The unique taste of the first cucumbers is incomparable to anything and symbolically indicates the arrival of summer. How much do we know about the benefits of cucumbers, why they are so useful, and maybe not useful for our body. More about this in our material.
The pumpkin family, false berry – this is how botanists call the family, which includes, among other things, watermelons, squash, pumpkins, melons and, of course, our favorite cucumbers! According to scientists, melons and cucumbers have about 95% genetic similarity!
As surprising as it may be, cucumbers are one of the few vegetables whose fruits are usually, and even tastier, eaten unripe, during their growth!
It is generally accepted that cucumbers are a completely useless, albeit tasty, agricultural product. But, as it turns out, everything is far from true. Of course, cucumbers are not rich in vitamins, and the longer the cucumber travels from the garden to the table, the less usefulness it retains. However, it still contains enough usefulness!
Cucumbers have a record low amount of calories – only about 13.5 per 100 grams of weight, which allows you to eat cucumbers even on the strictest diet. Moreover, the more a person wants to reduce their daily calorie intake, the easier it will be for them to do so due to the reduced feeling of hunger, which is facilitated by eating cucumbers during meals.
Cucumbers contain approximately 98-99% water, about one percent fiber, which helps the intestines work. They also contain a large amount of vitamin E and potassium, which helps the heart muscle and kidneys. They also contain significant amounts of some minerals such as iron, phosphorus, chromium, fluorine, zinc and others. A
useful property for a bodybuilder is that cucumber promotes the breakdown of protein foods and its presence in the diet of a bodybuilder is highly desirable. Fresh cucumbers also have a beneficial effect on the gallbladder, heart and kidneys. Due to the mild laxative and diuretic effects, cucumbers can help to some extent get rid of small edemas and fences.
It is also believed that cucumbers can neutralize some acidic compounds, which leads to the prevention of salt deposits in the body.
There is a relationship between the consumption of cucumbers and thyroid diseases. Cucumbers in this sense have a beneficial effect on the body.
However, people suffering from stomach diseases associated with high acidity, such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, may not benefit from it. Cucumber juice additionally increases the acidity of gastric juice, which can cause an exacerbation of these diseases.
Of course, in the spring, everyone wants to quickly taste delicious, crispy cucumbers and your hand just reaches out to the counter in the store, where the first green beauties lie. But do not forget that the first to hit the shelves are usually greenhouse vegetables, growing in unnatural conditions for themselves and often fed with hefty doses of nitrate-containing fertilizers. And this, as you know, does not have a beneficial effect on the body. Therefore, if you do not have your own garden, you should not expect much healing effect from eating the first spring cucumbers. First of all, if you decide to buy such cucumbers, you need to remember how to properly prepare them before eating. Cucumbers need to be peeled from green skin and cut off their ends a few centimeters on both sides. It is in these remote parts that those very nitrates and other substances accumulate most of all, which can cause both allergic reactions and even provoke food poisoning with their large consumption! Remember this!
For children, especially under 3 years old, early cucumbers are highly undesirable and it is worth waiting for later ones, which grow either in home beds or naturally in the fields.
In the summer, when cucumbers are already in abundance, you can enjoy them in any quantity, both adults and children. A traditional dish for quenching thirst and compensating the balance of electrolytes was considered to be eating a cucumber cut lengthwise, lightly sprinkled with table salt. A truly delicious dish on a hot summer day!
Fresh cucumbers will always be a welcome dish on the table of people who care about both their appearance and their health!
Salads from fresh cucumbers find their place in all cuisines of the world! Cucumbers, in addition to eating raw, can be fried, stewed and even used as a filling in pies! Also a very popular dish on our table are cucumbers in salted or soaked forms! Gherkins are ideal for this. Contrary to popular belief, these are not just small unripe cucumbers, but specially bred varieties with a unique bright taste, which is especially evident when pickled.
Cucumbers are very tasty and nutritious to eat with green onions and salad. Finely chop all this, add a hard-boiled egg, a little diced hard salty cheese, season with olive oil and add salt. Slightly chilled salad will decorate any meat or fish dish!
No summer table is complete without the classic cucumber-tomato salad, to which it is delicious to add black bread dried into crackers, diced, a little feta cheese also diced, lightly pepper, salt and season everything with olive oil, of course!
Bon appetit and good health!
