The cucumber is grown worldwide and has tremendous health benefits for us. With each slice of cucumber, the body receives as many vitamins as it needs every day.
A large proportion of this is in the skin, so you should always make sure to eat untreated cucumbers. In addition, cucumbers only have 12 calories per 100 grams, making it an all-round healthy snack.
What you should know about the cucumber
The cucumber season is from April to September - in Germany mainly from mid-June to September.
Its taste has a hearty note - one of the reasons why it is considered a vegetable. In tribal terms, it is actually a berry fruit, as it belongs to the pumpkin family and is therefore also related to the zucchini and watermelon.
There is disagreement about the origin of the cucumber. It is said to originally come from northern India and to have reached northern Europe in the Middle Ages. Another says that the cucumber was grown on the southern slopes of the Himalayas 4,000 years ago. Other opinions are that it came to Europe from Central Africa via Egypt. Today it is now cultivated all over the world, sometimes under glass.
Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, the Netherlands, the USA, Japan and China are today the most important growing areas for "the water bottle of the vegetable garden", as the ancient Romans called the cucumber due to its enormous water content of 97%. They do well in warm and dry summer weather as they are very sensitive to cold. Ideally in a sunny location and on well-drained soil that should not contain a lot of organic material.
The cucumbers develop only from female flowers and for this they have to be fertilized by the male flowers. This work is still done by insects such as bees, but they are increasingly limiting their activity. There are now cultivated forms that no longer require fertilization because they only develop female flowers. Cucumbers do not have a distinctive taste of their own, but they are very refreshing and can develop a wonderful aroma if they are processed with the right additives.
Importance to health
For health, cucumber should be on the menu regularly, because it is a great supplier of vitamins. In addition, the green vegetables provide the body with sufficient fluids, which at the same time helps flush toxins out of the body.
The cucumber is well-known as a skin care product, a slice of cucumber is particularly helpful on puffy eyes. Their anti-inflammatory effects can also be used for sunburns or other skin irritations. The cucumber also contains many phytochemicals that kill bacteria in the mouth, for example, if a slice of cucumber is pressed against the roof of the mouth with the tongue for 30 seconds. At the same time, the secondary plant substances ensure fresh breath.
Right under the peel, the cucumber contains antioxidants that lower or balance blood sugar levels, so they are highly recommended for diabetes. They control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, support the natural defense against cancer and protect against cardiovascular diseases.
As an alkaline food, the cucumber supports the balance of the acid-base balance, which ensures that the body is protected against gout and rheumatism. Their enzymes also ensure that the intestines are cleaned and bacteria in the intestine are killed.
It owes its low number of calories to its high water content. This is particularly beneficial in summer when you tend to drink too little - a piece of cucumber can make up for this wonderfully. Their draining function can also help with swollen feet and legs.
Ingredients & nutritional values
| Nutritional information | Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 16 | Fat content 0.1 g |
| cholesterol 0 mg | sodium 2 mg |
| potassium 147 mg | carbohydrates 3.6 g |
| protein 0.7 g | vitamin C 2.8 mg |
Apart from the high water content, the cucumber still contains about 4% carbohydrates, as well as small amounts of fats and proteins. It contains plenty of minerals such as calcium, manganese, potassium, iron, zinc and magnesium. When it comes to vitamins, the B group is particularly well represented, but cucumber is also rich in vitamin E and vitamin C, which are particularly concentrated in the skin.
Other ingredients are peptidases, which help to break down proteins. These enzymes help protein-containing products to be digested more easily, which is very important for meat and sausage products, for example.
Intolerances & allergies
There are very many people who suffer from food allergies. Unfortunately, the healthy cucumber is not excluded from this. The possible causes of food intolerance are great. Such intolerances often appear as cross-allergies.
This means that with an already existing allergy, such as to pollen, for example, further allergic reactions can occur if substances with a similar protein structure are ingested as with the existing allergy.
In the case of the cucumber, for example, it is the mugwort pollen. It is therefore important, if you are allergic to pollen or house dust, to be aware of such cross-reactions. Cucumbers should always be chewed well because they can sometimes cause digestive problems. Flatulence can occur if people eat carelessly, which is why it is always an advantage to season a cucumber dish with dill, paprika powder or caraway seeds. If you suffer from intolerance, you can make your cucumber dish easy to digest and easy to digest in this way.
But if you have to follow a light gastrointestinal diet, you should avoid cucumber dishes.
Shopping & kitchen tips
You should only buy cucumbers whose skin is nice and dark green and has not already turned yellow. They should also be nice and firm and have no soft spots, as this indicates that they are overripe and spoil quickly.
Cucumbers are best stored at around 12 degrees Celsius because they are very cold-sensitive vegetables. If it is too cold, sunken and watery rot spots quickly appear. If, as an exception, it is stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator for a few days, it must never be stored next to apples or tomatoes. As these foods emit the gas ethylene, the cucumbers quickly turn soft and yellow.
Preparation tips
Especially in the warm months, the cucumber is a delicious refreshment as a salad or cold soup. In winter and autumn, they can be delicious as pickled cucumbers in a jar.
It can also be prepared excellently as a warm soup with fine ingredients such as pieces of salmon, raw vegetables or a salad. Who does not know the popular cucumber salad with cream and dill dressing or vinaigrette?
And after the party you don't need aspirin, a few pieces of cucumber will also help. This is what the electrolytes do with vitamin B and sugar. A detox tip would be a smoothie against the hangover, but cucumber, mint, water and lemon go into the blender - headaches are guaranteed to go away straight away.
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