According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water is crucial for your health since it regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, removes waste from the body, among many other functions (CDC). But let's face it, it's hardly the menu item with the most intriguing drink.
Infusing water with fruits and vegetables is a popular method for improving its flavor. This method adds more than just flavor. Here, we examine the specific benefits of cucumber water.
1. Hydration:
"hydration is the key way it's good." It's a relaxing way to drink more water in a spa-like setting that can help people who dislike water. Drinking more water has many health benefits, including improved digestion, skin, energy, and focus.
According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, staying hydrated can be prevented by routinely drinking water. In addition to simply making you thirsty, dehydration has many more harmful impacts. There are a number of indicators, such as: * Headache * Dizziness * Sleepiness * Decreased Skin Elasticity * Low Blood Pressure
However, hydrated meals are something you can eat. Since cucumber is a vegetable that is almost entirely made up of water, it is simple to add another source of hydration to your glass of water.
2. Delivers Essential Nutrients
For optimal benefit, Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN advises eating the cucumber after you've finished your water.
According to her, "it's not obvious how many nutrients in a fruit or vegetable actually end up in the water." You'll receive more nutrients if you consume the vegetables as well.
According to the USDA, these nutrients include fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin K.
According to Largeman-Roth, a medium cucumber has 57 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, which is crucial for bone health and blood coagulation.
3. Contains Antioxidants
According to the Mayo Clinic, antioxidants shield your body from free radicals, which can damage cells through oxidative stress and result in inflammation as well as cancer, heart disease, and other ailments.
To fight cell damage and, ideally, postpone or prevent these diseases from arising, Galloway adds, "we are providing our body the support it needs when we boost the quantity of antioxidants in our regular diet."
She claims that the majority of fruits and vegetables include antioxidants in the form of the vitamins A, C, and E, which is one of the reasons she suggests eating a diet rich in fresh produce.
According to Galloway, cucumbers contain a range of antioxidants, including a number of flavonoids, a class of plant compounds present in many fruits and vegetables.
4. Linked to Weight Loss
If you drink cucumber-infused water instead of sugary beverages like sodas and juice drinks, it might help you lose weight, according to Largeman-Roth.
According to the FDA, a third of a midsize cucumber only has 10 calories, while water has none. Compare that to the roughly 150 in a typical 12-ounce Coke can. By gradually switching to cucumber water in place of sugary beverages, you can significantly lower your calorie intake.
Galloway refers to this as a "lifestyle shift" because, if maintained, it can enhance your health for years to come.
According to Galloway, cutting 73,000 calories over the course of a year, the equivalent of switching a daily 200-calorie beverage for zero-calorie cucumber water, might lead to a loss of 1 pound.
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