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Most of us don’t think much about cucumbers. They taste good and make a nice addition to a salad or even a sandwich, but are they important? You bet they are – or can be!
Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins and minerals you need each day: Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. So as an addition to your diet, they should be much more than an afterthought.
Because they’re high in potassium, they can be a real blessing to those who suffer from leg cramps and other potassium-deficiency related ills.
In addition, because of the fiber and carbohydrate, cucumbers can be an effective antidote to reaching for a candy bar or a sugary soda when the afternoon munchies hit. Due to their low calorie content, it’s safe to chow down on a whole cucumber – or even a couple – without fear of weight-gain. A small cucumber (about 6″ long) contains only 19 calories.
Compare that to a 1 1/2 oz. Hershey Milk Chocolate bar weighing in at 230 calories!
Just think, you could eat a dozen cucumbers for the “price” of one candy bar.
Not only will the cucumber help your hunger pangs disappear, the B Vitamins will give a natural boost to your energy level. It’s a win-win situation.
But the value of a cucumber doesn’t stop there.
Cut one up and put it in boiling water for a refreshing, stress-reducing facial. Hold a slice on the roof or your mouth for 30 seconds to chase away bad breath, and eat several slices after a night on the town to reduce the chance of a morning headache.
Cucumbers can also come to your aid if you’re an organic gardener. If grubs and slugs are getting into your garden, place a few slices in small aluminum pie tins and place them between your plantings to chase away the pests. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent that’s undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
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Source by M. G. Cliff
