Do you love cucumbers? Really, really love them, to the point where you eat them every single day? Cucumbers, after all, are one of those “just ok” kind of vegetables that are acceptable as part of a salad, a veggie tray, or a cocktail garnish (they even make an appearance in Meghan Markle’s fave summertime libation), but in their plain, un-pickled state, they don’t tend to be the kind of thing anyone gets too excited about.

Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the cuke. For one thing — who knew? — as the Times of India tells us, the cucumber is a fruit, not a vegetable. More importantly, though, regular consumption of cucumbers can have some surprising health benefits, including improved hydration, better digestion, weight loss, and a healthier heart. 

Eating cucumbers will help you hydrate

Did you know that cucumbers are about 95 percent water? According to LiveScience, one cup of sliced cucumber is can quench your thirst almost as well as a glass of water can, while Healthline notes that it’s possible to get up to 40 percent of your daily water intake through food sources. 

While proper hydration can be kind of a pain to maintain, it’s nonetheless crucial to maintaining various vital bodily functions such as temperature regulation, metabolism, and transportation of nutrients. If you’re not one to be sipping at a water bottle all throughout the day, nibbling on cucumber slices instead can help you keep up your water intake.

Cucumbers can keep you regular

In addition to being water-rich, cucumbers are also full of fiber (especially if you leave the peels on), and both water and fiber help to keep things moving along inside the body. In fact, pectin, which is the type of soluble fiber found in cucumbers, not only feeds beneficial gut bacteria, but has also been proven to help speed up the movement of the intestinal muscles. 

What this means, in layman’s terms, is more frequent pooping. The Cleveland Clinic also makes the claim that anti-inflammatory compounds contained in cucumbers help to remove waste from the body, and LiveScience even indicates that cucumbers contain phytonutrient compounds that can work with digestive tract bacteria to fight against certain types of cancer.

A cucumber a day keeps the pounds away

Cucumbers are very low in calories: a one-cup serving of sliced cucumbers contains just 16 calories, while an entire cucumber has only about 45 calories. Cucumbers can easily be used to add bulk and flavor to healthy salads, sandwiches, light summer soups, and even stir-fries, while adding little to the overall calorie count. 

What’s more, 13 different dietary studies that involved a total of 3,628 subjects found that foods high in water content and low in calories were correlated with significant weight loss (via the National Institutes of Health). As cucumbers fit into both of these categories, regular cuke consumption could help you shed a few pounds.

Cucumbers are good for your heart

Cucumbers contain a number of nutrients that are linked with heart health, as potassium consumption has been linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. While cucumbers may not be as high in potassium as bananas, they are significantly lower in calories and thus more easily added to the daily diet.

Studies have also shown that consumption of cucumbers can reduce hypertension, possibly due to their ability to promote vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels), and the magnesium they contain has also been linked to lower blood pressure. Cucumbers are a good source of vitamin K as well, a nutrient that the Harvard School of Public Health calls an essential part of the blood clotting process.

So, if you’ve been on the fence about chowing down on cucumbers every day, it looks like they are actually a fantastic addition to your diet.

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