We’re all about those underdog greens getting their moment. First it was kale. And by now you’re probably heard about the benefits of celery juice. According to wellness insiders, cucumber juice is another single ingredient bev loaded with benefits worth paying attention to. Are cucumbers the next unexpectedly trending veggie to jump from the crudite plate to the juicer?

Cucumbers might seem like they’re mostly water (which is actually part of what makes them so nourishing) but they’re also loaded with vitamins and minerals that aide in detox, digestion and inflammation. Like celery juice, starting the day with a giant glass of the good stuff can flood your body with benefits. Here are a few unexpected things that happens when you drink a glass of cucumber juice on the daily…

What Are The Benefits?

It Alkalizes Your Body. Functional medicine expert, Dr. josh Axe, claims that “cucumber nutrition includes being one of the top alkaline foods that help balance the body’s pH level and counteract the effects of an acidic diet. Limiting consumption of acid-forming foods and eating more alkaline-forming foods instead is beneficial for protecting your body from diseases that thrive in an acidic environment.” Additionally, “a properly balanced pH level is also thought to decrease leptin levels, the main hormone connected to hunger and appetite control, as well as inflammation. Since the body is able to easily digest nutrients in liquid form, this is one reason why cucumbers are a popular ingredient in green alkalizing juices.”

It’s Ultra Hydrating. According to hardcore wellness guru, the Medical Medium, cucumber juice “is also an ideal way to properly hydrate the body since it is contains beneficial electrolytes that have the ability to bring nutrients and hydration deep into the cells and tissues making it far more effective than water alone.”

It Aides With Detox. Rich in vitamins, minerals and electrolites, cucumber juice has the ability to cleanse and detox the entire body. According to Dr. Axe, they also conatins cucurbitacins, a category of diverse compounds found in the plants of family Cucurbitaceae, including cucumbers. “These compounds can support the digestive tract and liver. The liver is the main detoxifying organ that works to naturally remove toxins and waste materials from the blood and gut. Cucumbers are also a natural diuretic food. This means they can help the body produce more urine to carry out toxins and waste.”

It Helps With Digestion. Cucumber juice can help to alleviate digestive problems such as gastritis, acidity, heartburn, and indigestion. According to Dr. Axe, “the seeds of a cucumber are known for having a healing, heat-reducing effect on the body, and they’re often used to prevent and naturally relieve constipation in traditional forms of medicine like Ayurveda. Many people suffer from magnesium deficiency without even knowing it, but cucumber nutrition is a source of magnesium and other electrolytes that can help hydrate the gut and digestive lining, which keeps you more regular.”

It Reduces Bloating. The Medical Medium says, “Cucumber juice is also one of the best natural diuretics around, aiding in the excretion of wastes through the kidneys and helping to dissolve uric acid accumulations such as kidney and bladder stones. It has the ability to help reduce edema, bloating and swelling in the body.” Studies have shown that cucumber juice also has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

It’s Basically A Supplement. Says Dr. Axe, “cucumbers are one of the vegetables with the highest water content. This means cucumber nutrition offers valuable vitamins and minerals, yet it’s super low in calories — with only about 16 calories per cup.” They contain essential nutrients such as vitamins A and C, magnesium, silicon, and potassium. With 22% of your daily vitamin K in every cup of cucumbers, drinking more cucumber juice is also a good way to support a healthy metabolism and nutrient absorption.

What’s The Best Way To Drink Cucumber Juice?

How Much Should You Have? The Medical Medium recommends that people drink twelve to twenty ounces (or more) of cucumber juice per day. Generally speaking, two large cucumbers will yield around sixteen ounces of juice.

When Should You Drink It? He also suggests that “cucumber juice is best consumed alone, about twenty to thirty minutes away from other foods and drinks. Some people like to have it twenty to thirty minutes after their straight celery juice in the morning. Others like to have it a half hour before their dinner. Some people enjoy their cucumber juice an hour before bed. Each of these times is wonderful provided they are away from other foods and drinks.”

What Else Should You Add? Nothing, ideally. Like celery juice, cucumber juice is digested well as a single ingredient juice. If you’re a green juice lover, simply enjoy blended greens later in the day.

How Should You Make It? “Blended cucumber with the pulp in is very healthy, but it’s the juice without the fiber that provides the greatest therapeutic healing benefits so it’s important to remove the pulp. If you don’t have a juicer, you can still blend your cucumbers and then strain them through a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth or nut milk bag so you end up with just the juice to drink.”

What About Celery Juice? Already got a celery juice habit going? Cucumber juice fits right into the routine. “If you are going to start with one juice, you can start with straight celery juice and then consider adding in straight cucumber juice as and when you wish. If celery juice feels too strong for you, you can instead start with straight cucumber juice and then start adding in straight celery juice in time. It is best to drink your celery juice on an empty stomach in the morning (or 15 to 30 minutes after lemon water). You can then drink your cucumber juice 15 to 30 minutes after your celery juice or later in the day between other foods and drinks.“

The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. 
All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.