Amazing Benefits of Eating Cucumber

Let’s be real here: cucumber just doesn’t have as many fans as other foods. The taste of cucumber can easily overpower other ingredients, so you need to be careful if you put it in a dish by itself. Meanwhile, cucumber is a very acquired taste, so you may not be likely to eat it on its own.

As it turns out, though, most of us need to be eating more cucumber because this food provides a ton of great benefits. Just what kind of benefits are we talking about? Get ready to tweak your diet as we dive into the many surprising benefits of eating cucumber!

Lower your blood sugar

As we get older, it becomes more and more important to keep an eye on our blood sugar levels. If your blood sugar gets too high, there is always the risk of diabetes. On top of that, you risk heart attack, kidney problems, nerve damage, and so much more. There are various medications that can help with blood sugar issues, but some of them come with side effects that are, quite frankly, almost as annoying as the issues they are meant to help with.

Now, cucumbers by themselves won’t replace your medication or the need to consult with your physician, but they might help you naturally lower your blood sugar. A 2010 study found that diabetes-ridden mice who ate cucumber peel experienced lower blood sugar even as most of the diabetes-induced changes reversed themselves. We still need to research more about the effects on humans, but this is a promising sign that eating cucumber can help lower your own blood sugar.

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Hydrate more easily

It’s almost impossible to overstate how important hydration is. Getting more water every day can help you protect your joints, regulate body temperature, and even get a better night’s sleep. However, some people have trouble simply chugging water throughout the day, leaving them to seek other ways of staying hydrated.

Cucumbers may be a partial solution because they are full of water. How full are we talking? Any given cucumber is actually 96 percent water! That makes it one of the healthier things you can possibly eat (more on this later). Moreover, every single bite of a cucumber helps your body get more of the hydration it needs.

Get more antioxidants

Almost all of us need to eat more antioxidants, but the average person doesn’t know exactly why that is. The truth is that antioxidants keep you healthier on almost every level: they foster heart health, give you healthier-looking skin, and even protect against cancer. Fortunately, we can all get more antioxidants by eating more cucumbers!

Previous studies have revealed that consuming cucumber can help increase the amount of antioxidants in your body. The more you have, the better your body will be able to fight off the free radicals that are trying to harm you. By adding more cucumber to your diet, you can improve your health one bite at a time!

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Consume more nutrients

One of the busiest aisles in any pharmacy or grocery store will be the supplement aisle. As we get older, our bodies need more and more very specific nutrients, and it can be difficult to get all of them through diet alone. At the same time, the cost of buying these nutrients adds up, and it can be annoying to remember to take your various supplements.

While you shouldn’t ditch your supplements right away, you may be able to get more of your essential needs by eating more cucumber. That’s because cucumbers are filled with magnesium, potassium, Vitamin K, and even a little Vitamin C. They are also a great source of fiber, making them a low-calorie (only 45 calories!) snack.

Lose weight more easily

Something that almost everyone has in common is that they’d like to lose a few pounds. Sure, this can be accomplished through increased exercise, but real weight loss usually starts in the kitchen with better dietary choices. And you guessed it: cucumbers are a great way to help you meet your weight loss goals.

The reason why is simple: an entire cucumber is only 45 calories, and a single serving is only 16 calories. If you replace some of your salty or sweet snacks with cucumbers, you may see the pounds fall right off. Furthermore, cucumbers are a great addition to things like sandwiches…they add a distinct flavor without adding unwanted calories, all of which help you to fit back in your favorite clothes.

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Improve your digestion

On top of helping you potentially lose weight, eating cucumbers can also help improve your digestion. That’s mostly due to two things we already touched on: cucumbers are high in fiber and absolutely filled with water.

By keeping hydrated even as you increase your fiber intake, you can better ensure regular bowel movements. That can help you avoid painful constipation, and it also helps you stay more consistent with your weight and overall digestive health.