It is one of the very low calorie vegetables; provide just 15 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation, and offer some protection against colon cancers by eliminating toxic compounds from the gut.
It is a very good source of potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte. 100 g of cucumber provides 147 mg of potassium but only 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte helps bring a reduction in total blood pressure and heart rates by countering effects of sodium.
Cucumber contains unique anti-oxidants in moderate ratios such as ß-carotene and a- carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, zea-xanthin and lutein. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. Their total antioxidant strength, measured in terms of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value), is 214 µmol TE/100 g.
Cucumbers have mild diuretic property, which perhaps attributed to their free-water, and potassium and low sodium content. This helps in checking weight gain and high blood pressure.
They surprisingly have a high amount of vitamin K , provides about 17 µg of this vitamin per 100g. Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone strength by promoting osteotrophic (bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
Keeps kidneys in shape: Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system,keeping the kidneys happy.
Good for diabetics: Patients of diabetes can enjoy cucumber while also reaping its health Benefits, cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
Reduces cholesterol, compound called sterols in cucumber helps reduce bad cholesterol.
Written by: OYEBAMIJI EMMANUEL AANU
NUTRITIONIST
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