Is Cucumber Good For Your Health? See The Good And Ugly Side Of Cucumber

Are you looking for the ultimate vegetable which effect is felt in almost every part of the body? Then Cucumber may be the chose. Cucumber is an exceptional bountiful summertime vegetable with exciting feel. However, you must ask ' Is cucumber good for me? Don't be quick to answer. Why not read this article and see the good and ugly sides of the great cucumber.

Cucumber is an exceptional bountiful summertime vegetable with exciting feel. The cucumber adds crunch and coolness to green salads, pasta salads and tuna sandwiches. Colorful cukes even offer a non-starchy chip alternative on your chips and dip platter. Still yet some people experience side effects after eating cucumbers. Whether it’s itchy skin or embarrassing belching, pinning down what’s causing these unwelcome reactions will tell you whether you need to give up crunchy cucumbers, or simply look for new ways to enjoy them.

Good Side Of Cucumber

• Rehydrate body and replenishes daily vitamins - Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Don't forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.

• Skin and hair care - If you don't like to eat the skin, it can be used for skin irritations and sunburns as aloe would be used. Place a slice over puffy eyes and its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce puffiness. The silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.

• Fight cancers - Cucumber are known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol. These three lignans have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of several cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.

• Relieves bad breath - Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

• Hangover cure - To avoid a morning hangover or headache; eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish many essential nutrients, reducing the intensity of both hangover and headache.

• Aids in weight loss and digestion - Due to its low calorie and high water content, cucumber is an ideal diet for people who are looking for weight loss. The high water content and dietary fiber in cucumbers are very effective in ridding the body of toxins from the digestive system, aiding digestion. Daily consumption of cucumbers can be regarded as a remedy for chronic constipation.

• Cures diabetes, reduces cholesterol and controls blood pressure - Cucumber juice contains a hormone which is needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin which has been found to be beneficial to diabetic patients. Researchers found that a compound called sterols in cucumbers may help reduce cholesterol levels. Cucumbers contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber. These work effectively for regulating blood pressure. This makes cucumbers good for treating both low blood pressure and high blood pressure.

• Promotes joint health, relieves gout and arthritis pain -Cucumber is an excellent source of silica, which is known to help promotes joint health by strengthening the connective tissues. They are also rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, C & D, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. When mixed with carrot juice, they can relieve gout and arthritis pain by lowering the uric acid levels

• Home care - Eliminates a foggy mirror. Before taking a shower, rub a cucumber slice along a mirror and it will eliminate the mirror fogging up. Instead of WD40, take a cucumber slice and rub it along a squeaky hinge and your door will stop squeaking.

Pick Vitamin B up - pick up Cucumbers, a good source of B vitamins. Put down that sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice. But before you do that check out the ugly side of the great cucumber.

Ugly Side Of Cucumber

• Gassy Nature - Traditional cucumbers contain a compound called cucurbitacin, which provokes indigestion in some people. Look for “burpless” varieties in the supermarket. If you grow your own, seek out seed catalogs offering burpless cucumber seeds. Breeders removed cucurbitacin from some varieties of cucumber, resulting in less gas and a less bitter taste. If your can’t find this variety of cucumber, or indigestion continues to be a problem, Drugs.com recommends vegetable or vegetable dishes with a “no gas” reputation, including winter squash, summer squash, carrots and vegetable soup. Other veggies that provoke gassy sensation in some people include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, green peppers, corn and onions.

• Allergies - Swelling or hives around your mouth, throat and tongue commonly occur with oral allergy syndrome. You may also experience itchy skin. If you have an allergy to ragweed, cucumbers may also cause allergic reactions, according to American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology. A phenomenon known as cross-reactivity explains why some people with ragweed pollen also experience allergic symptoms after eating certain foods. Cucumbers fall into the ragweed cross-reactivity group, as do melons, sunflower seeds, chamomile tea and bananas. Cooking the foods usually removes the threat of allergic reactions. Since cucumbers are traditionally served fresh, however, you may find it easier to find another crisp vegetable for your salad, such as raw zucchini.

• The Wax Issue - Some people wonder if the waxy finish found on supermarket cucumbers contains harmful chemicals. The artificial wax coatings replace the natural waxiness on certain vegetable skins, including cucumbers, that are often lost in the handling of field-to-market produce. The system helps cucumbers retain moisture and resist mold growth or bacterial disease in the shipping process. Wax coatings are food-grade and considered safe, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The waxes may be shellac, vegetable, beeswax or petroleum-based. If you have sensitivity to any of those products, cucumber skins could theoretically cause side effects. Scrub or peel the cucumbers before eating, or buy non-waxed cucumbers from farm stands or organic produce dealers.

Sources for this article:

• http://www.gardeningchannel.com/the-health-benefits-of-cucumbers/

• http://www.healthonlinezine.info/15-health-benefits-of-cucumber.html

• http://www.eatingwell.com

• http://www.naturalnews.com/035719_cucumbers_anti-aging_vegetables.html

• http://www.naturalnews.com/036769

• http://www.livestrong.com/article/463677