Nothing feels better than having Cucumbers on a sweltering hot summer day. They are nutritious with a high-water content and therefore provide a calming feel. They can not only help relieve dehydration but also aid digestion. They’re enriched with antioxidants and reduce the risk of many diseases. They’re a rich source of vitamins and minerals and are low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
Cucumber water offers innumerable health benefits that include keeping you hydrated, aiding with weight loss, preventing oxidative damage, and possibly helping to prevent cancer.
You can enjoy Cucumbers in a variety of ways- salads, pickles, or even cucumber water. Cucumber water isn’t just for spas anymore. You can easily make this refreshing infused drink at home and just one sip of it would take you back to a poolside vacation. You just need to add thinly sliced cucumber into chilled water and let it rest for sometime so that the taste gets infused. Further, you may add some add-ons like lime, fresh herbs-mint or basil etc to further enhance the flavour. Here, we have listed seven ways cucumber water benefits your body.
It keeps you hydrated.
The human body can’t function properly without water and therefore, one must aim to drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day to stay hydrated properly .And when we’re supposed to drink water throughout the day, plain water sometimes, tends to get boring. Hence, adding cucumbers would not only give it some extra flavor and goodness, but would also encourage you to drink more.
2. It helps with weight loss.
When trying to lose weight, replacing sugary sodas, sports drinks, and juices with cucumber water can help you cut some serious calories from your diet. It not only is enriched with nutrients but also tastes great. Sometimes your body confuses thirst with hunger. You may feel like you’re hungry, when you’re actually just thirsty. How will you know the difference? Reach for a tall glass of cucumber water first. If your hunger goes away after finishing the drink, you were thirsty. If you’re still hungry, then you know it’s hunger.
Therefore, staying hydrated can help you feel full and avoid unnecessary snacking.
3. It is a store house of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances that help prevent and delay cell damage from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to chronic conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, eye degeneration or even cancer. Research has shown that antioxidants may be able to reverse or stop this damage. This is why you should consume more fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants. Cucumbers fall into this category and are rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, manganese, molybdenum and several flavonoid antioxidants.
4. It may help prevent cancer.
Cucumbers may help fight cancer, according to preliminary research study. Cucumbers, in addition to antioxidants, include cucurbitacins and a group of nutrients known as lignans, which may play a role in cancer prevention. According to one research published in the Journal of Cancer Research, the dietary flavonoid fisetin, which is present in cucumbers, may aid to inhibit the spread of prostate cancer
5. It lowers your blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a growing issue worldwide. One contributing factor to high blood pressure is having too much salt (sodium) and too little potassium in your diet. The excess salt causes your body to hold fluids, which raises blood pressure. Potassium is an electrolyte that helps regulate the amount of sodium retained by the kidneys. Cucumbers are a good source of potassium. Drinking cucumber infused water helps your body get more potassium, potentially helping to lower your blood pressure.
6. It supports healthy skin.
Cucumber water can help soothe your skin from the inside out. Staying hydrated helps your body to flush out toxins and maintain a healthy complexion. Cucumbers are also high in pantothenic acid or vitamin B-5, which has been used to treat acne. One cup of sliced cucumbers has about 5 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin B-5.
7. It boosts bone health.
Cucumbers are high in vitamin K. In fact, one cup of sliced cucumbers has about 19 percent of the recommended daily value. Your body needs vitamin K to help form proteins that are needed to make healthy bones and tissues as well as to help your blood clot properly. What better way to get this vitamin than through refreshing cucumber water?
Hence, cucumbers are not just delicious but also have miraculous health benefits. Consumption of cucumbers in the form of infused water further hydrates you and gives you a boost in energy. Replacing unhealthy and sugar filled beverages with this alternative can be a start towards embracing a healthier lifestyle.