If you’re getting ready to plan your garden for the year, you might want to include cucumbers.
This wonder-vegetable is much more than just water in cucumber skin.
In fact, there are many benefits of cucumbers. They can promote heart health, reduce plaque formation, relieve bloating, and help fight and reduce the risk of cancer.
Here are 5 Proven Benefits of Cucumbers and a Keto Zone Cucumber Salad for Spring and Summer.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Place cucumbers in small glass or plastic bowl. Place remaining ingredients (except dill/parsley) in a tightly covered container. Shake well until erythritol is dissolved.
Pour liquid over cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate 3 or more hours. Serves 4.
Nutrition Info: 23 calories, 4 gm net carbs (5 gm carbs, 2 gm fiber), 0 gm fat, 1 gm protein
Have you always thought of cucumbers as little more than roughage and water? It’s no wonder, an entire cucumber boosts only 45 calories (1). However, there’s more to a cucumber.
In fact, you may be surprised to learn that cucumbers offer a lot of health benefits. Here are 5 Proven Benefits of Cucumbers.
Cucumbers have unique polyphenols called lignans. Lignans are health-benefiting fibers that have been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers in research again and again (2).
Cucumbers contain extracts with powerful antioxidant effects. The antioxidants in fresh cucumber extracts help scavenge free radicals, help reduce oxidative stress, and reduce the formation of plaques in artery walls. Some of its powerful antioxidant include vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganese.
In lab studies, cucumber extract have shown promise in reducing endothelial inflammation. Endothelial cells are located in the walls of blood vessels. These anti-inflammatories may also inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes. Reducing any endothelial inflammation is important to heart health and anti-cancer efforts (3).
What are curcurbitacins? The compounds are triterpene phytonutrients that have been sown to inhibit anti-cancer properties. In addition to the anti-cancer lignans, curcurbitacins my disrupt cancer cell signaling pathways (4).
Fresh cucumber has gentle diuretic effects, which help reduce bloating and fullness that can occur during hot summer months, or after eating high sodium foods. Since cucumbers have a high water content, they encourage the body to produce more urine to remove extra toxins.
In addition to the nutrition-punch from cucumbers, you’ll also get a healthy dose of raw apple cider vinegar in our Keto Zone Cucumber Salad.
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar offers:
Read more about Apple Cider Vinegar here.
Cucumbers are a fresh, cool, and healthy vegetable that’s perfect for Keto Zone eating. As spring and summer roll around, you’ll want to make this delicious cucumber salad. Not only does it taste great, but it offers tons of health-promoting nutrients.