15 Cucumber Juice Benefits
You may be familiar with cucumbers but, in all probability, only as pickles and as a treatment to eliminate water retention from puffy eyes. In this article we look at cucumber juice benefits and read all about cucumber’s nutritive value when they come in the form of juice.
Cucumber is number four on the list of the world’s most widely cultivated vegetable, known as one of the best foods for the body’s overall health. Loaded with vitamins A and C that have antioxidant properties, cucumber also contains folate, manganese, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, and molybdenum.
5 Fun Facts About Cucumbers
This vegetable contains fisetin, the flavonol with anti-inflammatory properties that plays a significant role in brain health, and polyphenols known as lignans that can help to significantly reduce uterine, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Cucumber can inhibit pro-inflammatory enzyme activities and reduce the effects of inflammation.
Cucumbers have high fiber content but are low in calories, two features that make them important in digestive health and weight loss, respectively. With around 96% percent of naturally-distilled water content, cucumber is an ideal food to consume regularly for the body’s hydration.
What is Cucumber Juice Good For?
You can, and should, drink cucumber juice the whole year long to avoid deficiencies in vitamins C, K, and B complex, potassium, manganese, and copper. The health benefits of cucumber juice may actually be even more than most of us can think about. There are plenty of them:
- Acidity neutralizer: the potency of alkalinity in the minerals in cucumber juice makes it an ideal regulator of the body’s blood pH levels. Additionally, cucumberjuice helps soothe duodenal and gastric ulcers.
- Anti-inflammatory: cucumbers counter the effects of uric acid which causes joint inflammation and other inflammatory-related conditions such as gout,rheumatism, asthma, and arthritis.
- Blood pressure regulator: cucumber juice, like celery juice, regulates both high and low blood pressure levels with its high content of potassium, fiber, and magnesium.
- Weight loss aid: cucumber’s unique combination of low calorie-but-high-water content makes it the ideal juice for weight watchers. The water and fiber eliminate toxins from the body and aid in digestion at the same time.
- Stress manager: cucumber contains B-complex vitamins such as B1 (thiamine),B5 (pantothenic acid), and B7 (biotin) which are all known to be effective in managing and balancing stress levels.
- Diuretic agent: cucumber juice is a proven diuretic that can encourage waste matter removal as well as kidney stone dissolution through the process of urination.
- Builder of connective tissues: the silica content in cucumber juice is a big contributor to the correct construction of the body’s connective tissues in the muscles, ligaments, cartilage, tendons, and bones.
- Breath freshener: the phytochemicals in cucumber juice can instantaneously kill existing bacteria in your mouth and freshen up your breath if you gargle with it for around 30 seconds to a minute.
- Glucose level balancer: the carbohydrates in cucumber are easily digested even by diabetics and with a hormone needed by beta cells for insulin production in the pancreas, this vegetable can easily check and balance glucose levels.
- Hair and skin caretaker: the content of sulfur and silicon in cucumber can stimulate hair growth and can prevent splitting of the nails on the toes and fingers.
- Brain health protector: as mentioned earlier, the fisetin in cucumbers has a significant role in brain health, protecting the brain’s nerve cells and memory from declining and preventing learning impairments associated with Alzheimer’s.
- Sunburn cooler: most people don’t know it but cucumber juice is more than just a beverage because it can actually cool and heal sunburn. Just rub some of the affected areas with it for a soothing effect.
- Water retention reducer: the large water percentage content in cucumber supplies the body with essential electrolytes to restore hydration to its cells and reduces water retention.
- Pick-Me-Upper: cucumber, whether you have noticed it or not, has a strong flavor even when it’s immersed in water. Add some cucumber juice in your drinking water to flavor it and obtain its health benefits at no extra cost.
- Hangover cure: drink cucumber juice after a bout of beer, wine or other spirits before going to bed to wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. The electrolytes in cucumber prevent hangovers and their accompanying headaches.
Cucumber Juice Nutrition
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a cup of cucumber juice, equivalent to one cup of other vegetables, must be included in the diets of both men and women in order to reach the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for several nutrients; the former need three cups and the latter need 2.5 cups every day.
There are 3 vital nutrients that are found in cucumber juice:
Vitamin K
To help build strong tissues in the bones and to nourish the kidneys, you need vitamin K. This vitamin helps keep blood clotting function in optimal condition by activating proteins that can trigger coagulation of the blood, meaning you stop bleeding after experiencing tissue damage to gums, bruises, and the nose.
Copper
Cucumber juice, unknown to most people, is a good source for the trace mineral copper which helps regulate neuro transmitters in the brain cells. Copper also helps the body produce red blood cells, strengthen connective tissues, and boost the immune system by protecting cells against damage by free radicals.
Calcium
Vegans will be glad to know that cucumbers are an excellent source of the essential mineral calcium; a deficiency in calcium can hasten bone loss. The calcium in cucumber helps muscles to contract, transmit nerve impulses, maintain hormonal balance, and strengthen not only bones but teeth as well.
Where Can I Buy Cucumber Juice?
If you are asking yourself where to buy cucumber juice, I should stop you right there. What you want to be asking yourself, is HOW can I access the benefits of cucumber/green vegetable juice. Below are 3 options to choose from.
1) You can choose to juice cucumber fresh from your home. All you will need is to buy fresh cucumbers and a juicer. This is the optimal way of absorbing all the goodness of cucumber and take advantage of all its benefits without dealing with preservatives. Visit this page for instructions on how to make cucumber juice.
2) The second option is to use a herbal dietary supplement that contains green vegetable extracts, such as this green powder juice supplement. This is a great alternative for those that don't want to deal with all the fuss of juicing from home but still getting all the benefits that fresh green juice can provide.
3) The third option is to simply buy it at a juice store. Depending where you live, there should be stores around you that may make fresh cucumber juice for you. The only main issue with this is that the juice is usually quite expensive (up to $8-$10 for a small bottle in some cases), and if you plan on drinking it regularly the cost will build up.
As you can see, cucumber juice has almost an endless amount of benefits associated to it. It also combines very well with other fruits and vegetables.
Click here to find out how to make cucumber juice and please feel free to share this article if you found it useful.
