photo credit: foodsubs.com
Who knew that the cucumber is not a vegetable, but a fruit? Like the squash and melon, it is a member of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).
Cucumbers rank #4 (next to tomatoes, cabbage and onions) as the world’s most cultivated "vegetable". Cucumis sativus (http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/olson_eri2/) is the species group of the cucumbers we're most familiar with found in supermarkets.
Not only do cucumbers find their way into salads, chefs and kitchen cooks find useful ways to incorporate this useful ingredient into recipes and international cuisine. My favorite thing to do with cucumbers (besides putting a pair on shut eyes) is to eat slices dipped in vinegar. Some of you might crinkle your nose, but I love it!
Although people are familiar with the long, dark green cucumbers in the produce section of supermarkets, this vegetable comes in a variety of colors, sizes and textures. Orange, white and yellow cucumbers come in round, oval and short sizes. They can have thin and smooth skins, or rough and thick.
Below are the benefits of eating cucumber according to http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42:
• Researchers have long been familiar with the presence of unique polyphenols in plants called lignans, and these health-benefiting substances have been studied extensively in cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli or cabbage) and allium vegetables (like onion or garlic). Recent studies, however, have begun to pay more attention to the lignan content of other vegetables, including cucumbers. Cucumbers are now known to contain lariciresinol, pinoresinol, and secoisolariciresinol--three lignans that have a strong history of research in connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.
• Fresh extracts from cucumbers have recently been shown to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While research in this area must still be considered preliminary--since it's only been conducted on animals in a lab setting--the findings are clear and consistent. Substances in fresh cucumber extracts help scavenge free radicals, help improve antioxidant status, inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes like cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX -2), and prevent overproduction of nitric oxide in situations where it could pose health risks. It's highly likely that cucumber phytonutrients play a key role in providing these antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, supporting health alongside of the conventional antioxidant nutrients--including vitamin C, beta-carotene, and manganeseâ of which cucumbers are an important source.
• As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of plants, cucumbers are a rich source of triterpene phytonutrients called cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins A, B, C, D and E are all contained in fresh cucumber. They have been the subject of active and ongoing research to determine the extent and nature of their anti-cancer properties. Scientists have already determined that several different signaling pathways (for example, the JAK-STAT and MAPK pathways) required for cancer cell development and survival can be blocked by activity of cucurbitacins. We expect to see human studies that confirm the anti-cancer benefits of cucumbers.
If you want to learn everything about cucumbers, please visit http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42.
