Make cucumber water infused with mint leaves for a refreshing and healthy drink. Photo © Karen Peltier
Instead of reaching for calorie-laden sodas or chilled coffee drinks this summer, why not try a tall glass of refreshing cucumber spa water? It’s easy to make and full of many health and wellness benefits, some of which may surprise you. Also, don’t forget to eat the leftover cucumbers for their fiber and nutritional content! Here are seven great reasons to give cucumber spa water a try:
1. Age Gracefully
Due to their antioxidant content, cucumbers help your body fight free radicals, thereby promoting healthy aging and enhancing your body’s ability to fight disease. Although not as high as some intensely colored vegetables, such as red cabbage, the antioxidant content of cucumbers and other watery vegetables is lower, but nevertheless present according to this 2006 study. In fact, the ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) of raw, unpeeled cucumbers is 232 μ mol TE/100g, whereas that of raw, peeled cucumbers is 140 μ mol TE/100g according to Superfoodly, which uses data based on the USDA ORAC database for Selected Foods. Therefore, when making spa water, be sure to not peel the cucumbers!
Also, our bodies contain about 55-60% water as noted in this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Science School article, so the more we hydrate, the healthier our bodies and all the cells in them are. Water transports oxygen, essential minerals, and vitamins, and also serves as a way of flushing toxins out of our system, so getting an adequate amount really is a component of healthy aging. And what better way to do it than with a tasty cucumber spa water?
2. Boost Bone Health
Chock-full of Vitamin K, which some studies have shown may reduce the risk of bone fractures in post-menopausal women, such as this 2008 study done with women who have osteopenia, raw cucumbers may help keep your bones healthier as you age. Vitamin K is also essential for proper blood clotting, so it’s important to get your fair share. One raw cucumber with the peel on contains 62% of the daily required value according to Self Nutrition. By the way, Vitamin K, which is actually a group of chemicals, is present in several other green foods as well, such as kale, spinach, and collard greens, and some not so green ones, such as blueberries and cauliflower. Take a look at Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health (NIH), for some more Vitamin K facts.
3. Heal a Hangover
Got a splitting headache and feel sick from a little too much drinking? Call cucumbers to the rescue! Alcohol is dehydrating and toxic to your system, so you need plenty of water and nutrients to start healing. Replenish your body with cucumber spa water, which is full of H2O and essential electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals — exactly what the doctor ordered.
4. Keep Cancer at Bay
Cucumbers contain cucurbitacins (a type of phytonutrient), which show promise in treating cancer, because they kill cancer cells and prevent their proliferation as shown in a recent 2013 scientific review published in the International Journal of Health Sciences. One more reason to eat and drink your vegetables! Also, sufficient fluid intake, which is easy to do if you’re regularly sipping on tasty spa water all day long, has been shown to reduce your chances of developing urinary cancer according to this 2012 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
5. Lose Weight
Cucumber spa water will naturally quench your thirst and make you forget about mindlessly reaching for drinks loaded with sugar, so it’s an easy way to cut calories from your diet. Cucumbers can also act as a natural mild diuretic helping you get rid of that excess water and bloating. Not only that, but cucumber water makes plain water taste better, so you’re likely to drink more H2O. Water is an important factor in preventing constipation, which can cause swelling in the abdomen and add on a few extra pounds. Also, sufficient water intake helps your body’s natural detoxification processes, which makes it function more efficiently, thereby facilitating weight loss.
6. Enhance Healthy Blood Pressure
Because cucumbers are an excellent source of potassium and have very little sodium, they may be helpful in supporting your body’s innate processes to control blood pressure. Increasing potassium and decreasing sodium intake can reduce you blood pressure by a small amount as this WebMD article explains. Also, be aware that sometimes not drinking enough water or drinking way too much water can also increase blood pressure according to this article, so it’s essential to balance your water intake.
7. Support Supple Skin
Full of a host of skin-loving nutrients, such as the mineral silica, cucumbers enhance good skin health by increasing moisture and improving elasticity, which is why you find it in so many skin products on the market. Drinking water keeps your skin hydrated and healthy, too. So, maybe drink some spa water while you take it easy with a few chilled cucumber slices on your eyes. And don’t forget the facial mask!
Other Spa Water Articles You May Be Interested In:
- Refreshing Cucumber Mint Medley Spa Water Recipe
- 5 Reasons to Add Lemon Water to Your Daily Routine
- Pomegranate-Berry Spa Water Recipe
- Are You Unknowingly Drinking “Dead” Water Void of Minerals?
- 7 Ways to Enliven Your Drinking Water with Minerals for Better Health
Some Articles About DIY Personal Care & Spa Treatments You May Enjoy:
- Make Your Own All-Natural Hand Sanitizer
- Reduce Abdominal Fat with This DIY Belly-Busting Aromatherapy Massage Oil
- Reduce Cellulite and More with Dry Skin Brushing
- Organic Lavender Body Scrub for Sun-Drenched Skin
- How to do Abhyanga: A Daily Self-Massage Therapy Full of Health Benefits
© Karen Peltier and Well Gal, 2013 – 2019
Photo © Karen Peltier 2013 – 2019
There is definately a lot to know about this issue.
I like all of the points you have made.
Very good point!! I did not know all the nutritional values of Cucumber Water. I’ll put it in my routine right now
Thank you, Karen for this amazing article. Cucumber spa water is amazing indeed.
Hi Karen!
Do we have to worry about the agricultural pesticides when using cucumbers? If so, how to get rid of them?
Or should we use only those organic ones?
Thnaks.
Helo Larissa,
I always opt for organic cucumbers when I can to avoid pesticides, but if you can’t get organic cucumbers and would like to know the best way to wash them, check out this blog post, “Which of 10 These Methods is the Best Way to Wash Your Produce?”
Karen
Wow! I didn’t know cucumber had so many uses, instead of being in our salad and on our tired eyes every now and then. 😉
I’ll have to put in practice some uses from your article.
Thank you!
I am so envious of Korean gals for they have a better skins. I really didn’t know what they’re secrets until a friend of mine has revealed their skins and that secret is cucumber diet. For the whole month they eat cucumber. I have no idea how could they endure it without eating anything else. Of course, I did not follow it until I found this blog. Truly cucumber is potent! I guess, I prefer this cucumber spa water and it is really convincing, I have these reasons to take/drink it.
Honestly, I haven’t heard so much about cucumber expect that it is the best diet method of Koreans. Indeed, it makes your skin glow and you will look 10 year-younger. I am astound how it works with bone health. My grandma’s having a low bone mass and I want to help her with her condition. I guess, I have found the right thing for here. thank you so much for this most, Hopefully, this truly works!
I wasn’t aware of all the benefits. I like eating cucumbers. I’ve never really had cucumber water. I will have to try it sometime.
Hi Karen,
I drink lots of water as it is, but you’ve reminded me that I should be eating a cucumber every day! I’ve never tried Persian or Japanese cucumbers, but I really like the long English cucumbers with the skins on.
Hi, I really enjoyed your article. I just started drinking cucumber-lemon (all organic) because my esthetician recommended saying the flavor would help me more drink water which would keep my skin better hydrated.
Because I was curious if CL-water had any other benefits I did a web search and discovered your article which I found it very informative and an easy read. Thanks
Hello Deanna.
Thanks. I’m glad you found the article helpful. It always feels good to hear positive feedback from readers! 🙂
By the way, let me know if you notice a difference with your skin once you start drinking cucumber-lemon water. I would think you would as lemons are so great for detoxification.
Karen
Thanks Karen!
Truthfully Karen, although I’ve yet to actually try any Cucumber water, after reading your seven excellent reasons, it most definitely makes sense for me to do so!
But I have heard of the many benefits of using Cucumbers in various ways!
Thanks for adding to my list!
Hello Mark.
I’m glad you’re compelled to give cucumber water a try after reading all about it!
With the the hot summer months just around the corner, it’s an easy-to-make, healthy beverage to try.
Karen
Karen,
Wow, another delicious and healthy drink. I have just begun adding potassium chloride to my water to help me get more alkaline – and stay there. Cucumber water sounds delicious and I am happy to hear just how healthy it is.
After watching the Cure for Cancer video series I am more conscious than ever about the importance of filling my body with nutritious food and drink as often as possible.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Oops, I meant to say I have been adding potassium bicarbonate to my water, not potassium chloride.
Hello Erica.
I haven’t heard of adding potassium bicarbonate to water to make it more alkaline as an at-home practice. After doing a little Googling, though, I realized the beverage industries may use it as an additive to enhance purified water. This Time article details how its one of four ingredients commonly added to bottled waters, such as the brand SmartWater.
I’m wondering how much you add to your water and if you’re then testing the pH? Also, just curious, what kind of water are you adding it to? If it’s just distilled or reverse osmosis water you’re staring with, which is sort of like “dead water” as I describe in this post, you might want to consider remineralizing your water as well. Check out “7 Easy Ways to Enliven Your Drinking Water for Better Health” for some great ways to get minerals back in your water naturally.
Karen
Karen, I love drinking infused waters and cucumber water is one of my favorites! I have several infused water recipes on my site and I make them all the time. One of my favorite waters with cucumbers is organic cucumber slices, fresh mint, lemon juice, a drop of lemon essential oil and a drop of peppermint oil. It is so refreshing, hydrating and it gives me a boost of energy too. Thanks for sharing all the great reasons why we should be drinking cucumber water! Love it!
Hi Shelley.
I haven’t yet tried adding in lemon with the cucumber slices, but I imagine it would taste fabulous and really be a nice way to “brighten” up cucumber spa water!
Instead of using lemon essential oil, putting a lemon half in backwards into a citrus squeezer releases some of the essential oils (EOs) naturally. That way there’s no need to add any in. Also, I usually prefer using herbs to add flavor as they are much gentler, which is why my Cucumber Mint-Medley Spa Water recipe uses peppermint, lemon balm, and pineapple mint.
Because EOs are so concentrated and each one has it’s own therapeutic actions and therefore, its own safety precautions and contraindications, I’m hesitant about adding EOs to beverages or food. Also, as I’m sure you know, not all EOs are created equal. Some have been known to be adulterated. And EOs that are not organic, may contain pesticides.
Karen
Hi Karen, I didn’t know cucumbers had all that goodness in them! I think I would be better off to put lemon or lime in my water though, because I’ve never grown a liking to cucumber. I can eat it in a sandwich with lots of other salads or cheese, but I can never bring myself to eat it on its own.
Hi Julieanne.
For years I never quite enjoyed cucumbers by themselves, but then all of a sudden I started liking them when my husband introduced me to different varieties (e.g., Persian, Japanese) that didn’t have the huge seeds and thick skin. They tasted so much better than the ones I grew up eating, which were mostly purchased from the grocery store and quite frankly, made me feel like I was just eating plain water. So having a tasty — and organic if possible — cucumber really made the difference for me!
But if you’ve tried many kinds and still don’t love them, I’m wondering how cucumber water would taste with lemon or lime slices added to it? Maybe that would be more appealing? If that still doesn’t cut it, then just plain lemon water is fantastic and really good for you, too! Here’s a post a wrote about it if you’re curious about the health benefits: “5 Reasons to Add Lemon Water to Your Daily Routine.”
Karen
I like the fact that cucumber water can boost bone health. That is something I have always been concerned with because I never drink milk. Its cool to know that cucumbers can have bone health benefits as well.
Hi Johnny.
When I was researching for this article, I found it amazing that cucumbers can be so beneficial for bone health as well! There really are a lot of choices, besides milk, that can help our bones. For example, soy beans, broccoli, spinach, almonds, and sesame seeds are just a few examples of foods that contain calcium (which is obviously great for strong, healthy bones.)
Karen
Hi Karen,
I’ve heard that cucumber in water is great for curbing appetite but didn’t know the many great reasons you have listed. I always use the skin of the cucumber to rub on my body, but now I have great ways of using cucumbers in my water to help in so many ways listed.
I don’t drink any soft drinks, so water is my main source and I like to add something in it. This is great! Now I have another way of helping my body!
I always look forward to the great tips you give and do apply them, so thanks so much!
-Donna
Hello Donna.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I love the idea of using the cucumber skin on your body. Sounds like a great DIY at-home spa treatment! What kind of results do you get with it?
Also, just like you, I don’t drink soda, so water is one of my main sources of hydration. Although, tea and now Kombucha are also a few favorites!
Karen
Hi Karen,
I use cucumber skin for my body before I dump it in the compost. It leaves my skin hydrated and smooth.
I also use a slice on my eyes and relax for about 20 minutes. I don’t know exactly what it does, but I learned it from my grandmother and it just feels good!
-Donna
Hello Donna:
What a great idea to use the cucumber skin for an at-home spa treatment. I’ve chilled cucumber slices for my eyes and even pureed them to use in natural beauty treatments, but I haven’t just used the skin as a topical body treatment. But I could see why it would be beneficial.
Cucumbers naturally contain Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is used in many topical skin treatments to reverse age- and uv-related skin damage and to boost collagen production, and caffeic acid, which is great at preventing water retention and reducing puffy eye circles.
So, your grandmother definitely knew what was best! (And I’m sure more than just beauty secrets!)
Karen
Visually, cucumbers just look so refreshing, especially in a beautiful, glass vessel with condensation on the sides! I would think, with cucumbers being included on the “dirty dozen” list, and the fact that not peeling them makes them more beneficial, then using organic ones is even more important. Great article Karen.
Very good point, Kirsten! Using organic cucumbers would be a wise choice when making spa water.
Thanks for bringing that up.
Karen
This is wonderful
Loving this article, I was draining some cucumber seeds the other night and saw some water had drained, and it was delicious!
Hi Tiffany. Oh, that sounds like a good idea! I’ve never had the water from draining cucumbers. I’ve only enjoyed cucumbers in spa water, such as my Cucumber Mint Medley Spa Water recipe.Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment.
I think you better check Vitamin K again.
Hi Lois. Thanks for writing in. I’m not exactly sure what you’re referring to with regard to Vitamin K, but I decided to add in how much one cucumber has in case you and/or other readers were wondering. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Karen