Health Benefits of Cucumber

Cucumber is a fruit that came from the same family as pumpkin, zucchini and other squashes. It has a dark green rind and white succulent flesh. There are 2 types of cucumbers the pickling varieties and the slicing varieties. The pickling variety is relatively small (2 – 4 inches long).

Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm.

• Vitamin A 180 I.U.
• Niacin Trace
• Vitamin C 9 mg.
• Calcium 32 mg.
• Iron 1.8 mg.
• Phosphorus 27 mg.
• Potassium 80 mg.
• Carbohydrates 17 gm.
• Calories 70

Reported Health Benefits :

• Cucumber is best natural diuretic known, secreting and promoting the flow of urine.
• Helps in kidney and urinary bladder disease.
• Liver disease
• Pancreatic disease
• The potassium content of cucumber makes it highly useful for conditions of high and low blood pressure.
• Cucumber contains erepsin, the enzyme that helps to digest protein.
• The high silicon and sulphur content of the cucumber is said to promote the growth of hair, especially when the juice of the cucumber is added to the juice of carrot, lettuce and spinach.
• A mixture of cucumber juice with carrot juice is said to be beneficial for rheumatic conditions resulting from excessive uric acid in the body.
• Cucumber juice is also valuable for helping diseases of the teeth, gums, especially in cases of pyorrhea.
• The high mineral content of this vegetable also helps to prevent splitting of nails of the fingers and toes.
• Cucumber, radish and bitter gourd are beneficial in diabetes.

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Reported Health Benefits :

• Cucumber is best natural diuretic known, secreting and promoting the flow of urine.
• Helps in kidney and urinary bladder disease.
• Liver disease
• Pancreatic disease
• The potassium content of cucumber makes it highly useful for conditions of high and low blood pressure.
• Cucumber contains erepsin, the enzyme that helps to digest protein.
• The high silicon and sulphur content of the cucumber is said to promote the growth of hair, especially when the juice of the cucumber is added to the juice of carrot, lettuce and spinach.
• A mixture of cucumber juice with carrot juice is said to be beneficial for rheumatic conditions resulting from excessive uric acid in the body.
• Cucumber juice is also valuable for helping diseases of the teeth, gums, especially in cases of pyorrhea.
• The high mineral content of this vegetable also helps to prevent splitting of nails of the fingers and toes.
• Cucumber, radish and bitter gourd are beneficial in diabetes.

• Many people are ignorant of the immense health benefits of cucumber and would avoid eating cucumber where possible.  Fresh cucumber may taste “bland” to some but its thirst-quenching and cooling properties are refreshing. It acts as an anti-oxidant when taken together with fried and barbequed foods.
• I like to mix cucumber juice with carrot or orange juices.  Here’s a list of health benefits of cool cucumber:
• Acidity: The alkalinity of the minerals in cucumber juice effectively helps in regulating the body’s blood pH, neutralizing acidity.  The juice is also soothing for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers.
• Blood pressure: Like celery, this colorless drink can help regulate blood pressure because of its minerals and traces of sodium.
• Connective tissues, building: The excellent source of silica contributes to the proper construction of connective tissues in our body as in the bones, muscles, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
• Cooling: During dry and hot weather, drink a glass of cucumber + celery juice. It wonderfully helps to normalize body temperature.
• Diuretic: Cucumber juice is diuretic, encouraging waste removal through urination.  This also helps in the dissolution of kidney stones.
• Fever: The temperature regulating properties in cucumber juice makes it a suitable drink when you have a fever.
• Inflammation: The Chinese think that cucumbers are too “cooling” and not suitable for people with rheumatism.  But we know now that cucumber can help counter uric acids that are causing inflammation in joints.  When cucumber is taken it does its cleaning work at the joints, thus stirring up pain as it eliminates the uric acid.  This means it also help other inflamed conditions like arthritis, asthma, and gout.
• Hair growth: The silicon and sulfur content in cucumber juice makes it especially helpful in promoting hair growth.  Drink it mixed with carrot, lettuce or spinach juice.
• Puffy eyes: Some people wake up in the morning with puffy eyes, probably due to too much water retention in the body (or having cried to sleep).  To reduce the puffiness, lie down and put two slices of cucumber on the eyes for a good ten minutes.
• Skin conditions: The high amount of vitamin C
  and anti-oxidants in cucumber makes it an important ingredient in many beauty creams for treating eczema, psoriasis, acne, etc.
• Sunburn: When there is a sunburn, make cucumber juice and rub it on the affected area for a cooling and healing effect.
• Water retention: It supplies the necessary electrolytes and restores hydration of the body cells, thus reducing water retention.

http://www.juicing-for-health.com/cucumber-benefits.html

See also:

http://www.naturalnews.com/009753.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/tacio-health-benefits-cucumber

http://herbs.ygoy.com/health-benefits-of-cucumber/

http://healthmad.com/health/the-cucumber-and-its-health-benefits/

http://www.juicing-for-health.com/cucumber-benefits.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_5125565_understand-health-benefits-cucumbers.html

http://www.health-fitness.com.au/cucumber/

Health Benefits of Pigeon Pea

Chemical constituents and properties
Roots are considered antihelminthic, expectorant, febrifuge, sedative, vulnerary.
Seeds are rich in carbohydrates (58%) and proteins (19%).
Fair source of calcium and iron; good source of vitamin B.
Chemical studies reveal: 2′-2’methylcajanone, 2′-hydroxygenistein, isoflavones, cajanin, cahanones, among many others.

Parts used and preparation
Leaves, roots.

Uses
Folkloric
Decoction or infusionn of leaves for coughs, diarrhea, abdominal pains.
Tender leaves are chewed for aphthous stomatitis and spongy gums.
Pulped or poulticed leaves used for sores.
In Peru, leaves are used as an infusion for anemial, hepatitis, diabetes, urinary infections and yellow fever.
In Argentina, leaves used for genital and skin problems; flowers used for bronchitis, cough and pneumonia.
In China, as vermifuge, vulnerary; for tumors.
In Panama, used for treatment of diabetes (See study below).
In Indian folk medicine, used for a variety of liver disorders.
Nutrition
Used mainly for its edible young pods and seeds.
Others
Vegetable food crop ( seeds and pods) in South-East Asia.
As forage or hay.
Branches and stems for basket and fuel. (Source)

Studies
• Clinical studies have reported seed extracts to inhibit red blood cell sickling and potential benefit for people with sickle cell anemia.
• Antiplasmodial constituents of Cajanus cajan: Study shows compounds from roots and leaves of CC showed moderately high in vitro activity against Plasmodium falcifarum strain.
• Hypocholesterolemic Effect: Study on the stilbenes containing extract-fraction of CC showed a hypocholesterolemic effect possibly through enhancement of hepatic LDL-receptor and cholesterol 7-alpha-hydroxylase expression levels and bile acid synthesis.
• Evaluation of traditional medicine: effects of Cajanus cajan L. and of Cassia fistula L. on carbohydrate metabolism in mice: Contradicting its traditional use for diabetes, CC did not have a hypo effect on sugar, aand at higher doses produced a hyperglycemic effect.
• Antimicrobial: Antimicrobial effect of leaf extracts of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) millsp.) on some human pathogens : Study shows the plants extract to be inhibitory to some bacterial pathogens.
• Antimicrobial / Antifungal: Nigerian study on the antimicrobial effects of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of locally available plants, including C cajan, showerd inhibition against S aureus, P aeruginosa, E coli and C albicans. The extracts of C cajam produced wider zones of inhibition against C albicans.
• Hyperglycemic Effect: Study of the aqueous extract of C cajan leaves showed a hyperglycemic effect, suggesting a usefulness incontrolling hypoglycemia that may be due to excess of insulin or other hypoglycemic drugs.
• Hepatoprotective: Study of the methanol-aqueous fraction of C cajan leaf extract showed it could prevent the chronically treated alcohol induced rat liver damage and presents a promise as a non-toxic herb for therapeutic use in alcohol-induced liver dysfunction.

http://www.stuartxchange.org/Kadios.html

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Nutritional Value of Pigeon Pea (Red Gram, Toor, Congo Pea, Gunga Pea)
Pigeon Pea commonly known as Red Gram, Toor, Congo pea or Gunga Pea is yellow colored legume. It is cooked and used as food in day to day life.

Nutrition Facts and Information about Pigeon Pea: Pigeon Pea is rich is potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. It has good amount of iron and selenium and small amount of zinc, copper and manganese.

Vitamin Content of Pigeon Pea: Pigeon Pea has good amount of Vitamin A, Niacin and small amount of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid.

Calorie Content of Pigeon Pea: 100g of Pigeon Pea has 343 calories. Calories from fat are 12.

Health Benefits of Pigeon Pea: Pigeon Pea cures cough, poisoning effect, gas troubles, acidity, stomach pain and piles. It makes a balanced human food, quells swelling of internal organs and with water it cures intoxicating effects.

http://www.organicfacts.net/nutrition-facts/pulses/nutritional-value-of-cowpea-and-pigeon-pea.html

Power Herbal Tea (Guava, Banaba and Malunggay)

Drinking herbal tea is on one of the easiest and safest way to keep our body healthy. Most people would rather drink medicine or supplement to make them feel better, but herbal tea is a lot better than those processed medicine that can cause damaging side effects to the body.

People who live in Southeast Asian countries are lucky because many beneficial herbs are readily available to them, a lot of those beneficial herbs / leaves just grow in their backyard or around their neighborhood. Dried form of this medicinal leaves are now marketed worldwide so everybody can take advantage of its curative effect.

3 Herbal Tea that contain a lot of health benefits:

1. Guava leaves tea – guava in itself is a rich source of vitamin C, guava’s vitamin C content is 5x more than that of an orange, carotenoids, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and iron.

Health benefits from drinking guava leaves tea:

• Helps in cases of Gastroenteritis, dysentery, diarrhea and vomiting in cholera patient
• Helps fight free radicals.
• Helps to clean the kidney
• If you have chicken pox, drinking 4 cups of guava tea will make the chicken pox heal faster and the skin will have less scarring.
• Contain strong antibiotic effect
• It is good in controlling diabetes
• Good for constipation
• Gargling with lukewarm tea can help remedy swollen gums and oral ulcers.
• Help relieves colds and bronchitis
• Helps skin disorders because it is rich in vitamin C.

2. Banaba leaves tea – is one of the most common types of herbal tea. A mature green banaba leaves are used, the ratio is 3 leaves to 6 cups of water, boiled this for 15minutes in low heat. You can drink 3-4 cups of this tea per day, to add some flavor squeeze lemon or add honey.

Banaba leaves contain triterpenoid compound corosolic acid, and this ingredient has shown promise in animal trials in the fight against obesity. Corosolic acid helps to promote the use of glucose as fuel, and promotes weight loss.

Health benefits from drinking banaba leaves tea:

• Banaba tea can help detoxify the body and protect the liver.
• It helps in the treatment of urinary tract infections
• It helps to lower or normalize blood sugar, even if you are prone to have diabetes you can lower the risk by drinking banaba tea everyday. It is effective for this purpose because of its ability to regulate blood sugar and act in a way that is similar to insulin
• Banaba tea produces a positive effect of lowering trigyceride and LDL cholesterol, which aid in weight loss!
• Banaba tea can help in weight reduction even without dietary restrictions.

3. Malunggay or Moringa leaves tea – malunggay is known in Asia as a “miracle plant” that can help fight malnutrition. Malunggay tree is abundant in most countries in Southeast Asia especially in the Philippines where it is seen in most backyards.

Malunggay or Moringa contain 7x the vitamin C found in oranges, 4x the vitamin A of carrots, 3x the iron of spinach, 4x as much calcium as milk, 2x the protein in milk and 3x the potassium of bananas.

Health benefits from drinking malunggay or moringa leaves tea:

• Malunggay tea can help increase breast milk.
• Malunggay tea can aid weight loss.
• It can help restrict the growth of tumors.
• It can help reduce phlegm.
• It can help strengthen the eye muscle due to its high vitamin A content.
• It can relieve fatigue and stress.
• It can help you get a good night sleep.
• It can prevent intestinal worm because of its strong detoxifying properties.
• It can help increase semen count.
• It can strengthen the immune system.
• It can help reduce arthritis pains
• It can prevent osteoporosis
• It can help make the skin healthy
• It can control blood pressure
• It can help relieves headaches and migraines.

Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/Power-Herbal-Tea-Guava–Banaba-and-Malunggay