Detox
Cucumber
A high-water vegetable that's mostly known for hydration, but also delivers a meaningful dose of vitamin K in the skin.
Detox
Skin Health
Gut Health
Serving
1 cup, sliced, with peel (104g)
Calories Per Serving
16
Key nutrients
Water content, vitamin K, silica, potassium
Nutrient density
50
Why it’s worth eating
Cucumbers are hydrating, low in calories, and rich in vitamin K and antioxidants. They support hydration and skin health. Add to salads or enjoy as a refreshing snack.
What you may notice
Hydration and skin appearance
Digestive comfort
Markers worth tracking
Vitamin K and INR status
Hydration markers (urine color/frequency)
How to eat it
Leave the peel on, most of the vitamin K, fiber, and silica are concentrated there, not in the watery flesh.
Pairs well with
Healthy fats (a little olive oil), helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamin K
Vinegar, a classic pairing that also adds a touch of flavor and acidity
Storage
Refrigerate in a plastic bag or wrap to retain moisture; use within a week.
The numbers, per 1 cup, sliced, with peel (104g)
14%
Vitamin K
1%
Vitamin A
3%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
2%
Iron
3%
Magnesium
3%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
0.5g
Cucumber, with peel, raw (FDC 168409)
Evidence
D
HONEST FLAG: essentially no credible whole-food human clinical trials. Cucumber is about 95% water - a hydration and fibre vehicle, not a bioactive powerhouse.
Study dose vs. serving
No established benefit dose.
No cucumber-specific outcome trial located. Safety literature: Assouly P. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(5):617-618.
Use caution if
You take warfarin or other blood thinners, modest vitamin K content; keep intake consistent if eating large amounts regularly
You're sensitive to cucurbitacins, some people experience bitterness or mild digestive upset, especially from the ends
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Summer field crop; year-round greenhouse
Forms
Fresh, pickled
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Cucurbitacins (bitter defensive triterpenes)
Heat stable
Partial
Watch
TOXIC SQUASH SYNDROME: bitter cucurbits can accumulate cucurbitacins causing rapid vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and hypotension. Two cases of alopecia after eating bitter pumpkin soup or squash are documented (JAMA Dermatology 2018), with a proposed antimitotic mechanism. COOKING DOES NOT DESTROY CUCURBITACINS - discard anything unusually bitter. MEDIA-ACCURACY CASE STUDY: in the 2011 German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak (3,950 cases, 53 deaths, 800 HUS cases) Spanish cucumbers were publicly and wrongly blamed before the source was traced to fenugreek sprouts; a German court later ruled a wrongly accused grower should be compensated.
Reliability
2 / 5
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