Cucumbers makes great crisp, clean snacks that are perfect for a hot summer afternoon. The coolness and freshness of a cut cucumber goes great with a creamy dip or works well enough on its own to be a light hot weather snack. However, cucumbers are also loaded with nutritional benefits. Not only are they a great snack but they are good for your health. Here is a quick list of some common health benefits of cucumbers that’s sure to make you gobble this fresh produce up in a hurry.

Nutritional Content – Perhaps the biggest positive attribute for this summer snack is its low calorie and fat content. Compared to potato chips or other snacks, cucumbers are essentially calorie free an fat free. This means you can snack on cucumbers all day long, guilt free. Furthermore, the vegetable fiber of a cucumber means this produce will fill you up quicker and keep you full longer than other snacks like chips or pretzels. Combine that with low sodium and carbohydrates and you have yourself an ideal snack treat. Combine cucumbers with a low fat dip to toss in a little extra flavor.

Rehydration – Summer time snack has been emphasized previously because cucumbers are crisp, cool and refreshing. However, this extends beyond taste. Cucumbers retain a lot of water in their tissue. This makes cucumbers an excellent source of hydration on a hot day. So many foods take leech water out of you by being full of sodium. Cucumbers are one of the few foods that actually replenishes your body with water. Make sure you eat your cucumbers fresh in order to reap this benefit to the utmost.

Blood Pressure – Cucumbers are rich in potassium and magnesium, both of which help control blood pressure. While these two minerals are available as health supplements, you can get your daily dose of both from snacking on a cucumber regularly. Cucumber juice is available as a health food supplement that provides potassium and magnesium in concentrate but choosing this instead of an actual cucumber deprives you of the large amounts of silica found in the flesh of a cucumber. Silica is an excellent lubricating and strengthening agent for connective tissue and ligaments.

Vitamins – Numerous vitamins, such as vitamin A and C, and antioxidants are found in abundance in cucumbers. Plus, cucumbers are rich in folate, an essential vitamin that is important to pregnant women, making cucumbers a great crave snack.

Skin Care – Due to the caffeic and ascorbic acids found in cucumbers, this vegetable is great for skin care by applying slices of cucumbers to the skin. Cucumbers reduce water retention and puffiness of the skin, making this vegetable the perfect fix for swollen eyes. Simply place a slice of cucumber over your eyelids, relax for twenty minutes or so and watch as your puffy eyes gradually lighten up.

Remember, eating this vegetable is the best way to harvest these health benefits of cucumbers.  While you can get some benefits from cooked cucumbers, fresh is always better.