Cucumber is a plant that has been well-known in India and Egypt for 4000 years. Women have always covered their faces with thin slices of cucumber to moisturize and restore brilliance to their skin. Cucumber pulp is highly valued in cosmetology. Rich in vitamin C, it is used in face care products and moisturizing and anti-wrinkle creams. But it's especially valued in treating oily skin, while prized for its softening and healing properties and its astringent and cleansing action. It normalizes sebaceous secretions. It contains almost all the essential elements needed for the preservation of health.
There are several varieties of cucumber which differ in shape, size and color. Its color varies from whitish green to dark green. It turns into orange, yellow or brownish yellow when it matures. Its sizes also vary from 8 to 30 cm. and above. Fresh, firm, smooth, regular in shape and dark green in color is the best variety for use.
Cucumbers and Body Health
Origin and Distribution
Cucumber is believed to have originated in northern India. It was known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and was available in China in the sixth century AD. It has now spread throughout the world. Its areas of cultivation include northern and southern India, South East Asia, China, Africa, central and South America, the Caribbean and most tropical areas.
Food Value
Nutritionally, the cucumber has a relatively high mineral content. Its skin is most valuable as the cell salts and vitamins are in and near it. Hence it should not be peeled.
It is also a valuable source of potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, silicon, chlorine and fluorine. The cucumber taken with vegetables, cereals, fruits, nuts and salads enhances the nutritional value of food items. It is generally used as a salad in combination with carrot, beet, tomato, radish, lettuce and other vegetables. The addition of some curd to the salad will make it a tasty food of great nutritional value.
Cucumber*
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Food Value
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Minerals and Vitamins
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Moisture
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96.3%
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Calcium
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10 mg
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Protein
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0.4%
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Phosphorus
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25 mg
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Fat
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0.1%
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Iron
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1.5 mg
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Minerals
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0.3%
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Vitamin C
Small amounts of Vitamin B Complex
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7 mg
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Fibre
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0.4%
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Carbohydrates
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2.5%
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100%
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Calorific Value - 13
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*Values per 100 gms edible portion
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Natural Benefits and Curative Properties
The alkaline-forming minerals in the cucumber represent 64.05 per cent and the acid-forming minerals 35.95 per cent. This mineral arrangement invests the cucumber with definite remedial and curative properties. It makes it useful in maintaining the alkalinity of the blood. It also operates as one of the best natural diuretics, secreting and promoting the flow of urine. It should always be taken raw as in cooking potassium and phosphorus are lost.
Constipation
The cucumber is a dependable laxative food. It supplies bulk to aid bowel action. Those who suffer from constipation can greatly benefit by taking two cucumbers a day.
Stomach Disorders
The juice of the cucumber is a valuable food medicine in the treatment of hyperacidity, gastric and duodenal ulcers. It should be taken in doses of four to six ounces every two hours in such conditions. Sufficient juice can be extracted from a cucumber as it contains 96 per cent water. It gives immediate relief when there is a burning sensation in the stomach.
Rheumatic Ailments
Cucumber juice in combination with the juice of carrots, beets and celery, has a very beneficial effect in the conditions associated with accumulation of uric acid such as arthritis, gout and rheumatism.
Urinary Disorders
Cucumber seeds are rich in potassium. Emulsion of the shelled seeds has been found highly beneficial in tile treatment of burning sensation in urinary calculi or stone in persons who are predisposed to-such disorders. Emulsion of the shelled seeds, mixed with curd, is useful in dissolving the gravel in urinary tract and in reducing hyperacidity of the urine.
Cholera
A glassful of fresh leaf juice mixed with tender coconut water, given one or two ounces every hour, is a medicine for excessive thirst during cholera. It acts excellently by restoring the electrolyte liquid balance in dehydration.
Cucumbers and Body Beauty
Skin Eruptions
Cucumber juice has proved effective in skin eruption: For better results, juice of carrot, lettuce should be added to this juice. Further, addition of little alfalfa or wheatgrass juice, in some cases, can help to speed up their efficacy.
Cucumber Mask
In the 18th century, a beauty masque made with cucumber seeds was introduced, rinsed off with rose water and used to brighten the complexion. It worked wonders, and as word spread through the boxes at the Opéra and the homes of the nobility, every woman eagerly wanted to try this new method for obtaining a dazzling complexion.
Mask for Oily Skin
Grated cucumber applied over face, eyes and neck for 15 to 20 minutes has been found effective as a beauty aid and a best tonic for the skin of the face. Its regular use prevents pimples, blackheads, wrinkles and dryness of the face. Cucumber juice promotes hair growth due to its high silicon and sulfur content, particularly when mixed with carrot, lettuce and spinach juice
- In a plastic (not metal) bowl, mix two tablespoons of finely powdered green clay into some cucumber juice, made by puréeing some pieces of cucumber in a blender or food processor. You should obtain a smooth creamy paste. Add a few drops of sweet almond oil or jojoba and apply to thoroughly-cleansed skin. Leave on til clay dries
- Rinse with mineral water, then apply toner
- One masque a week for a month should perk up your skin and reduce dilated pores
Moisturizing Mask
(If the skin on your face is peeling, it's a sign that your skin is thirsty!)
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Purée half a peeled, seeded cucumber
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combine with 3 tbsp plain yogurt
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apply to the face and neck; let work 30 minutes
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rinse with clear cool water
Mask for Skin Smoothness
(helps to balance skin blotchiness)
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Purée half a peeled, seeded cucumber
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combine with the juice of a quarter lemon and 1 tsp. sweet almond oil
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apply to the face and neck; let work 30 minutes
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remove with a cotton pad moistened with rose water
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