Health & Beauty. delivery number 30: THE CUCUMBER.

Thank you for visiting my blog and Continuing with the series of properties and benefits of fruits and vegetables, today I bring you information about:

Cucumbers belong to the family of cucurbits. From a botanical point of view, the cucumber is actually a fruit that is closely related to the melon. Despite this, most people continue to consider vegetables such as tomatoes and courgettes.

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Hydration:

Cucumber is composed mainly of water and contains important electrolytes. Your intake can help prevent dehydration during the summer months. Good hydration is important in many aspects, such as keeping the bowel healthy, preventing constipation and kidney stones.

Depurative:

Cucumber is very rich in water and for this reason it has purifying and refreshing properties that can benefit the kidneys.

Glycemic control:

Cucumber, as well as squash, melon, and other vegetables, contain some compounds called curcubins that, according to studies, have antiglycemic properties. According to the researchers, these substances stimulate the release of insulin and regulate the metabolism of a key hormone in the treatment of blood sugar.

Antioxidants:

Antioxidants are very important compounds for our health. In fact, its activity contrasts with that of free radicals and, therefore, reduces oxidative stress. The oxidative stress induced by free radicals is responsible for heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases. Cucumbers contain tannins and flavonoids, these two compounds are very effective in counteracting the activity of free radicals.

Anticarcinogenic:

These fruits contain two phytonutrients to which are attributed antitumor properties, lignans and cucurbitacin, cucurbits can help block communication channels of cancer cells. In some studies it was found that these compounds can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells through death by apoptosis.

Kidneys:

The consumption of cucumbers decreases the level of uric acid in the body and therefore helps to keep the kidneys healthy.

Reduce the cholesterol:

Cucumbers have sterols, a substance that reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Cardiovascular health:

People who consume more fiber prevent the accumulation of cholesterol and therefore cardiovascular problems. Cucumbers are a good source of fiber, as well as potassium and magnesium, two beneficial minerals for the heart, in addition, cucurbits in cucumbers can help prevent arteriosclerosis.

Febrifuge:

The intake of cucumbers has also been shown to be useful in cases of fever, colds and disorders related to cooling in general.

Anthelmintic:

Its seeds have revealed true vermifuge properties, especially tapeworm.

Fiber food:

The shell of cucumbers is rich in dietary fiber that helps prevent constipation and eliminate harmful compounds from the intestine.

Digestive properties

They are an excellent reinforcement element for the intestinal mucosa. They clean the intestines and therefore facilitate digestion. However, in some cases the cucumber is not well tolerated by everyone.

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Weightloss:

Cucumber has few calories and a high water content, therefore it is useful to lose weight. The consumption of foods with a low caloric content and a high water content is associated with weight loss.

Protect the eyes:

You can use cucumbers instead of eye drops in case of swelling, fatigue and redness, just place a couple of slices of raw cucumber in your eyes for an immediate benefit. This remedy can also be applied in cases of conjunctivitis and bags under the eyes.

Benefits for the skin:

Thanks to the abundance of water, natural fats and vitamin E, cucumbers are one of the best natural remedies for external use and skin care. The application of cucumber pulp to the skin increases its softness and hydration. It is a good remedy to use after a long exposure to sunlight.

Cucumber contains substances that can mitigate and fight skin infections. For this reason, it is often used for the production of beauty masks.

Dermatologists recommend the use of cucumbers even in the case of burns due to exposure to sunlight. For this purpose, it is sufficient to use the cucumber peel that many people do not like to eat.

If used consistently, it appears that the application of cucumber pulp on the face can delay the appearance of wrinkles. With the cucumber pulp you get refreshing masks. With the seeds, firming masks are prepared, while the juice is used to make soothing compresses on particularly irritating skins.

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Cucumbers can be eaten with or without their skins. It can be eaten raw in salads and even as a snack to cleanse the palate after a meal.

The tartaric acid present in cucumber plays an important role in the metabolism of the human body. However, this acid is destroyed by the heat of cooking and for this reason it is essential to eat raw cucumbers.

As the digestion of raw cucumbers is difficult in most cases, there are those who recommend cutting them into slices and putting them in salt a few hours before consuming them to avoid this inconvenience.

I hope you like this initiative ... you can make suggestions and propose fruits and vegetables for the next delivery.

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