seeds as the seeds contain important compounds and the skin is a good source of vitamin A.
Cucumbers are sometimes waxed to protect them from dents during shipping.
Even organic cucumbers may have wax, even though they are grown in good conditions. But of course, it is better to use local cucumbers that are grown in your region of residence and are not waxed, since they do not require long transportation.
When storing cucumbers, keep in mind that they are best stored at very cold temperatures. Keep them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them, but it is advisable to consume them within three to five days.
Harm of cucumbers to the body and contraindications
For kidney diseases, liver diseases, gastritis and stomach ulcers, it is recommended to avoid fresh cucumbers.
Pickles will cause additional harm to the body in case of liver pathologies, increased blood pressure, water-salt imbalance, kidney inflammation, and diseases of the endocrine system.
Early cucumbers often contain dangerous nitrates, which are used to speed up the ripening of vegetables. Therefore, you can actively eat vegetables only at the height of the season.
