Cucumbers are truly a fruit, despite the common misconception that they are vegetables. They emerge from the ovaries of flowering plants and carry seeds. Cucumbers belong to the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, which also includes melons and squash.
These vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients, as well as having hydrating qualities.
Cucumis sativus, or garden cucumber, is the most popular variety of slicing cucumber that can be purchased at a grocery store, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.
Cucumbers are available in hundreds of different colors and varieties, but Cornell University’s Growing Guide categorizes edible cucumbers as either slicing or pickled. Cucumbers for pickling are meant to be preserved in brine jars, whilst cucumbers for slicing are grown for fresh consumption. Compared to pickled cucumbers, slicing cucumbers often have broader, thicker skins.
According to World’s Healthiest Foods, flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes—plant molecules with protective or disease-preventive qualities—have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. Cucumbers are a good source of these compounds.
Therefore, it is imperative that we look for foods that are high in nutrients and adopt the positive approach of putting foods on your plate rather than avoiding them.
The most nutrient-dense sections of the cucumber are the peel and seeds, according to Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, who is headquartered in Plano, Texas. They are rich in beta-carotene and fiber. “Antioxidants like beta carotene aid in immunity, skin, eyes, and cancer prevention,” the speaker continued.
Inherently low in calories, carbs, sodium, fat, and cholesterol are cucumbers, according to Orlando, Florida-based registered dietitian nutritionist Megan Ware. A cup of cucumbers with their peels contains only 16 calories (15 without). About 4% of your daily potassium, 3% of your daily fiber, and 4% of your daily vitamin C will be obtained. Additionally, according to Ware, they “provide small amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and vitamin A.”