Cucumber
The cucumber is often called the "emerald vegetable" for its beautiful green color. In fact, it is a false berry of a herb belonging to the pumpkin family. Cucumber fruits are eaten unripe.
The ratio of BJU in the product
Source: depositphotos.com How to burn 15 kcal?
| Walking | 4 minutes |
| Jogging | 2 minutes. |
| Swimming | 1 min. |
| A bike | 2 minutes. |
| Aerobics | 3 min. |
| Household chores | 5 minutes. |
The homeland of this culture is not exactly known. Most botanists are inclined to believe that cucumbers originally grew in India, then were brought to China, and from there they spread throughout the world. Nowadays they are grown everywhere.
The benefits of cucumbers
Many people mistakenly believe that cucumber is delicious, but useless from a healthy diet standpoint. In fact, this is far from the case. Yes, fresh cucumbers do not contain very many vitamins, but they contain many other biologically active substances, thanks to which the cucumber can be safely attributed to the category of dietary products.
The calorie content of a cucumber is very low and amounts to only 13.5 kcal per 100.0 g of "emerald vegetable". Therefore, cucumbers can be eaten without any fear by people, even following a very strict diet.
The low calorie content of cucumbers makes this product especially useful in the diet of obese people. Moreover, cucumbers create a feeling of satiety, regulate appetite and improve digestion.
Cucumber composition:
- Less than 0.5% carbohydrates, fats and proteins;
- 98.5% of water, which helps not only to quench thirst, but also cleanses the body of toxic substances;
- Small amount of vitamins C, PP, E and group B;
- 1% fiber, which helps to normalize bowel function.
In addition, cucumbers contain a large amount of iodine and potassium, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Therefore, the benefits of cucumbers for people suffering from diseases of the kidneys, thyroid gland and cardiovascular system can hardly be overestimated. In addition, cucumbers are a source of various minerals - molybdenum, manganese, copper, zinc, fluorine, chromium, cobalt, aluminum, chlorine, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron and sodium. These macro- and microelements are actively involved in various metabolic processes in the human body.
Useful properties of cucumber
It has long been proven that cucumbers contribute to the better assimilation of protein foods and therefore they must be combined with meat and fish dishes. They have a choleretic, laxative and diuretic effect. These properties of cucumbers make them useful in the diet of people suffering from diseases of the kidneys, cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Their regular use in food helps to eliminate constipation and edema. The fiber contained in cucumbers not only normalizes the activity of the intestines, but also helps to eliminate excess cholesterol from it.
One of the most unique properties of cucumber is its ability to neutralize acidic compounds that lead to premature aging of the body and the development of deforming osteoarthritis.
The health benefits of cucumber for hair and skin have long been well known to everyone. Fresh cucumber masks do an excellent job with increased oily skin, fight inflammation and acne, remove age spots and freckles.
It should be remembered that only fresh cucumbers have all of the listed beneficial properties, but not pickled or salted.
Harmful properties of cucumbers
Cucumbers are able to increase the secretion of gastric juice. Therefore, they should not be included in the diet for gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, gastritis with high acidity and reflux esophagitis. Breastfeeding mothers should remember that fresh cucumbers are laxative. If the child has a tendency to constipation, then the inclusion of this vegetable in the mother's diet is justified. In other cases, it is better for nursing mothers to refuse to eat cucumbers.
YouTube video related to the article:
Found a mistake in the text? Select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
