Jessie Szalay, Live Science Contributor
Few foods are as
cool as a cucumber. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional
benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.
There
are hundreds of varieties of cucumber, and they come in dozens of colors, but
the edible types are classified as being for either slicing or pickling, according
to Cornell University’s Growing Guide. Slicing cucumbers are
cultivated to be eaten fresh, while pickling cucumbers are intended for the
brine jar. Slicing cucumbers are usually larger and thicker-skinned than
pickling ones.
In
the United States, commonly planted varieties of slicing cucumber include
Dasher, Conquistador, Slicemaster, Victory, Comet, Burpee Hybrid and Sprint,
according to the World’s Healthiest Foods website. Commonly planted
varieties of pickling cucumber include Royal, Calypso, Pioneer, Bounty, Regal,
Duke and Blitz.
While
most people think of cucumbers as vegetables, they are actually a fruit. They contain seeds and grow from the ovaries
of flowering plants. Cucumbers are members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which also includes squashes and melons. The
most common type of slicing cucumber found in a grocery store is the garden
cucumber, Cucumis
sativus, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.
Nutritional profile
Cucumbers
are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or
disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which
have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits, according to
World’s Healthiest Foods. The peel and seeds are the most nutrient-dense parts
of the cucumber. They contain fiber and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that
is good for eyes, reports Livestrong.com. A study published in the Pakistan Journal of Nutrition found that cucumber seeds
were a good source of minerals, and contained calcium.
“Cucumbers
are naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat and cholesterol,”
said Megan Ware,
a registered dietitian nutritionist in Orlando, Florida. There are just 16
calories in a cup of cucumber with its peel (15 without). You will get about 4
percent of your daily potassium, 3 percent of your daily fiber and 4 percent of
your daily vitamin C. They also “provide small amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C,
magnesium, potassium, manganese and vitamin A,” Ware said
Here
are the nutrition facts for cucumbers, according to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, which regulates food labeling through the Nutritional Labeling
and Education Act:
Hydration
According
to Ware, “Cucumbers are 95 percent water." This makes cucumbers a great
way to stay hydrated, especially during the summer. A cup of cucumber slices is
“nearly as thirst-quenching as a glass of water,” according to Eating Well magazine.
The
anti-inflammatory compounds in cucumbers help remove waste from the body and reduce skin irritation,
according to the Cleveland Clinic. Preliminary research also suggests
cucumbers promote anti-wrinkling and anti-aging activity, according to
an article in the journal Filoterapia.
Cancer prevention
Cucumbers
contain two phytonutrient compounds associated with anti-cancer benefits:
lignans and cucurbitacins. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have been
paying special attention to cucurbitacins, hoping to use them in new cancer
drugs. According to a 2010 research review published in Scientific World
Journal, scientists have found that cucurbitacins can help block the
signaling pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation and
survival.
Cucurbitacins
can also inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, according to a 2009
study published in the Journal of Cancer Research looked at cucurbitacin B
(which cucumber contains) on human pancreatic cancer cells and found that
cucurbitacin supplements inhibited the growth of seven pancreatic cancer cell
lines by 50 percent, and also increased apoptosis, or "death by
suicide," of pancreatic cancer cells.
According
to World’s Healthiest Foods, lignans may protect against cancer through working
with the bacteria in the digestive tract. The bacteria take the lignans and
convert them into compounds such as enterodiol and enterolactone, which can
bind onto estrogen receptors and possibly reduce the risk of estrogen-related
cancers, such as ovarian, breast, endometrial and prostate cancers. The research
is not yet clear on whether lignans actually assert anti-cancer benefits.
A
2009 meta-analysis published in the British Journal
of Cancer found little or no association between lignan intake
and reduced breast cancer risk. Similarly, most studies have not found
significant correlations between lignan intake and reduced prostate cancer
risk, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University,
though one study of older Scottish men published in the British Journal
of Nutrition showed that consuming an enterolactone-containing
serum reduced the risk of prostate cancer.
On
the other hand, a Journal of Nutrition study of nearly 800 American women
found that those with those with the highest lignan intake had the lowest risk
of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute looked at nearly 1,000 women in the
San Francisco area and found that postmenopausal women with the highest lignan
intakes had the lowest risk of endometrial cancer.
Skin
You’ve
probably seen pictures of people at a spa relaxing with cucumber slices over
their eyes. It turns out there’s science behind this pampering ritual. Ware
explained, “Cucumbers have a cooling and soothing effect that decreases
swelling, irritation and inflammation when used topically. Cucumber slices can
be placed on the eyes can decrease morning puffiness or alleviate and treat
sunburn when placed on the affected areas.” She also noted that high vegetable
intake is associated with a healthy complexion in general.
Bone health
According
to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in the past few
decades, it has become clear that vitamin K is important to bone health, and
one cup of cucumber contains about 19 percent of the recommended daily intake
of vitamin K. One review published in Nutrition noted
that vitamin K intake might reduce fracture rates, work with vitamin D to
increase bone density and positively affect calcium balance.
The
human body uses vitamin K when building bones, and the effects seem to be
especially important for women. A large 2003 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showed that
low vitamin K levels were associated with low bone density in women, but not in
men. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999 found that
low intakes of vitamin K were associated with an increased risk of hip
fractures in middle-age women. This is especially interesting because the women
saw results from eating lettuce, showing that dietary consumption of vitamin K
via eating vegetables (not supplements) is beneficial. When it comes to men,
the affects of vitamin K and bone health may become more apparent as they age:
A 2000 study saw reduced risk of hip fracture among both elderly
women and elderly men who consumed more vitamin K.
Antioxidants
Cucumbers
contain several antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and manganese,
as well as flavonoids, triterpenes and lignans that have anti-inflammatory
properties. Vitamin C is well known for its immune system benefits, and
beta-carotene has been shown to be beneficial for vision, according to
the Mayo Clinic.
According
to a 2010 animal study published in the Journal of Young
Pharmacists, fresh extracts from cucumber showed increased
scavenging of free radicals. Free radicals are associated with a variety of
human diseases, but can sometimes be held in check by antioxidants, according
to the Pharmacognosy Review.
Another
study of cucumber extracts in animals, published in the Archives of
Dermatological Research, found increased overall antioxidant
benefits. Though this study focused on the cosmetic applications of this use of
cucumbers, decreased free radicals can improve your inside organs as well as
your skin.
An
additional study published in Current
Pharmaceutical Design found a positive association between the
triterpene cucurbitacin and reduced inflammation, particularly in cancer cells.
A review of triterpenes on the immune system, published in the Journal of
Ethnopharmacology, suggested that they can help with inflammation
and encouraged future research.
Heart health
“Eating
a variety of fruits and vegetables of all kinds is associated with a reduced
risk for many health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and
obesity,” said Ware. Cucumbers’ potassium content may be especially helpful in
this regard. One cup of sliced cukes contains only about 4 percent of the
body’s daily potassium needs, but it comes with significantly fewer calories
than most high-potassium foods like bananas. Potassium is an essential part of
heart health, according to the American Heart Association. Many studies have linked it with
lower blood pressure because it promotes vasodiliation (widening of the blood
vessels), according to Today’s Dietitian. A study of 12,000 adults, published
in Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that those who consumed
4,069 mg of potassium each day lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease and
ischemic heart disease by 37 percent and 49 percent, respectively, compared to
those who took 1,793 mg per day.
The
vitamin K in cucumbers is also known to be essential in the blood-clotting
process, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Risks of eating cucumbers
There
can be a few risks from eating cukes. Pesticide consumption is one concern.
Ware explained, “The Environmental Working Group produces a list each year of
fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide residue, known as
the Dirty Dozen.
Cucumbers are one of the fruits and vegetables that the Environmental Working
Group has placed on its Dirty Dozen list, meaning the exposure to pesticide
residue is high.”
Additionally,
cucumbers may be waxed to help protect them during shipping. According to
World’s Healthiest Foods, both organic and conventionally grown cukes may be
waxed, but organic ones can only use non-synthetic waxes with chemicals
approved under organic regulations. For this reason and the pesticide concerns,
World’s Healthiest Foods encourages buying organic cucumbers. But Ware
stipulated, “This does not mean you should avoid cucumbers altogether if you
can’t find or afford organic. The nutritional benefit of eating conventionally
grown produce outweighs the risk of not eating produce at all.”
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