Diabetes type 2 is mostly a lifestyle disorder. The foods you eat and avoid and lack of exercise are the two most common causes of this condition in which your blood sugar level rises.
High carb foods are generally blamed for increase in blood sugar, insulin resistance and progression of diabetes. High fibre food on the other end helps in reducing blood sugar levels.
Foods like cucumber which is a low carb and high fibre vegetable helps to deal with diabetes. Initial scientific research also indicates positive results, but certainly more studies are required to establish usefulness of cucumber for diabetes.
Table of Contents
- Why Cucumber is Good for Lowering Blood Sugar and Diabetes Type 2?
- 3 Ways to Use Cucumber for Diabetes?
- Additional Benefits of Cucumber
- Other Tips and Precautions
Why Cucumber is Good for Lowering Blood Sugar and Diabetes Type 2?
Reducing blood sugar levels with the help of chemical neutralization as done by the popular medicine metformin is not the solution to diabetes.
Blood sugar is a symptom of diabetes and any method that suppresses the symptom cannot solve the problem. Over a period of time you will need more medicine to suppress the same amount of blood sugar and that is exactly what happens when you begin to take metformin and the doses keep increasing over a period of years.
The answer lies in eating food items that do not produce excess sugar to go into the bloodstream. Almost all high carbohydrate foods increase blood sugar levels. Eating more fruits and vegetables can not only just control your diabetes but will also make you feel better and fit.
Let us look at cucumber and how it can help to lower your blood sugar levels and improve your diabetes.
Cucumber Nutritional Facts
According to USDA 100 grams of cucumber (1) will have following nutritional values.
- Water g 95.23
- Energy kcal 15
- Protein g 0.65
- Total lipid (fat) g 0.11
- Carbohydrate, by difference g 3.63
- Fiber, total dietary g 0.5
- Sugars, total g 1.67
- Calcium, Ca mg 16
- Iron, Fe mg 0.28
- Magnesium, Mg mg 13
- Phosphorus, P mg 24
- Potassium, K mg 147
- Sodium, Na mg 2
- Zinc, Zn mg 0.2
- Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 2.8
- Vitamin B-6 mg 0.04
- Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) mg 0.03
- Vitamin K (phylloquinone) µg 16.4
Cucumber is almost 95% water. It is low carb and high fiber with good vitamin C and K contents. It also has good Potassium content. All these items make it a food that can give the feeling of filling without adding sugar in the blood.
A study published in Journal of Scientific Research done on diabetic rats indicated 67% reduction in blood sugar levels after 12 hours of a single intraperitoneal injection of cucumber extract. There are many other researches that have indicated similar results on animals. There is not much published research work on impact on cucumber on diabetic human beings.
3 Ways to Use Cucumber for Diabetes?
Cucumber is a versatile vegetable that can be consumed in many ways. It is interesting that cucumber and many other vegetables are also considered fruit by definition. So, you may find it being used interchangeably as fruit and vegetable in this article.
1. Eat Raw Cucumber
Ingredients:
- 1 medium size organic cucumber
Instructions:
- Wash and clean a raw organic cucumber.
- Make sure it is firm
- Cut into small pieces or slices as you prefer.
- Keep the skin intact as the skin has fiber and many other nutrients.
- Eat two cups as snacks at a time.
- You can eat twice daily
2. Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 organic cucumber
- 1 organic tomato
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Instructions:
- Wash, clean and cut 1 medium size cucumber
- Cut 1 big tomato. Remove seeds if you prefer.
- Sprinkle a pinch of black pepper powder and pink Himalayan salt
- Eat and enjoy
- Do it twice daily
3. Cucumber Juice
Ingredients:
- 2 organic cucumber
- ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions:
- Wash and clean cucumbers
- Cut them.in small pieces and toss into a mixer blender
- Thoroughly blend and strain in a glass
- Add juice of 1/2 lemon
- Add 1 teaspoon of honey
- Mix well
- Drink and enjoy
- Do it twice daily
Additional Benefits of Cucumber
In addition to reducing blood sugar levels and helping in diabetes control, cucumber offers many other health benefits. Some of the main benefits are listed below:
- Provides Hydration
- Improves skin
- Removes dark spots on face
- Clears dark circles under the eyes
- Reduces cholesterol and triglycerides
- Strengthens bones
- Improves digestion
- Fights internal heat
- Reduces eye pressure
- Helps in weight loss
- Soothes joint and muscle pains
Go for cucumber and get all these benefits in addition to controlling your diabetes.
Other Tips and Precautions
In order to control and get rid of your diabetes you have to control your dietary habits and following other activities.
- Learn what eat and what not to eat
- Give up on junk food
- Exercise regularly for 45 minutes. A simple brisk walk can go a long way in controlling your blood sugar
- Lose weight
- Reduce stress as stressful people tend to overeat
Remember blood sugar control is not the real objective to control your diabetes but it is about ensuring that too much sugar doesn't get into your bloodstream. This can be achieved by diet control. Diabetes type 2 is reversible and you must give your 100% to reverse it. Cucumber and range of other fruits and vegetables will help you to achieve that objective.