Cucumber
Is cucumber as cool as we claim it to be?
The cucumber is a plant of the gourd family. Despite the nutritional value of cucumber being low, the fruit's delicate flavour makes it a popular option for salads and other relishes.
What is cucumber water?
Cucumber water is water that has been infused with the flavour of fresh cucumber or other ingredients. Cucumber water is a popular refreshing drink around the world with various pet names like infused water, flavoured water, detox water, weight loss water, and so on.
As the fruit is low in calories, cucumber water is also low in calories and mimics a similar flavour.
Before we understand how cucumber water helps people detoxify and lose weight, we need to be more clear on the concept of detox.
Detoxification
Detoxification or detox is a popular word that implies adopting a specific diet or using various products that claim to get rid of the body's toxins.
Our body is naturally equipped to eliminate toxins and does not require special diets or supplements. However, a person can enhance the body's natural detoxification system.
Misconceptions about detoxing
Usually, when people follow a detox diet, they believe it would eliminate the toxins from the body to improve health and promote weight loss. Specific food like laxatives, vitamins, minerals, detox tea and other foods are included in the diet believing that they have detoxing properties.
Detox supplements generally include pollutants or other chemicals, heavy metals, or processed food that can harm a person. Detox drinks specifies that it can help the body remove toxins and improve its mechanisms of removing them.
However, little evidence supports the use of these diets or supplements for toxin elimination or weight loss is backed by science.
For quick understanding, detox diets do not do anything the body can't do naturally, however, they can optimise the body's natural detoxification system and enhance the process of flushing out harmful toxins from the body.
Cucumber detox water for weight loss
Cucumber water can make people feel healthy and refreshed. Some of the ways in which cucumber water can benefit the body are as follows.
Hydration
Our body, more than 70%, Consists of water. It can't function properly without enough water. Most people fail to consume enough water every day. Cucumber is a fruit that consists mostly of water. More than 90% of cucumber is water. Adding cucumber to the regular water we drink can give it a burst of flavour and make it refreshing, encouraging us to drink more.
Weight loss assistance
Calorie deficit should be the prime objective of a person looking to lose a few kilos. When a person is trying to lose weight, replacing unhealthy consumables like sodas, sports drinks or fruit juices with cucumber water can help them cut many calories from their diet.
Staying hydrated can also help a person feel good, as our body can be confused between hunger and thirst. Reaching out for a tall glass of cucumber water before consuming food will help a person differentiate between thirst and hunger.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules help prevent damage from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Oxidative stress can lead to major health conditions like Diabetes, cancer, eye degeneration and heart diseases.
Research shows that antioxidants can help prevent damage and keep a person healthy. Including fruits and vegetables in the diet can benefit the body by providing adequate antioxidants.
Cucumber also falls into this category as they offer vitamins C, beta-carotene, manganese and other beneficial antioxidants for the body.
Prevent cancer
Some research suggests that cucumber can help fight against cancer due to the presence of antioxidants and other essential compounds and groups of nutrients that have a role in protecting our body cells. However, more research is required to prove how effective these companies are against cancerous cells.
Helps lower the blood pressure
An important contributing factor to high blood pressure is consuming too much sodium and not consuming enough potassium in the diet. The excess salt in the body can increase blood pressure. Potassium is an electrolyte that will help the body to regulate the amount of sodium retained by the kidneys.
Cucumber is a fine source of potassium that can help the body keep blood pressure at an optimal level.
Skin health
Cucumber water can help the skin from the inside and out. Hydration is an essential factor in improving skin health. Staying hydrated can help the body flush toxins and maintain a healthy complexion.
Moreover, cucumber is packed with pantothenic acid. This acid helps to treat acne. One cup of cucumber can provide up to 5% of the daily required value of vitamin B5.
Improve bone health
Cucumbers are also packed with vitamin K. One cup of cucumber can provide approximately 20% of the recommended daily value of vitamin K.
The body requires vitamin K to help form protein that is essential to make bones and tissues. Vitamin K is also needed for the body to help the blood clot properly.
Drinking cucumber water can make it easy for a person to get adequate vitamin K through natural sources.
Preparation of cucumber water
Cucumber water is prepared in various ways depending on the available ingredients. To make the cucumber water recipe, cucumber, lemon, mint can be sliced and added directly to water to make cucumber water.
Strain the mixture and squeeze a lemon for additional health benefits.
To sum up
Cucumber water offers many potential health benefits like hydration, lower blood pressure, weight loss, and skin health.
This healthy drink can be a fine substitute for other popular vitamin water that are added with sugar, causing health hazards. Cucumber water is a quick and flavourful way to enjoy the water along with receiving the benefits of cucumber.
Perhaps cucumber is as cool as we claim it to be.
