The health benefits of consuming cucumber

Associate professor of nutrition and public health at Tufts University School of Medicine, Kimberly Dong, said cucumber offers a multitude of benefits for the body. Cucumber is healthy because it is low in calories and rich in water and fibre. According to a broadcast by Channel News Asia on Sunday, she noted that cucumber also has a crunchy texture and a light, refreshing taste, making it suitable to pair with many foods. Another benefit is that cucumber serves as an excellent low-calorie source of hydration. Professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University, Gina Jarman Hill, added that this dispels the notion that cucumber is a negative-calorie food, meaning it contains fewer calories than the body needs to digest it. “There is no such thing as a negative-calorie food, but because the calorie count in cucumber is so low, it is the food that comes closest to that category,” she said. Hill stated that as long as one pays attention to what it is paired with, there is no reason to cut back on cucumber consumption. Fibre helps slow digestion, which keeps blood sugar levels controlled. There is also some limited research in animals and humans showing that consuming cucumber or its extract can benefit insulin levels, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. In a clinical trial published in 2016, for instance, researchers divided 47 patients with slightly elevated cholesterol and triglycerides into two groups. One group consumed daily capsules containing cucumber seed extract and the other took a placebo. After six weeks, the cucumber group showed improvements in blood cholesterol levels compared to the placebo group. Dong said these studies are promising but still preliminary. From a culinary perspective, with its mild flavour and satisfying crunch, cucumber can be an excellent complement to or substitute for many foods. Sliced or chopped cucumber can be a healthier alternative to processed snacks like crisps and crackers, and can serve as a vehicle for fibre-rich nut butters and hummus. Fermented pickles made by soaking cucumbers in brine encourage the growth of good bacteria, potentially offering additional health benefits. Associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at the University of South Florida, Heewon L Gray, added that fermented foods have been linked to reduced inflammation and better gut health. Regular pickles can also be a healthy snack, but they are pasteurised or made with vinegar to inhibit bacterial growth. “You can find fermented pickles in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. They often have labels saying fermented, probiotic, or contain live cultures and do not list vinegar among the ingredients,” Gray said. She cautioned that pickles, whether fermented or not, are salty. One dill pickle spear contains 326 milligrams of sodium, or 14 percent of the recommended daily limit.