Cucumbers Make You Look Younger: Health Benefits and Recipes for Cucumbers
81. Cucumbers: Make yourself look younger
Cucumber, also known as green cucumber or gourd, is grown throughout China. It was originally called "gourd" because it was brought back by Zhang Qian during his mission to the Western Regions, and was later renamed "cucumber" by Han dynasty officials. Cucumbers are rich in juice, have hairy stems, and their leaves have 3-5 lobes covered with fine hairs.
Per 100 grams of cucumber contains 0.2 grams of fat, 0.6–0.8 grams of protein, 0.4–0.5 grams of ash, 1.6–2.0 grams of carbohydrates, 29–33 milligrams of phosphorus, 15–19 milligrams of calcium, 0.2–0.3 milligrams of carotene, 0.2–1.1 milligrams of iron, 0.04–0.4 milligrams of riboflavin, 0.02–0.04 milligrams of thiamine, 4–11 milligrams of ascorbic acid, and 0.2–0.3 milligrams of nicotinic acid. In addition, it also contains rhamnose, glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, xyloside, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, various free amino acids, as well as cucumber enzymes, cucurbitacin, and volatile oils.
What are the health benefits of cucumbers?
Anti-aging: Cucumbers are rich in vitamin E, which can help fight aging and prolong life. The cucumber enzyme in cucumbers has strong biological activity, which can enhance the body's metabolism. Applying cucumber juice to the skin can smooth wrinkles and moisturize the skin.
Anti-tumor effects: Cucurbitacin C, found in cucumbers, can enhance the body's immune function and has a certain preventive effect against tumors. Furthermore, this substance can also treat persistent and chronic hepatitis.
Lowering blood sugar: The fructose and glucosides contained in cucumbers do not participate in normal sugar metabolism, so diabetic patients can eat them in moderation.
Preventing alcohol poisoning: The glutamine, arginine, and alanine contained in cucumbers have a good adjuvant therapeutic effect on liver patients, especially those with alcoholic cirrhosis, and also have a good preventive and therapeutic effect on alcohol poisoning.
Brain health and calming effect: The vitamin B₁ in cucumbers can improve the nervous system and brain function, calm the mind and stabilize the spirit, and help treat insomnia.
Weight loss and improved health: The malonic acid in cucumbers has a certain inhibitory effect on the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. In addition, the fiber in cucumbers has a certain effect on lowering cholesterol and promoting the excretion of putrefactive substances in the human intestines, which can strengthen the body.
Cucumber Health Recipes
(1) Seaweed and cucumber soup
Ingredients: 15g seaweed, 150g cucumber, and a suitable amount of dried shrimp.
Instructions: First, wash the cucumber and cut it into diamond-shaped slices. Wash the dried shrimp and seaweed as well. Add clear broth to a pot and bring it to a boil. Then add the dried shrimp, cucumber, soy sauce, and salt. After boiling, skim off any foam, drizzle with sesame oil, add the seaweed, sprinkle with MSG, and mix well.
Efficacy: This soup has the effect of nourishing the kidneys and clearing heat, and is suitable for patients with kidney deficiency and fever.
(2) Sweet and sour cucumber slices
Ingredients: 500g cucumber, appropriate amounts of white vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Instructions: First, wash the cucumber, remove the seeds, and slice it thinly. Then, marinate it with salt for half an hour. Wash away some of the saltiness of the cucumber with cold boiled water, drain the water, and marinate it with vinegar, sugar, and salt for 1 hour.
Efficacy: This dish is sweet and sour, and has the effects of quenching thirst, clearing heat and stimulating appetite. It is suitable for symptoms such as epigastric fullness, greasy mouth, and thirst. It is even better to eat in the summer.
(3) Cucumber and Dandelion Porridge
Ingredients: 30g fresh dandelion, 50g rice, 50g cucumber.
Instructions: First, wash and chop the dandelion, and slice and wash the cucumber. Rinse the rice and put it in a pot with 1000 ml of water to cook porridge. When the porridge is cooked, add the dandelion and cucumber, and cook for a few more minutes before serving.
Efficacy: This porridge has the effects of promoting diuresis and reducing swelling, clearing heat and relieving summer heat. It is suitable for symptoms such as sore throat, excessive heat and toxicity, scanty dark urine, and wind-heat eye diseases.
(4) Cucumber salad with hawthorn juice
Ingredients: 50g white sugar, 30g hawthorn, 5 tender cucumbers.
Instructions: First, remove the ends and peel the core from the cucumber, wash it, and cut it into strips; wash the hawthorn, put it in a pot with 200 ml of water, and boil for about 15 minutes, then extract 100 ml of the juice; put the cucumber strips in a pot with water and cook until tender, then remove them; add white sugar to the hawthorn juice and simmer over low heat until the sugar dissolves, then add the drained cucumber strips and mix well before serving.
Efficacy: This dish has the effects of weight loss, digestion, clearing heat and lowering lipids. It is effective for people with sore throat, high blood pressure and obesity.
Six things to avoid when eating cucumbers
① Do not discard the juice when making fillings; ② Do not eat unclean cucumbers raw; ③ Do not cook at high temperatures or eat after adding alkali; ④ Do not eat too much or too much of this food; ⑤ Do not eat with citrus fruits, bok choy, or cauliflower; ⑥ Do not eat with tomatoes, spinach, or peppers.
Cucumbers can be eaten raw as fruit, but this should not be done in excess. Cucumbers are lacking in vitamins, so it's best to eat them with other vegetables. The tail of the cucumber contains a large amount of cucurbitacin, which has a good preventative effect against cancer, so try not to throw away the entire tail. People with cardiovascular disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, or gastrointestinal problems should not eat pickled cucumbers.