Kitchen Remedies - Cucumber ( Cucumis Sativus )

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis Sativus and belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and other types of squash. Varieties of cucumber are grown either to be eaten fresh or to be pickled. Those that are to be eaten fresh are commonly called slicing cucumbers. Cucumbers such as gherkins that are specially cultivated to make pickles are oftentimes much smaller than slicing cucumbers.

History Of The Cucumber

The cucumber has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years in Western Asia, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century.

Health Benefits

The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumber'e hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.

The use :

1. To reduce heartburn or sooth acid stomach, drink fresh cucumber juice. The same applies for people suffering from gastritis or ulcer.

2. To reduce swelling and soothe the eyes, place a cucumber slice over closed eyes.

3. Cucumber juice, when taken daily may help to control cases of eczema, arthritis and gout.

4. Cucumber can be used for skin problems because of its diuretic, cooling and cleansing property

5. Another benefit of cucumber is in helping to heal a range of illnesses – including lung, stomach and chest problem, gout, arthritis and tapeworm

6. High Blood Pressure? Cucumber Can Help You Cool Down

When people who participated in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Study added foods high in potassium, magnesium and fiber, their blood pressure dropped to healthier levels. Those people in the study who ate a diet rich in these compounds in addition to the other foods on this diet (low fat dairy foods, seafood, lean meat and poultry) lowered their blood pressure by 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic).