Cucumbers Health Benefits
· Prevention of cancer
Cucumbers have two phytonutrient compounds that associate anti-cancer aspects (cucurbitacins and lignans). pharmaceutical companies have invested loads in researching on cucurbitacins in an attempt to make use of them in new cancer medicine. at 2010, the Scientific World Journal published that cucurbitacins help to block signaling pathways; that is essential for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells.
at 2009, a study was published in the Journal of Cancer Research, showed that when cucurbitacin B subjects to human pancreatic cancer cells, it inhibits the growth of the pancreatic cancer cells by over 50% as well as increased the apoptosis of the pancreatic cancer cells.
According to World’s Healthiest Foods, lignans work with bacteria in the digestive tract to work against cancer. The bacteria are responsible for the conversion of the lignans into compounds that can clutch onto estrogen receptors and possibly help to reduce the risk of exposure to estrogen-related cancers (ovarian, breast, endometrial, and prostate cancers). However, the research did not conclude that lignans can assert anti-cancer benefits.
Back in 2009, a published meta-analysis found little, or no association at all, beneficial aspects that lignans’ intake hold in the reduction of the risk of breast cancer. Similarly, most of the studies that have been conducted to find the correlations between lignans’ intake and reduced prostate cancer risk found no correlations.
On the other hand, a study on 800 American women by the Journal of Nutrition found that those with the highest lignan intake had the lowest risk of contracting ovarian cancer. Furthermore, the Journal of the National Cancer Institute undertook research in San Francisco on 1,000 women and found out that those that were postmenopausal, and with highest lignan intake, had the least risk of contracting endometrial cancer.
· Hydration
As cucumbers are 95% water, they are a good option for keeping hydrated especially during summer. A full-cup of slices, or chops, of cucumbers, is equal to a glass full of water.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the cucumbers’ anti-inflammatory compounds help to reduce skin irritation and to remove waste from the body. Also, preliminary studies conducted suggest that cucumbers have a reduction effect on wrinkling, as well as aging.
· Skin benefits
You probably have come across, or seen, people chilling out in spas with cucumber slices placed over their eyes. It turns out there is some scientific explanation to the pampering ritual. When topically used, cucumbers have a soothing and cooling effect that can decrease irritation, swelling and even inflammation.
Placing the cucumber slices over the eyes can reduce morning puffiness of the eyes and can be used to alleviate or treat sunburns when placed over the affected areas in the body. In essence, a healthy, and steady, veggie-intake associates a healthy complexion in general.
· Enhances bone health
vitamin K is very essential for bones. a cup-full of cucumber slices constitutes about 19% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and also reduce fracture rates, as well as the ability to work in conjunction with vitamin D to have positive impacts on bone density, as well as on the body’s calcium balance.
The human body makes use of vitamin K for building bones and the subsequent effects are essential for women. In 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study that showed that low vitamin k intakes, among the middle-aged women, associated the risk of hip fractures. Surprisingly, most of the middle-aged women sourced the vitamin K from eating lettuce, concluding that a steady dietary consumption of vitamin K through eating veggies can be beneficial to your bone health. On the other hand, the effects of vitamin K on bone health become more apparent as they age.
According to a study conducted back in 2000, both the elderly men and women who had steady consumption of vitamin K had a feel of reduced risk of hip fracture.
· Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
Cucumbers are an essential source of antioxidant aspects (vitamin C, manganese, and beta-carotene). Also, the cucumbers’ flavonoid antioxidants (quercetin, luteolin, apigenin, and kaempferol) have beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. In animal studies that have been conducted over the recent years, cucumbers’ fresh extracts have been depicted to avail specific antioxidant benefits;
· Improved overall antioxidant capacity
· Increased scavenging of free radicals
Free radicals associate a diverse range of human diseases and antioxidants help to keep them in check.
· Reduce unwanted inflammation
In accomplishing this task, cucumbers inhibit processes of pro-inflammatory enzymes such as COX 2, as well as prevent the overproduction of nitric oxide; for the situations where it could increase the likelihood of excess inflammation.
· Improves heart health
Eating a variety of veggies associates the reduced risk of a variety of health conditions; diabetes, stroke, heart disease, as well as obesity. Cucumbers are high in potassium content, and a full cup of cucumber chops constitutes about 4% of the daily potassium intake that the body needs. However, unlike most high-potassium foods such as bananas that have a substantial calories count, cucumbers have a low calories count.
According to the American Heart Association, potassium is an essential part of heart health.
In a study conducted on about 12,000 adults and published in Archives of Internal Medicineassociated the potassium to lowering blood pressure; which is brought about by vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels). The study showed that the adults that consumed a daily potassium intake of 4,069 mg had their cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease risk lowered by 37% and 49% as compared to those that consumed a daily potassium intake of 1,793 mg.
According to the Harvard School of public Health, cucumbers contain vitamin K that is essential for the overall blood clotting process.
Nutritional Value
Cucumbers are rich in phytonutrients that are health-supportive. These phytonutrients include:
· Lignans: – lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and Seco iso lariciresinol
· Flavonoids: – luteolin, kaempferol, apigenin, and quercetin
· Triterpenes: – cucurbitacins A, B, C, and D
Additionally, cucumbers are a good source of molybdenum, pantothenic acid, and vitamin K. Also, you can source manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B-1, copper, potassium, phosphorous, and biotin. Cucumbers constitute the mineral silica that helps to uphold the health of the nails.
Cucumber Concerns
· Wax Coatings
The synthetic waxes to be used on the conventionally grown cucumbers can constitute unwanted chemical contaminants. Also, the addition of compounds such as milk casein, ethyl alcohol, and soaps to the synthetic waxes is for consistency purposes as well as eased flow of the wax on to the cucumbers. In the case that you find all this unappealing, merely settle for the organically grown cucumbers.