Cucumber to Cool, Cleanse, and Hydrate: An Integrative Perspective
Image generated using AI.
Cucumber in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine nutrition, the cooling nature of cucumber may help to clear heat and detoxify. From this perspective, it can be consumed to balance the body during the warmer season, or to treat symptoms such as inflammation and skin conditions, presenting with signs of heat (Kastner, 2021, p. 112).
Image generated using AI.
What Research Says
According to published research, “cucumber has a purifying effect on the body” as it has the potential to get rid of “toxins and old debris.” It may also exhibit antioxidant, anti-cancer, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties, as well as “lipid-lowering and anti-diabetic effects”(Naureen et al., 2022).
Made of mostly water, “the fruit is cooling, hemostatic, tonic and effective against excessive thirst and heat stroke.” It may also be used topically to treat the skin (Naureen et al., 2022).
Image generated using AI.
Important Note on Cooling Foods
Within the framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine, cooling foods like cucumber might not always be appropriate for the condition or constitution of a person, or even seasonally. A practitioner may recommend eating it with warming foods, such as pepper, ginger, or garlic to balance the energetic temperature if necessary.
Image generated using AI.
References
Kastner, J. (2021). Chinese nutrition therapy: Dietetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (3rd ed.). Thieme.
Naureen, Z., Dhuli, K., Donato, K., Aquilanti, B., Velluti, V., Matera, G., Iaconelli, A., & Bertelli, M. (2022). Foods of the Mediterranean diet: citrus, cucumber and grape. Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, 63(2 Suppl 3), E21–E27. https://doi.org/10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2022.63.2S3.2743
