Ever heard of an inexpensive fruit, (mistaken as a vegetable) which is readily available and works wonders for your body both inside and out?

Have it as a salad to accompany a heavy meal or take it around as a snack for your toddler; put it over your eyes to get rid of that tell-tale puffiness or use it to clean a mirror. Could there be a better ‘all-in-one’ natural food to have around your house?

No meal in my house is complete without slices of cucumbers seasoned with a pinch of salt and a dash of lemon juice — be it spicy biryani, ‘roti-salan’ or fast food. My friend boasts of using frozen cucumber slices and rubbing it over her skin after a long day at work to rejuvenate her haggard skin and combat sunburn; a relative carries around a bottle of ‘detox’ water with cucumber slices and mint leaves floating in the bottle to help her lose weight.

Acclaimed as a super food and deemed as one of the oldest and most cultivated plants in the world, this lush green crunchy fruit is chock-full of water (95 per cent) and packed with vitamin B and C, lignans, electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, fibre, silicon and sulphur to mention a few.

Here are just a few reasons why you should be a die-hard cucumber fan:

Rehydrates and detoxifies: Resplendent with water, munching on cucumbers is an ideal way to beat the hunger pangs and keep your body hydrated which will also help flush out the toxins. The water content in cucumber promotes urination and helps the kidneys to function and its regular consumption has even been said to dissolve kidney stones.

Energy on the go: Cucumbers are power packed with vitamins B and C and can energise and stimulate you. Its sugar and electrolytes replenish essential nutrients which can help cure weariness and headaches.

Beauty aid: All those pictures of women reclining on spa chairs with cucumber slices on their eyes are actually spot-on as cucumbers do help to reduce puffiness around the eyes. Research supports that the anti-inflammatory properties in cucumbers reduces skin irritation and has anti wrinkling properties. In fact it nurtures a clear complexion while the silicon and sulfur in cucumbers help to stimulate hair growth.

A natural dentist: Did you forget to carry that pack of mints with you? Is your mouth crying out for a breath-freshener? Try the natural way of placing a cucumber slice and pressing it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds. The phytochemcials in the vegetable will combat the bacteria in your mouth which are causing that foul, after-meal breath. What’s more, munching on a cucumber also increases salivation and can treat gum problems.

Great for the eyes: The green peel and soft seeds are the most nutritional parts of the cucumber which contain fibre and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that is great for the eyes.

Diet food: Nutritionists confirm that cucumbers are naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat and cholesterol and high in water content. This is the reason why those trying to lose weight turn to cucumbers. This coupled with dietary fibre in the cucumber skin cleanses the body of toxins, helps digestion and prevents the malady of constipation.

A healthy heart: If cucumbers are a regular part and parcel of your diet then you can stop worrying about your blood pressure as its Vitamin K, potassium, magnesium and fibre content regulates blood pressure.

Your very own physician: The silica in cucumbers strengthens the joints and connective tissues. Blend it to make a cool juice and it will give you the benefits of a hormone which when given to the pancreas produces insulin working as a boon for diabetic patients.

Warding off cancer: Research also shows that lignans (chemical compounds) present in cucumbers like lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol have reduced the risk of several cancer types, including breast, ovarian, uterine and prostate cancer. Cucurbitacins found in this fruit work to block the signalling pathways that spread cancer cells.

Home maker: Try rubbing a cucumber on a mirror before a steamy shower and you will see that your mirror will not fog up. Cucumber can even silence a squeaky hinge. How about that for being a home maker’s best friend?

You can discover your very own way of relishing and celebrating cucumbers. I love them pickled and wedged in sandwiches or shawarmas. Others like it coupled with onions and dipped in yogurt while they can be refreshing just on their own!

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 13th, 2015

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