Diet and Nutrition

Cucumber: Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

Cucumber: Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

The cucumber vegetable is light or dark green in color and has a thin, moisture-rich skin. You can cut the cucumber into pieces and eat the slices with a pinch of salt, have the slices in a sandwich, add the cucumber to a salad, or enjoy the cucumber juice in a drink. Cucumbers are a great help for both losing weight and keeping the body hydrated.  

Benefits That Cucumbers Offer

Cucumbers can help in reviving the skin, revitalizing the body, and enhancing the hair. The following is a list of ways that cucumbers can benefit your health. They can: 

  1. Revitalize skin
  2. Reduce skin tanning effects
  3. Minimize puffy eyes
  4. Control sunburn
  5. Rejuvenate skin
  6. Effectively treat pores
  7. Control dark circles
  8. Make hair stronger and longer
  9. Make hair shiny

Skin and Hair Benefits of Cucumber

Instructions on how to use cucumber to revitalize the skin and improve the hair below:

1. Revitalizes Skin

To achieve skin that is healthy and shiny, follow the recommended tips below:

What You Will Need

  • A few slices of cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon of yogurt
  • A few drops of Aloe Vera gel
  • Half teaspoon of honey
  • Half teaspoon of lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Blend cucumber and collect all its pulp.
  2. Mix the ingredients nicely and until it resembles a paste.
  3. Apply the paste on skin and leave for 5 minutes.
  4. Apply another layer of paste and leave it to dry for 15 minutes.
  5. Apply a third layer of paste for an additional 15 minutes.
  6. Apply one layer of the mask on damp skin and leave it on for five minutes.
  7. Slowly wash your face with lukewarm water and let it dry.
  8. Splash your face with cold water for a refreshing feel.

Facial mask pastes that contain honey and cucumber juice help in tightening your skin

How It Revitalizes

Cucumber has a high water content. This water content provides enough fluid for the body to rejuvenate. It is used to provide minerals and water that the body needs to reduce the risk of dehydration. It also helps to improve body temperature; thus, revitalizing the body.

2. Reduces Skin Tanning Effects

Cucumber works as a mild astringent and can easily get rid of a skin tan. It is one of the most common and effective ways to remove a skin tan. Follow the procedure given below:

Instructions

  • Extract the juice of the cucumber by grating the cucumber and filtering it.
  • Slowly apply the juice all over the face and leave it get dry.

Cucumber has a mild bleaching property. This bleaching property can help restore your skin tone and give you a youthful, glowing appearance.  

3. Minimizes Eye Puffiness

Puffy eyes can be reduced instantly by using cucumbers. It cools the eyes and removes puffiness.

During summer, due to the scorching heat, our eyes get puffy and create problems with opening the eyelids. This problem can be removed using cucumber.

What You Will Need

  • Sliced cucumber

Instructions

  1. Lay back in a comfortable position.
  2. Take two pieces of sliced cucumber and place one over each eye.
  3. Leave cucumber slices on eyes for around 15 minutes.

4. Controls Sunburn

Another effective use for cucumber is to help reduce sunburn. It provides enough water to the body to combat sunburn and its potential risks.

What You Will Need

  • Sliced or pureed cucumber which is fresh and watery.

Instructions

For quick relief:

  1. Place chilled slices of cucumber over sunburnt areas of the body.
  2. Flip Slices when the sides that are touching the skin heat up.

For longer lasting relief:

  1. Chill 1 to 2 cucumbers in the freezer.
  2. Blend chilled cucumbers into a paste.
  3. Apply cucumber paste generously on areas affected by sunburn.

5. Rejuvenates Skin

Cucumbers can be used to improve and rejuvenate skin. When used often, cucumber can make the skin softer and shinier.

What You Will Need

  • Cucumber juice
  • Lemon Juice

Instructions

  1. Prepare the cucumber juice and mix it with a few drops of lemon.
  2. Gently rub the juice all over your face.
  3. Let the mixture on your face dry.
  4. Use a wet towel to dry and clean your skin.

6. Effectively Treats Pores

Cucumber is very useful for clearing the open pores of the face. It can also be useful to aid heat bumps on the legs.

It helps to clear out pores that become clogged with dirt and dead skin cells.

What You Will Need

  • Juice extracted from a cucumber.
  • Apple cider vinegar (optional).
  • Tomato pulp (if required).
  • Drops of Aloe Vera gel (if required).

Instructions

  1. Mix the cucumber juice with other ingredients (depending on your requirement).
  2. Apply to face.

By adding the above ingredients, the mixture becomes more effective.

7. Reduces Dark Circles

Using cucumber to reduce dark circles is a common practice. The slices of cucumber help the eyes relax; thus, reducing dark circles.

What You Will Need

  • Slices of cucumber

Or

  • A cotton cloth soaked in cucumber juice.

Instructions

For cucumber slices:

  1. Place one cucumber slice on each eye.
  2. Keep slices on eyes for around 15-20 minutes.

For Cucumber Juice:

  1. Dip a cotton cloth in cucumber juice.
  2. Place cotton cloth over eyes.

8. Makes Hair Stronger and Longer

Drinking cucumber juice daily can help control hair fall. Cucumber juice can also be applied directly to the hair to achieve the same effect.

Cucumber has proteins, like Keratin, which are very useful for promoting healthy hair.

What You Will Need

  • Cucumber juice

Instructions

For Consumption:

  1. Simply drink cucumber juice regularly.

For application:

  1. Apply cucumber juice to hair and scalp.
  2. Leave juice in hair for 1 hour.
  3. Wash hair with shampoo.

9. Makes Hair Shiny

Cucumber juice helps make the hair both silky and shiny. It is most effective for this purpose when applied daily. Consuming cucumbers can also help promote healthy hair and skin.

The high protein content in cucumbers helps make hair shinier.

Why Does Cucumber Works so Well?

Cucumber contains ascorbic acid and caffeic acid; which decrease water retention. It reduces swelling and puffiness around the eyes, makes hair stronger and shinier, and gives skin a glowing appearance. Cucumber also helps in relaxing.

How to Increase Your Intake of Cucumber

There are numerous ways in which you can incorporate cucumber into your daily diet. Here are some examples:

  • Mix cucumbers, tomatoes, and others veggies in a salad.
  • Put cucumber in water with mint leaves.
  • Slice cucumber into thick slices and dip them in your favorite hummus.

Other Benefits of Cucumber

Apart from the benefits previously mentioned, cucumbers possess other health benefits that can be effective against various health threats and diseases. They contain antioxidants and other vitamins that revitalize the body and help reduce the risk of various diseases.

Cancer Prevention

Cucumber is beneficial in the prevention of cancer. It contains two proteins that are considered anti-cancer proteins.

These anti-cancer proteins help prevent the development of cancer cells in the body.

Heart Health

Cucumber is known to help protect against various heart diseases. Cucumbers provide enough fiber content and high water content to maintain a healthy heart. They help to reduce the risk of heart attack and other organ failures.

The high fiber content found in cucumbers also helps reduce cholesterol and fats in the body.

Brain Health and Memory

Cucumbers are great for promoting brain health as well as memory formation among children and other age groups.

The minerals and proteins that cucumbers contain help the brain to combat various diseases.