It’s summer-time and you should definitely not forget to pick a handful of these firm, dark green cucumbers and put them into your shopping basket. But, well do you know that you have just bought yourself a fruit (yes,  this is a fruit and a not a vegetable) full of good health!

Here is a short list of the impressive health benefits that a cucumber carries with it:

• Keeps you hydrated-If you are too busy to drink enough water, munch on the cool cucumber, which is 96 percent water. It will cheerfully compensate!
• Fights heat, both inside and out. Eat cucumber, and your body gets relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin, and you get relief from sunburn.
• Flushes out toxins.All that water in cucumber acts as a virtual broom, sweeping waste products out of your system. With regular use, cucumber is known to dissolve kidney stones.
• Lavishes you with vitamins. A, B and C, which boost immunity, gives you energy, and keeps you radiant. Give it more power by juicing cucumber with carrot and spinach.
• Supplies skin-friendly minerals: magnesium, potassium, silicon.That’s why cucumber-based treatments are abound in spas.
• Aids in weight loss.Enjoy cucumbers in your salads and soups. My favourite snack- Crunchy cucumber sticks with creamy low-fat yogurt dip.
• Revives the eyes. Placing chilled slices of cucumber on the eyes is a clichéd beauty visual, but it really helps reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.
• Cuts cancer. Cut down your risk of several cancers by including cucumber in your diet. Shows its cancer-fighting potential.
• Stabilizes blood pressure. Patients of blood pressure, both high and low, often find that eating cucumber brings relief.
• Refreshes the mouth. Cucumber juice refreshes and heals diseased gums, leaving your mouth smelling good.
• Helps digestion. Chewing cucumber gives the jaws a good workout, and the fiber in it is great for digestion.
• Smooths hair and nails.Silica, the wonder mineral in cucumber makes your hair and nails stronger and shinier.
• Soothes muscle and joint pain. All those vitamins and minerals in cucumber make it a powerful enemy of muscles and joint pains.
• Keeps kidneys in shape. Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system, keeping the kidneys happy.
• Good for diabetics. Patients of diabetes can enjoy cucumber while also reaping its health benefits: cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
• Reduces cholesterol.A compound called sterols in cucumber helps reduce bad cholesterol.