Things you need to know about CUCUMBER

Cucumber(Cucumis sativus) is botanically classified as a fruit, although they are typically perceived, prepared and eaten as vegetable. Cucumbers grow from a low-lying flowering plant and are actually considered to be a part of the squash family. Cucumbers are made up of roughly 90 percent water, they also contain a high amount of beneficial nutrients that promote the health and maintenance of many cells in your body. Nutrients found in cucumbers in large amounts include vitamin A, vitamin C, Folic Acid and Silica and more. Cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family "Cucurbitaceae". It is a creeping vine that bears cucumiform fruits that are used as vegetables. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and seedless. Within these varieties, several cultivars have been created. The cucumber is originally from South Asia, but now grows on most continents. Many different types of cucumber are traded on the global market.

Here are the description of Cucumber with peel raw Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 65 kJ (16 kcal)

Carbohydrates 3.63 g

Sugars 1.67

Dietary fiber 0.5 g

Fat 0.11 g

Protein 0.65 g

Vitamins

Thiamine (B1) (2%) 0.027 mg

Riboflavin (B2) (3%) 0.033 mg

Niacin (B3) (1%) 0.098 mg

Pantothenic acid (B5) (5%) 0.259 mg

Vitamin B6 (3%) 0.04 mg

Folate (B9) (2%) 7 µg

Vitamin C (3%) 2.8 mg

Vitamin K (16%) 16.4 µg

Minerals

Calcium (2%) 16 mg

Iron (2%) 0.28 mg

Magnesium (4%) 13 mg

Manganese (4%) 0.079 mg

Phosphorus (3%) 24 mg

Potassium (3%) 147 mg

Sodium (0%) 2 mg

Zinc (2%) 0.2 mg

Other constituents

Water 95.23 g

Fluoride 1.3 µg

The most important nutrient cucumber gives that are useful in our daily living are explain here

1) Vitamin A

Vitamin A is important for the health and maintenance of your skin, keeping cell membranes moist and resistant to cellular damage. This moistness also inhibits potential infections caused by some viruses and bacteria. Vitamin A also protects your body against some cancers by inhibiting the production of DNA in cancer cells. Most of the vitamin A in cucumbers is contained in the outer peel; therefore, to obtain the full benefits of vitamin A, the cucumber peel should be left on.

2) Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an effective antioxidant and can be found in abundance in cucumbers. Vitamin C helps support and strengthen your immune system, which can help protect your body against infections and bacteria that can cause illnesses. Vitamin C can also promote wound healing and is involved in the maintenance of bone, muscle, tendons and ligaments throughout your body. Vitamin C supports your cardiovascular system by facilitating the metabolism of body fat and protecting your body from damage caused by free radicals, compounds that are destructive to your body

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3) Folic Acid

Folic acid is part of the B-complex vitamin group and is important in the production of red blood cells in your body. Low levels of folic acid may contribute to certain types of anemia, or low red blood cell count. Having a low red blood cell count decreases oxygen delivery to your body's cells and can even make other underlying medical conditions worse. Anemia can also cause fatigue, weakness, chest pains and dizziness. Having adequate amounts of folic acid in your diet can help prevent anemia from occurring.

4) Silica

Cucumbers are a good source of a compound called silica. Silica is a trace mineral that is not common in many foods, but is found in high levels inside cucumbers. Silica contributes to the growth and maintenance of connective tissue throughout your body. Connective tissue includes collagen and elastin, two body tissues that are responsible for connecting your cells together and holding them in place. Connective tissues also play a large role in the natural healing process of your body following an injury involving soft tissue damage. Collagen formation around an area of an injury may be increased with the help of silica in your diet.

5) Calories and Fiber

Cucumbers and dill pickles are both low in calories -- a cup of sliced cucumber contains 16 calories, while an equivalent serving of dill pickles contains 19. Sweet pickles are higher in calories, at 139 calories per cup because of their sugar content. Reaching for either cucumbers or pickles boosts your fiber intake. This fiber helps speed the movement of food through your digestive tract, combating constipation, and also helps reduce the level of cholesterol in your bloodstream. A 1-cup serving of sliced cucumber provides 0.5 grams of fiber, while dill pickles offer 1.7 grams of fiber per cup and sweet pickles provide 1.5 grams of fiber.

Vitamin A Content

Reach for pickles over cucumber as a source of vitamin A. Sweet pickles, in particular, come loaded with vitamin A. Each cup provides 1,169 international units of vitamin A, which is 39 percent of the daily vitamin A needs for men and 50 percent for women. A cup of sliced dill pickles offers 284 international units of vitamin A, while cucumbers contain 109 international units per cup. The vitamin A abundant in pickles aids in the development of new blood cells, regulates thyroid gland function and supports healthy vision.

    Vitamin K Content

Pickles offer more vitamin K per serving than cucumber. Your body uses vitamin K to activate enzymes responsible for cell growth and development, as well as bone and cartilage health. It also plays a central role in blood coagulation, which protects against blood loss. A 1-cup serving of sweet pickles contains 72.1 micrograms of vitamin K -- 58 percent of the recommended daily vitamin K intake for men and 80 percent for women. An equivalent serving of sliced cucumber provides 17.1 micrograms of vitamin K, while a cup of dill pickles offers 60.4 micrograms.

    Sodium and Sugar Content

Cucumbers offer major health advantages over pickles because they're naturally low in sugar and sodium. Each cup of sliced cucumber contains just 1.7 grams of naturally occurring sugar and 2 milligrams of sodium -- less than 1 percent of your daily sodium limit. Dill pickles, on the other hand, contain a whopping 1,356 milligrams of sodium per serving, or 59 percent of your daily limit. A a result, you should limit your dill pickle intake, or you risk the high blood pressure and heart disease associated with a high-sodium diet. Sweet pickles are also high in sodium, at 699 milligrams per cup, and also contain 28 grams of sugar per serving. This sugar offers no nutritional value but boosts your calorie intake and contributes to tooth decay.

VARIETIES OF CUCUMBER

[1] Slicing

Cucumbers grown to eat fresh are called slicing cucumbers. The main varieties of slicers mature on vines with large leaves that provide shading. They are mainly eaten in the unripe green form, since the ripe yellow form normally becomes bitter and sour. Slicers grown commercially for the North American market are generally longer, smoother, more uniform in color, and have a much tougher skin. Slicers in other countries are smaller and have a thinner, more delicate skin. Smaller slicing cucumbers can also be pickled.

[2] Pickling cucumbers

Pickling with brine, sugar, vinegar, and spices creates various, flavored products from cucumbers and other foods. Although any cucumber can be pickled, commercial pickles are made from cucumbers specially bred for uniformity of length-to-diameter ratio and lack of voids in the flesh. Those cucumbers intended for pickling, called picklers, grow to about 7 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. Compared to slicers, picklers tend to be shorter, thicker, less regularly shaped, and have bumpy skin with tiny white or black-dotted spines. Colour can vary from creamy yellow to pale or dark green. The process of pickling led to the use of paraffin wax as a seal for jars used to preserve pickled and other preserved foods, and to the Mason jar made from thick glass able to tolerate high temperatures used in processing pickles and other foods for long-term shelf-life. The liquid made from pickling is called "pickle juice.

Gherkins, also called cornichons, baby dills, or baby pickles, are small, whole, unsliced cucumbers, typically those 1 inch (2.5 cm) to 5 inches (13 cm) in length, often with bumpy skin, and pickled in variable combinations of brine, vinegar, spices, and sugar. In the United Kingdom, gherkins may be prepared predominantly in vinegar, imparting an acidic flavor "punch" as a side-dish for meals. Although gherkins may be grown in greenhouses, they are commonly grown as a field crop, processed locally. The word gherkin derived in the mid-17th century from early modern Dutch, gurken or augurken for "small pickled cucumber". The term, West Indian gherkin, has been applied to Cucumis anguria L., a related species of Cucumis sativus, the most common cucumber plant.

[3] Burpless

Burpless cucumbers are sweeter and have a thinner skin than other varieties of cucumber, and are reputed to be easy to digest and to have a pleasant taste. They can grow as long as 2 feet (0.61 m). They are nearly seedless, and have a delicate skin. Most commonly grown in greenhouses, these parthenocarpic cucumbers are often found in grocery markets, shrink-wrapped in plastic. They are sometimes marketed as seedless or burpless, because the seeds and skin of other varieties of cucumbers are said to give some people gas.

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