The old saying “cool as a cucumber” is based in fact, because the inside of a cucumber can be 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature, according to Food Reference. You may have also heard that cucumbers are lower in nutrition than other vegetables, because they’re 95 percent water. While they may have a smaller amount of nutrients, cucumbers still provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
Originally from India, cucumbers belong to the gourd family. Different varieties are available but the two most common types are slicers for slicing and picklers, which are bred to be smaller and more uniform in size for pickling. Slicing cucumbers should not be longer than 8 inches or they become too tough, according to the University of Illinois Extension.
Basic Nutrition
One-half cup of sliced cucumbers with skin has 8 calories, 0.3 g of protein, 1.9 g of carbohydrates and 0.3 g of dietary fiber, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database. They have only 0.06 g of total fat, with no cholesterol.
Vitamins
Based on dietary reference intakes recommended by the Institute of Medicine, 1/2 cup of cucumbers provides 1 to 2 percent of the daily intake of several vitamins, including 1.5 mg of vitamin C, 0.01 mg of thiamin, 0.02 mg of riboflavin, 0.02 mg of vitamin B-6 and 4 mcg of folate. Even though that’s not a huge amount of your daily value, for very few calories, no salt and almost no fat, you’ll gain some antioxidant vitamin C and B vitamins for energy. The cucumbers have 55 IU, or 2 percent of the daily intake, of the antioxidant vitamin A. You’ll also get 8.5 mcg, or 7 percent of the daily intake, of vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting and bone mineralization, according to Harvard Health Publications.
Minerals
A 1/2 cup serving size of sliced cucumbers provides 8 mg, or just 1 percent of the daily intake, of calcium. You’ll get 7 mg of magnesium, 12 mg of phosphorus and 76 mg of potassium, which represents 2 percent of each. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus are all essential for healthy bones, while calcium, magnesium and potassium have important roles in maintaining muscle contractions and a regular heart beat. Cucumbers also contain 2 percent of the recommended dietary intake of the trace minerals copper and manganese. They’re both antioxidants, but copper is also essential for iron metabolism, and manganese strengthens bones and helps regulate blood pressure, according to Harvard Health Publications.
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