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Cucumber Benefits
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Cucumber benefits mostly come from its rich nutrient, phytonutrient and antioxidant content. It is known to possess diuretic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
Cucumber refers to the fruit of the widely-cultivated creeping vine in the gourd family that is believed to have originated in India. Known by its scientific name of cucumis sativus, the cucumber belongs to the same botanical family Cucurbitaceae as melons, watermelon, cantaloupe, and squash, zucchini and pumpkins. |
 The cucumber is a long, cylinder-shaped edible fruit with tapered ends. It is normally seen in groceries and markets as having a dark green color but actually come in a variety of other colors, from yellow to white and orange. The seeds of the cucumber are enclosed within the fruit.
Comprised of about 90% water, the cucumber is very juicy and has a neutral, dull, slightly melon-like taste and flavor. Although the cucumber is classified as a fruit, it is often consumed more like a vegetable as it is typically added to salads and savory dishes.
Cucumbers are usually classified into two basic types: slicing and pickling. Slicing cucumbers refer to those varieties that are grown for consumption in fresh form. These include the following varieties: Dasher, Conquistador, Slicemaster, Victory, Comet, Burpee Hybrid and Sprint. On the other hand, pickling cucumbers refer to those varieties that are cultivated for further processing into pickles. In America, commonly planted varieties of pickling cucumbers include Blitz, Bounty, Calypso, Duke, Pioneer, Regal, and Royal. Slicing cucumbers are relatively thick-skinned and relatively larger in size while pickling cucumbers possess thinner skins that make them easier to ferment and place in jars.
The earliest cucumbers were thought to have come from India, Western Asia or parts of the Middle East. Cucumbers were mentioned in tales of the city of Ur which reached its zenith of power around 2500 BC. The Roman Emperor Tiberius was believed to have consumed cucumber daily. The Romans were believed to have utilized cucumber to fight bad eyesight and fight scorpion bites. The cucumber was believed to have been introduced in North America during the 16th century.
China is currently the world's largest producer of cucumbers. Other large producers of cucumber are Iran, Turkey and Russia.
Cucumber benefits are largely derived from the following health food nutrients: In addition to these nutrients, the cucumber is believed to possess a host of antioxidants that imbue this herb with potent properties that may help reduce the risk for a host of ailments and diseases. Among these antioxidant compounds include beta-carotene, flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin), lignans and triterpenes. The following are cucumber benefits attributed to this herb:
Cucumber may help fight pains caused by inflammation due to these antioxidant and phytonutrients compounds. Cucumber may help lower the risk for certain cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of lignans that have shown a strong history of combating heart and other similar diseases. The peel also has considerable fiber which further contributes to its heart-friendly qualities. Cucumber may help in efforts to detoxify due to its large water content that imbue it with substantial diuretic properties. Cucumber may help strengthen bones due to its high vitamin K content. Cucumber peel may help fight constipation due to its strong fiber content. It may likewise help good digestion. |
HealthFoodBenefits.com
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