Can You Eat Cucumber Skin?

Can you eat cucumber skin?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you eat cucumber skin?”, and what are the benefits of eating cucumbers?

Read on for more information on the nutrition value of the cucumbers with their peel intact.

A 300g cucumber, with peel, provides 45 calories. Carbohydrates comprise 83%, fats comprise 6% and proteins comprise only 11% of the total calories. In case you are wondering, cucumbers are cholesterol-free.

On the other hand, peeled cucumber only provides 34 calories with a significantly decreased vitamin, mineral, and polyphenol content. Peeled cucumbers provide a lower protein and carb content as compared to cucumbers with peel.

Vitamins in cucumber peel

Vitamin A	316 IU or 6 percent daily value (DV)
Vitamin C	8.4 milligrams or 14 percent DV
Vitamin K	49 milligrams or 62 percent DV
Thiamine	5 percent DV
Riboflavin	6 percent DV
Niacin	1 percent DV
Vitamin B6	6 percent DV
Folate	5 percent DV
Pantothenic acid	8 percent DV

Vitamin A is important for healthy skin. It is crucial for eyesight. Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant. Vitamin C boosts immunity and fights stress.

Vitamin K is involved in blood clotting. B Vitamins protect your heart and aid the normal functioning of the brain and blood cells.

Mineral content with peel

A large 8 ¼ inch cucumber, with peel, contains the following minerals.

Potassium	442 milligrams or 13 percent DV
Manganese	0.2 milligram or 12 percent DV
Magnesium	39 milligrams of 10 percent DV
Phosphorus	72 milligrams or 7 percent DV
Copper	0.1 milligram or 6 percent DV
Calcium	48 milligrams or 5 percent DV
Iron	0.8 milligram or 5 percent DV
Zinc	0.6 milligram or 4 percent DV
Selenium	0.9 microgram or 1 percent DV

Peel removes much of the mineral content of the cucumbers with it. A peeled cucumber contains 61mg less potassium, 6mg less magnesium, 13mg less phosphorus, and 9mg less calcium.

Benefits of eating cucumbers

Cucumbers keep you hydrated

Cucumbers consist of a whopping 96% water. Cells cannot function without water. They need water for optimum enzyme activity and to carry out metabolism.

Having a whole cucumber or a cucumber drink on summer noon is what you need to replenish the lost water and electrolyte through sweating, breathing, and digestion. Cucumbers also make for a great post-workout snack.

Promotes digestive health

Water plays an important role in smooth bowel movements. The main cause of constipation is dehydration. The high fiber and high water content of the cucumbers make it ideal to promote digestion by softening stools.

Regular use of cucumbers can help relieve irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, and other gastrointestinal disorders. Cucumbers have also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Aids weight loss

Cucumbers are low fat, low carb, and low in calories, providing only 10.9 grams of carbs per cucumber with the peel; 6 grams without the peel.

The carbs that are present in cucumbers are complex in nature. Such carbs are encouraged for their immense health benefits. Cucumbers are considered a low-energy-dense food and such foods have a higher satiety value.

Strengthens bones

Vitamin K helps deposit calcium in the bones thus, strengthening them. It also accelerates the healing of bone fractures.

A cucumber, with peel, provides 65 percent DV for calcium, while a peeled cucumber loses 29 micrograms of vitamin K, which is equivalent to a DV percentage of 25 percent. In other words, cucumbers with peel provide 9mg more calcium than their peeled counterparts.

Calcium and Vitamin K play a synergistic role in improving bone mass/bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture.

Improves cognitive health

Vitamin C, B vitamins, and calcium improve cognitive health. The color of cucumber is attributed to a flavonoid pigment known as fisetin, which has excellent anti-aging and neuroprotective properties.

Besides, fisetin has remarkable anti-inflammatory properties that can reverse neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. It also lowers the risk of dementia by improving memory.

Are there any risks of eating cucumbers?

Cucumbers are sprayed with pesticides which may be toxic in large amounts. To avoid this problem, you should either remove the peel or wash the cucumbers with warm water.

Moreover, cucumbers are coated with food-grade wax to enhance their appeal to the customer. Oftentimes, this wax becomes a reserve of germs.

The solution is to eat peeled cucumbers. However, if you want to reap the benefits of eating cucumbers with their peel intact, your best bet is to buy organic cucumbers.