Cucumber Health Benefit & Tips

Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as melons, pumpkins, and winter squash, but they are not as nutritious. One cup of sliced cucumber provides only about 6 mg of vitamin C and smaller amounts of folate and potassium. The skin contains some beta-carotene, but cucumbers are often peeled, especially if they’ve been sprayed with wax to retard spoilage.

In North America, cucumbers are used mostly as a salad ingredient or as pickles. Commercially, they are used mainly to make pickles and relishes; cucumber juice and extracts are found in cosmetic products.

Health Benefit

Helps you lose weight.
Because cucumbers are approximately 95% water, they are very low in calories; a cup of slices contains fewer than 15 calories. Folk healers often recommend cucumbers as a natural diuretic, but any increased urination is probably because of their water content rather than an inherent substance.

Eating Tips
• Stir-fry sliced English cucumber and scallions, season with rice vinegar and chile paste.
• Toss chunks of pickling cucumbers with red onion, lemon juice, and sugar.
• Create a crostini spread of chopped shrimp, cucumber, avocado, and dill.

Buying Tips
• Look for firm cucumbers that have bright-colored skin. Avoid ones with soft spots.
• Cucumbers are available year-round, but summertime is when they look and taste the best.

Storing Tips
• Store cucumbers unpeeled and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Once they have been peeled or cut, consume within 1 to 2 days.

CUCUMBER FACTS
• Cucumbers originated in India.
• The largest cucumber in the world weighed in at 59 lb, or 26.7 kg.
• On a hot sunny day, the interior flesh of cucumbers is around 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.