Cucumber wonder

What is the one Fruity ingredient you should try and include in all of your juice recipes????  Cucumbers! Technically they are classed as a fruit although you would be forgiven for thinking that they are a vegetable. Cucumbers contain about 96% water so they are ideal for a fresh, cleansing juice.

Cucumber, or to give it it’s Latin name (cucumis sativus) belongs to the same group of plants as melons and squashes, these are known as  Curcubitaceae, they may be found in a variety of colours and shapes, but for the purposes of today’s recipe we’ll stick with the long green variety that you can find in most Supermarkets.

Cucumber benefits general health

Cucumber provides a wide range of health benefits, evidence suggests that a regular intake of Cucumber can help with Skin and Hair care, fighting cancers, Weight loss, Digestion problems, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Gout, Bad breath and many other common health complaints.

Digestion and Anti-Cancer

The whole of the fruit has beneficial properties, If you are eating the whole thing (skin and all) you will get the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fibre, if you prefer to Juice your Cucumber you will still get the soluble fibre which helps nutrients get absorbed through the intestinal tract. One of the most powerful things the cucumber has to offer are plant lignans, these powerful phytoestrogens bind with bacteria in the digestive tract and convert them into enterolignans these Lignans are beneficial for pro and anti-estrogenic effects.

Lignans are capable of binding to estrogen receptors and interfering with the cancer-promoting effects of estrogen on breast tissue. Lignans such as podophyllotoxin are therefore being studied for their possible effects on breast, prostate and colon cancers. Lignans are also good antioxidants, scavenging for free radicals that may play a role in some diseases. Reduced risk of estrogen-related cancers, including cancers of the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate have been associated with intake of dietary lignans from plant foods like cucumber.

Cucumbers are also a rich source of cucurbitacins which block cancer cell development,  we can expect to see much more research on the connections between cucumbers and their anti-cancer properties in the near future.

 

Skin, Hair, and Nails

Cucumber is a powerful tonic for the skin, hair, and nails. Many women know the beauty trick of applying cucumber slices to the eyes. The astringent properties in cucumbers draw out dirt and cleanse the pores, making it a popular ingredient in oily skin or acne care products.

Cucumbers also contain silica, a trace mineral which contributes to strengthening connective tissues, this results in stronger hair and nails. You can get these benefits both by putting cucumber juice on your skin as well as by drinking it.

 

Weight Loss and Inflammation

Because cucumbers contain mostly water they are an excellent food to help cleanse and wash away toxins. Toxins are often stored in fat cells and cause inflammation but beyond just water content cucumbers also supply electrolytes to restore hydration to the body cells and balance the fluid levels in the body, making cucumber an important food to aid in weight loss and other inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

 

Juicing Cucumbers

You can juice cucumber whole with the skin but be sure that if your cucumber is not organic, you wash it thoroughly before juicing. The taste of cucumber juice is so mild it can be mixed with almost any other fruit or vegetable without changing the taste and because they contain so much water you will yield a lot of juice from your cucumbers.

 

Cucumber Juice recipe

4 Carrots
1 Cucumber
1 Stalk celery
1 Apple
1/2 Peeled Lemon