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CUCUMIS SATIVIS

CUCUMBER

The cucumber, Cucumis sativis, is a vine fruit that can be eaten fresh or pickled. A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, it is related to melons and squash. Cucumbers were native to northwestern India but have long been distributed throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa. Cucumber is a popular vegetable, which has been widely used in folk medicine to reduce heat and inflammation. It is a rich source of vitamin C, and can be used externally to cool and cleanse.

USES

 Drink cucumber juice or eat fresh cucumber to soothe heartburn or to improve an acid stomach.

 Drink 3–5fl. oz. (100–150ml) of cucumber juice every two hours for a gastric or duodenal ulcer.

 For strained or inflamed eyes, place a slice of cucumber on each eyelid to reduce swelling and soothe.

 Apply fresh cucumber or cucumber juice to sunburned skin to cool it down.

 Ground dried cucumber seeds are used to treat tapeworm.

 Cucumber juice, drunk daily, may help to control eczema, arthritis, and gout.

 Skin conditions respond to cucumber. Include fresh cucumber in your diet as much as possible.

 Cucumber juice acts as a kidney tonic.

 Use cucumber ointment on inflammed skin.

 Fresh cucumber juice, or the whole raw vegetable, is a mild diuretic and is cleansing. Use to treat lung and chest infections, and to bring down fever.

PROPERTIES

 Diuretic

 Cooling

 Cleansing, particularly for skin disorders

 Used in the treatment of gout and arthritis

 Anti-inflammatory—soothes inflammatory skin conditions

 May help to treat lung and chest disorders

 Drink cucumber juice for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis