Cucumbers do so much more than keep you cool. Here’s why they are great for you…
Cucumber is a versatile ever available vegetable and brings with it a host of super nutrients, plus its available through the year, but there’s no better time to enjoy cucumbers than in summer. In Hindi cucumbers are called kakdi or kheera. A variety of kheera comes from the city of Pune, thus the name Puneri or Poona Kheera. Another popular type of cucumber is a cooking variety called Dosakai. It is a yellow/orange cucumber popular in Andhra Pradesh. Dosakai is generally spherical in shape. It is commonly cooked as curry, added in sambar or soup, dal and also in making pickle and chutney.
Cucumbers are refreshing, juicy members of the gourd family. Because of its easy availability, they are used in throughout-the-year dishes and salads around the world. Cucumbers thrive in warm temperatures. Their mild flavour makes them a simple and easy addition to any food, which make them an easy way to add bulk to smaller meals.
Would you believe that cucumbers are technically considered berries, not vegetables? However, their green skin still offers some significant health benefits, as does the rest of the cucumber.
Great health benefits
The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in cucumber provide significant health benefits. For example, cucumber skin is full of beta-carotene, which is part of the reason for its rich green colour. The carotene family of pigments are important provitamins Your body can convert beta-carotenes into vitamin A, which is a critical vitamin for keeping your eyes and skin healthy. They help in good bone density and can help prevent fractures especially in women, due to their high level of vitamin K.
Other health benefits of cucumber include:
May help in weight management
Cucumber is a super low-calorie food. An entire cucumber, generally defined as being 8.25 inches long or 300 grams, only has 45 calories. Cucumbers are more than 96% water, so they’re filling and nutritious but not calorie-dense. This high-water, low-calorie combination is great for weight management. Studies have shown that eating foods with low energy density, or few calories per gram, is connected with weight loss in people who are obese. Cucumbers are the very definition of a food with a low energy density, so adding them to your diet may help you maintain or reduce your weight.
Rich in antioxidants
Cucumbers are full of nutrients that act as antioxidants. These antioxidants may have particularly powerful effects, according to some studies. One such study tested the power of cucumber powder and found that adding cucumber to the diet significantly increases the amount of antioxidant activity in the body. While more studies should be done, cucumber root is a safe way to get more dietary antioxidants easily.
May reduce you blood sugar levels
Finally, cucumbers are low in carbohydrates, so they can be a good option for people with elevated blood sugar levels. Early trials suggest that cucumber is one of the most effective plants for not only reducing blood sugar levels but also lowering the risk of hypoglycaemia during a blood sugar drop. For people with diabetes, cucumber may be a helpful addition to their diet to moderate blood sugar levels more effectively.
Help swellings by soothing
Cucumbers have a cooling and soothing effect that decreases swelling, irritation and inflammation when used topically. Refrigerate some grated cucumber, sandwich the pulp in between two damp cotton pads soaked in aloe vera, and this can be placed on the eyes can decrease morning puffiness or to alleviate and treat sunburn when placed on the affected areas.
Caution: Some people are known to have allergies to cucumber and aloe vera, so do a test and be sure before placing them on your eyes or anywhere else.
Nutrition
Not enough can be said about the huge benefits of consuming cucumber regularly. Cucumbers are full of antioxidants, particularly in their skin. These compounds help your body process and helps reduce free radicals which lowers your risk of health conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease.
Cucumber is also rich in the mineral potassium. This mineral helps your nerves fire, your cells communicate, your muscles contract, and your kidney’s function. Without enough potassium, you may start to notice problems with your blood pressure and heart function.
In addition to antioxidants and potassium, cucumber is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals:
- Beta – carotene
- Vitamin K
- Potassium
- Folate
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Choline
Nutrients per Serving
A 1/2-cup serving of cucumber contains:
Calories: 8
Protein: Less than 1 gram
Fat: Less than 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 2 grams
Fibre: Less than 1 gram
Sugar: Less 1 gram
Portion Sizes
Because cucumber is so low in calories, it’s hard to eat too much when it comes to weight management. However, eating too much of anything can cause discomfort. Eating large amounts of cucumber in one sitting may lead to stomach pain or distress. In general, it’s best to eat a few ounces of cucumber at a time to prevent stomach discomfort.
How to Prepare Cucumber
Cucumber is a versatile food. It’s easily found in markets, grocery stores around the country all year long.
Cucumbers are most frequently eaten raw. Their high-water content can cause strange results when they are incorporated into cooked dishes. Though having said this, I have a Goan friend who makes a delicious Portuguese style curry with grated cucumber. And the sumptuous Vellarikka pachadi from Kerala uses cucumbers in a coconut- yogurt gravy.
Here are a few ways to incorporate this refreshing plant into your diet.
- Sprinkle sliced cucumbers with salt and pepper and paprika as a snack
- Slice it long to accompany dips like tzatziki, hummus etc
- Add cucumber slices, lemon and mint to water and sip through the day
- Include cucumbers in salads
- Make your own pickles
- Add cucumbers to sandwiches lined with fresh green chutney
- Make a raita and temper (tadka) it with curry patta, mustard seeds rai, ginger, green chillies and kothmir
- Add diced cucumber into green smoothies for that added zing to aid weight management
Here’s my favourite recipe with cucumber. It’s a Mangalorean (healthy) absolutely scrumptious sweet dish, and my skilled chef Maggie insists we wait for the long dark green cucumbers, available only in August, as they are the perfect ones for this sweet. But I’ve heard you can make this cake with any cucumber. I found this particular version of the recipe on YouTube. And don’t forget to line the baking/ steaming tray with banana leaves!
Thoushyachen Mandas l Steamed cucumber rice cake l Thekkare gatti l Southekayi gatti –
