The benefits and harms of cucumbers for the body, composition, contraindications

• 03.05.2019
• Health, Vegetables, Nutrition, Articles, Explanatory

Cucumbers are one of the most common vegetables in the summer season. They are used to make salads, juice, marinade, pickle and even cosmetics. Let's get to know the product better and consider the benefits and harms of cucumbers for the body.

Chemical composition and calorie content of fresh cucumber

The scanty content of vitamins in the vegetable makes it a tasty but useless product for many. Moreover, the longer the plucked cucumber lies, the less nutrients it contains.

However, some active ingredients provide many benefits. These are: molybdenum, copper, fluorine, chlorine, aluminum, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, manganese, zinc, chromium, iron.

Cucumber also contains large amounts of iodine, which is perfectly absorbed by the body.

The fruit consists of 98.5% pure water, perfectly quenching thirst, cleansing the body. Dietary fiber that improves intestinal performance is available in an amount of 1 g, out of the original cucumber weight in 100 g.

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins, together with vitamins of group B, PP, E - the rest of the product.

The calorie content of the vegetable is 13.5 kcal.

Structure

Common cucumber (or sowing) is an annual herb of the family pumpkin... It is eaten unripe, unlike, for example, melon. It 94-96% water, which is necessary for a person to maintain the functioning of important organs. In addition to water, cucumber contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, saccharides and many other elements and vitamins that have a beneficial effect on health.

The benefits of cucumbers for the human body

Such, at first glance, a vegetable poor in vitamins, meanwhile, has many useful characteristics:

• Water saturation of the body. Potassium helps the tissues become saturated with water. Excess is actively removed, edema is prevented.
• Acid neutralization. Many foods contain acidic compounds that can negatively affect organ function. Because of this, metabolic processes are disrupted, and stones are deposited. Cucumber contains salts that help to neutralize such compounds and remove them from the body.
• Improving the performance of the thyroid gland and blood vessels. The high content of iodine in cucumbers has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland. Fiber and trace elements are useful for the heart muscle, prevent the accumulation of cholesterol, prevent the development of pathologies of the circulatory system.
• Normalization of exchange processes. Enzymes, fiber and B vitamins actively break down sugar and carbohydrates.
• Strengthening the immune system. Vitamin C supports immunity, its greatest amount in young small fruits.
• Maintaining the condition of the skin. The beneficial ingredients of cucumber are actively used for cosmetic purposes, helping to preserve and maintain the skin.

In addition, the cucumber helps the body absorb protein foods. It should definitely be used with meat dishes. Delicate fiber of the vegetable will cleanse the intestines, prevent constipation.

For woman

Women use cucumber mainly for 2 purposes: to lose weight and in cosmetics. Ladies do not remain indifferent to an effective and inexpensive remedy to rejuvenate the skin, get rid of edema and fat deposits. In addition, this product is completely natural.

During pregnancy

For pregnant women, cucumber helps to normalize stools, relieve puffiness. Also, fruits protect bones and teeth. The presence of folic acid significantly reduces the risk of fetal malformations.

However, pregnant women prefer pickles, but they are not at all as safe as fresh ones. Salt increases appetite, which inevitably leads to weight gain. Pickles also increase kidney stress.

For nursing women

When breastfeeding, cucumbers are allowed to be consumed in small quantities. They are introduced into the diet gradually, when the baby is more than 3 months old. Gas formation increases from the vegetable, which often leads to flatulence in the baby. Infatuation with cucumbers often leads to indigestion in newborns.

For men

Men can also use cucumbers for cosmetic purposes, especially since the juice prevents baldness. Regular cucumber meals reduce pressure in the bladder by flushing out lime and other buildup. This helps to avoid prostate disease.

For kids

For children, cucumber helps prevent anemia caused by silicon deficiency. The potassium contained in it strengthens the nerves, balances the mental state.

Regular consumption of the vegetable normalizes the intestines, strengthens the tissues of bones and muscles. Cucumber is introduced into the child's diet from the age of one, when the stomach is able to digest the vegetable.

How to choose

Cucumbers for consumption are chosen smooth, without visible damage, elastic and not soft. The quality of cucumbers may depend on the variety, of which there are now a great many. Fruits of small size, thin skin, strong, with pimples are especially appreciated due to the maximum amount of nutrients and excellent taste. The best option would be to use cucumbers plucked directly from the garden.

The use of cucumbers in traditional medicine

Cucumbers have found their use in folk medicine, due to their beneficial effects on the body.

• The juice is used as an antipyretic agent.
• Cucumbers are a good preventive measure against colds and viruses.
• The vegetable cures a lingering cough.
• Cucumbers help with stress, prolonged depression.
• Inflammatory processes are removed by cucumbers.
• The vegetable is used as a mild pain reliever.
• Exacerbations of ulcers and gastritis are treated with cucumber juice. If acidity is increased, take half a glass of juice before meals. You can replace it with fresh cucumber with honey.
• With jaundice and other liver diseases, they drink fresh cucumber juice on an empty stomach.
• Existing persistent constipation is treated with unlimited consumption of cucumbers with honey. During off-season, they can be replaced with cucumber pickle.
• Cucumber juice mixed with other vegetables restores disturbed metabolism, especially when it is manifested by skin diseases.
• Heart disease is treated with a mixture of lettuce and cucumber juice, drunk in the morning on an empty stomach.
• The flowers of the plant will help get rid of malaria. The dried flowers are boiled and insisted, then drunk in several doses per day.
• Hepatic diseases are recommended by healers to treat dried cucumber lashes and overripe fruits. The material is crushed, poured with water and simmered for 5 minutes. Drink before meals on a spoon.
• Cucumber seeds cure pulmonary tuberculosis, remove a tumor from the spleen. The seed is ground to a powder and taken internally.

Not everyone can do it!

There are few contraindications for using fresh cucumber. When consumed excessively, it will thicken the blood. Therefore, it is not recommended to use medicinal compositions with it for varicose veins and other vascular diseases.

For large stones in the kidneys and gallbladder with cucumbers, too, be careful, they can provoke the movement of stones and aggravate the condition.It is not recommended to use the vegetable for intestinal infections or a tendency to diarrhea, as it has a mild laxative effect.

And one more contraindication is individual intolerance. Rarely, but there are people whose body does not tolerate cucumbers in any quantities.

Pickled cucumbers - health benefits and harms

Although to a lesser extent than fresh, pickled cucumbers also benefit the body.

As for the vitamin composition, it almost completely disappears after heat treatment. The salty product perfectly increases appetite, enhances digestion, and has a slight laxative effect. In addition, cucumber preparations are very tasty.

Processed vegetables have more contraindications than benefits:

• With cardiovascular diseases, you should not get too carried away with such vegetables.
• Salted greens can harm people with kidney pathology, since they cause an extra load on diseased organs.
• It is not recommended to get carried away with salty vegetables if there are metabolic disorders, obesity is present.
• With hepatitis, gallstones, pickles are contraindicated.

If consumed in moderation, the vegetable will not harm the body. It is best to eat your own product to make sure it is pure.

Read more in the article: Lightly salted cucumbers with garlic and instant herbs

To whom is it harmful?

Cucumbers are good and bad at the same time when misused. There are separate categories of diseases for which the intake of cucumbers is contraindicated:

• various diseases of the stomach, which are characterized by high acidity (gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcer). Due to the substances that are in cucumbers, the acid level can rise sharply and lead to serious consequences;
• hypertension, liver disease, atherosclerosis - with such a diagnosis, you will have to completely abandon pickled and pickled cucumbers. This can include a disease of water-salt metabolism;
• decreased thyroid function, pregnancy, nephritis - also a strict ban on pickles and pickles.

The very first harvest in spring is characterized by a high content of nitrates, so vegetables without a peel are eaten, in which harmful substances accumulate. For safety net, cut off a couple of centimeters from the ends and the cucumber is ready for use.

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As you can see, to the question - fresh cucumbers are good or bad - the answer is ambiguous. But it is worth remembering the main rule, everything should be in moderation. Even useful things can be harmful if you do not follow the norm.

Why bitter cucumbers are useful

Often you come across cucumbers that are bitter. Even after skinning some vegetables, the bitterness does not disappear. Usually people try to get rid of such products, not understanding their true value, considering them unsuitable for eating.

Recent research by scientists has proven that this unpleasant bitterness is actually very beneficial and has a healing effect. Bitter cucumbers contain steroidal saponins.

This component is a real powerful weapon against cancer cells. Cucurbitacin, namely, it causes bitterness in cucumbers, is able to detect cancer cells and eliminate them. However, this does not mean at all that the existing oncology should be treated only with bitter fruits. They act as a good help for traditional medicine, for preventive purposes.

The bitter peel is used as a medicine.It is dried well, ground into powder in an accessible way. This cucumber powder helps well with diaper rash, it soothes burns.

In some countries, medicines are produced from the bitter fruits, which are prescribed for many diseases, such as the gastrointestinal tract, heart.

How to remove bitterness from cucumbers

When a few bitter cucumbers come across it is still bearable, but when almost everyone is bitter, it causes a problem. Old proven methods will help you get rid of bitterness. And if it does not completely disappear, at least it will be minimized.

The most common way is to soak... Zelentsy are kept in cold water sometimes even for a whole day, periodically replacing it. This is done mainly before conservation, and many housewives are so accustomed to doing this that they no longer attach true value to steeping. If the greens are consumed fresh, the skin from them will still have to be cut off.

Another method is rubbing. A well-washed cucumber is cut off the butt. With the cut part, they begin to rub the cut. After a while, white foam appears at the place of friction. Friction should be continued until the amount of foam decreases. During the release of foam, cucurbitacin is released from the vegetable.

Read more in the article: Why cucumbers are bitter in a greenhouse, how to fix

The benefits of cucumber juice, how to cook

Like a cucumber, juice removes excess fluid from the tissues. In many phyto bars you can find on the menu pure cucumber juice and in mixtures. It is made popular by a composition reminiscent of water obtained from ecological sources. The juice regulates the acid-base balance in the body.

Cucumber juice in tandem with carrot juice relieves rheumatic pains. A mixture of lettuce, carrot, cucumber and spinach juices enhances hair growth. The juice is useful for hypertensive patients, participates in the prevention of oncology. Dentists have also found a use for the juice, prescribing it as a gargle for dental problems.

• Fresh juice is useful for diseases of the prostate gland, biliary dyskinesia, liver ailments, and helps to lose weight.
• Prescribe juice with honey for dry cough, thyroid diseases.

The medicinal properties of juice squeezed from bitter greens are much higher. It is taken for colic, jaundice and other liver problems. Bitter juice with honey will help to restore digestion after ulcers and gastritis. Especially high efficiency with increased acidity.

In external application, the juice is rubbed into the scalp, lotions are made for quick healing of cracks and wounds on the skin. Juice is used to treat acne, baldness. To keep the nails strong, take baths based on cucumber juice with beer, salt.

Making cucumber juice is pretty simple. It is enough to use a juicer or a press. The product is not subject to storage - it is consumed only fresh.

Smoothie with cucumber juice

Drinking cucumber juice is healthy, but it will bring even more benefits in combination with other foods, enhancing their healing qualities. And they taste much better.

Apple Cucumber Drink Recipe

A very tasty and invigorating drink that strengthens the immune system, as it is very rich in its contents. For cooking you will need:

• 6 sweet apples
• 3 greens
• A pinch of ground ginger and cinnamon

Pre-chilled products are cleaned of seeds and skins, passed through a juicer. You can add ginger to spice it up, and cinnamon for sweetness.

The chilled drink is drunk immediately, and it must also be preserved in sterile jars.

Cucumber smoothie with kefir and oatmeal

The smoothie contains:

• Zelentsy - 300 g;
• Oat flakes - 30 g;
• Low-fat kefir - 150 ml;
• White cabbage - 50 g;
• Dill - 10 g;
• Salt optional.

Flakes are cut into oatmeal, cabbage is chopped, peeled greens are cut.The products are placed in a blender, poured with kefir.

The smoothie is thick enough to satisfy hunger.

Cucumber, Pepper and Green Onion Vegetable Smoothie

Smoothies are prepared from:

• Green onions;
• Sweet pepper;
• Ogurtsov;
• Tomato juice.

Washed vegetables are peeled and chopped. In a blender, products are interrupted on mashed potatoes and poured with tomato juice. Add salt if desired. It is recommended to use crushed ice for cooling.

Can cucumbers for children

Anxiety about the health of the child, especially the baby, will always force the mother to check whether it is possible to eat this or that product for her child. Cucumber is very useful for a growing organism: silicon in its composition helps to strengthen bones. It also prevents anemia and hair loss and joint diseases. Sodium and potassium will support the muscular structure of the body, the nervous and endocrine systems. The functioning of the brain, heart muscle and many internal organs requires a cucumber nourishment.

An expectant mother who is expecting a baby may wonder if cucumbers are possible for pregnant women. The only contraindication is a large amount of food consumed if a woman suffers from edema, which usually happens in an "interesting" position. In this case, you should limit their use. But you can make cucumber masks and eat delicious and light cucumber salads! And enjoy making various cocktails and smoothies.

What is the use of cucumbers for men: The fact that cucumber increases the production of the male hormone testosterone gives the cucumber the right to be an assistant for balding men. It is also useful as a component of a diet for weight loss, it will help in the fight against slagging in the body, because men are more inclined to this.

Important: in order not to suffer in the morning from a hangover, in the evening you need to eat half a cucumber. Vitamin B, sugars and electrolytes in its composition will reduce headaches and hangover.

The use of cucumbers in cosmetology

Ladies have always used cucumbers not only for dishes; lotions and masks for skin and hair were prepared on its basis. The components of the greenery are perfectly absorbed by the skin, leaving it clean and fresh after application. Making cosmetics at home will not be a problem.

• The mask is universal. Suitable for everyone, for any skin. During the cooking process, the grated cucumber is mixed with the egg white. The mask is kept for 10 minutes. It tones well, improves skin color.
• For delicate skin. The mask will help eliminate the vascular network on the face. The grated cucumber is combined with blueberry juice and mixed thoroughly. Keep the mask for 15 minutes.
• For oily skin. A mixture of cucumber and white clay is applied to cleansed skin. Leave on the skin until completely dry, then rinse off. Applying once a week will ensure that you get rid of the oily sheen.
• Nourishing mask. For cooking, you will need cottage cheese, milk, cucumber puree, parsley, olive oil. The ingredients are interrupted with a mixer. Apply on the face for 7-10 minutes and wash off.
• For hair. A raw egg and butter (burdock, linseed) are added to the cucumber puree. The mask is applied to the hair itself, which is immediately wrapped in a film. After half an hour, you can start washing your hair. This composition greatly strengthens the hair.
• A cucumber and sour cream mask will perfectly nourish your hair. After applying the mass, the hair is removed under a film, wrapped in a towel. After an hour, they wash their hair.

Cucumbers for weight loss: recipes

The minimum calorie content makes the cucumber an irreplaceable dietary product. There are many dishes and diets that include cucumbers. And the fiber of the vegetable perfectly helps the intestines to cope with their work.

It promotes the burning of fat reserves and tartronic acid is a unique component in the composition of green leaves. With its help, all carbohydrates are converted not into fat, but into energy.

The mild laxative effect of cucumbers, its ability to remove excess water, is very helpful for obese people to cope with their problems.For them, nutritionists have specially developed and recommend a weekly cucumber day. During it, they eat 1.5 kg of a vegetable and no more products.

The cucumber diet is considered effective, calculated for 3 days. It can be done every 2-3 weeks. This promotes the elimination of excess toxins, the breakdown of fats in the body. Plus, it's just delicious.

• Cucumber paste. You will need: sour cream, herbs, cucumber, garlic, cottage cheese. Boats are made from cut cucumber. The removed core of the vegetable is crushed and combined with the rest of the products. The resulting paste is filled into boats.
• An unusual salad can be made with cucumber and orange. Chopped food sprinkle with pepper, sprinkle with olive oil and wine vinegar. Garnish with mint before serving.
• Cold soup. You will need: cucumber, garlic, vegetable oil, walnuts, kefir, dill, pepper. Zelenets are grated, vegetables and herbs are finely chopped. All are connected, seasoned with kefir, butter, allowed to brew a little.
• Chicken salad. The boiled poultry fillet is finely chopped, the cucumber and eggs are cut into thin strips. Products are poured with low-fat yogurt, served in bowls.

How do they affect weight loss?

Positively.

1. There are only 15 calories in 100 grams of cucumbers. At the same time, the vegetable saturates well, since it contains water and fiber. These compounds fill the stomach and promote satiety quickly. Soluble fiber, when it enters the intestines, forms a gel-like mass that slows down digestion. And this is good for weight loss, as it makes it possible to prolong the feeling of fullness after eating and avoid unhealthy snacks.
2. Anti-inflammatory functions are also essential for sustained healthy weight loss. For, according to modern scientific understanding, the development of obesity, especially the accumulation of fat in the abdomen, is always associated with significant inflammatory activity, which a person may not even be aware of.
3. To lose weight, you need to drink water. This is well known. Cucumber is 96% water. And therefore, it was by nature itself created in order to help get rid of excess weight.
4. Improving digestion, nutrition of microflora, normalization of stool, help to put in order the intestinal biocenosis. This is important for proper weight loss, as in people who are overweight, the composition of the intestinal microflora is always disturbed.
5. The diuretic activity of cucumbers makes them a must-eat product when you need to quickly lose 5 kg per week without harming your health.
6. According to some scientific evidence, the vegetable can help normalize blood sugar. This is important for weight loss because dramatic changes in blood glucose and insulin levels are one of the main reasons for the rapid formation of excess body fat.

Despite the fact that this vegetable can and should be eaten for weight loss, you should not go on a cucumber diet for weight loss. As with all strict dietary approaches, this nutritional system cannot provide consistent results, but it can be harmful to health.

Possible harm and contraindications of fresh cucumbers

Here is, it would seem, the most harmless low-calorie vegetable, but its use has some limits:

• Cucumbers grown with the use of pesticides cause poisoning, damage to the digestive system, liver, and kidneys.
• With renal pathologies, the daily rate of green tea is strictly limited.
• Inappropriate eating of a cucumber can cause stomach overflow and colic.
• Limit the rate of the vegetable with the existing high acidity.
• Zelens are eaten with caution for ulcers and gastritis.
• With inflammation of the intestines, the dosage of cucumbers is determined by the doctor, since the vegetable increases acidity, which negatively affects the inflamed areas.

Harm

Any product in excess can harm the body, a cucumber is no exception and you do not need to abuse them, especially in winter (a vegetable at this time of the year is grown in greenhouses using chemical growth stimulants, nitrates and other harmful substances). There are many known cases of greenhouse cucumber poisoning in the winter-spring period.

As for canned, pickled and pickled cucumbers, it is recommended to use them with caution for patients with liver and stomach diseases - they can intensify these diseases.