CUCUMBERS

CUCUMBERS could be the next unlikely ‘super food’ following a widely-shared post about it’s many weird and wonderful uses. A group of mums took to Facebook to share some health and household benefits of it.

While most of us may think that the cucumber is no more than a filler in a salad or accessory to a sandwich, surprisingly the fruit has ‘super’ health benefits and, apparently, cleaning uses too.

Cucumbers not only have vital vitamins to boost our everyday health, but can protect plants from nasty pests and even be the key to curing a hangover.

Vitamin C, calcium, iron, potassium and folic acid can also be found at the centre of the fruit – which benefit the body from head to toe.  Nearly all the vitamins your body needs

Just one serving, about 50g, will give you around four per cent of your daily need for fibre.

Quickly reduces cellulite

Cellulite is nothing to be ashamed of, but if you want to get rid of it quickly, it’s been said you can rub a slice or two on the problem area for just a few minutes before seeing results.

The chemicals inside the fruit cause collagen in human skin to tighten up, firming up the outer layer and therefore reducing the viability of cellulite.

It works on facial wrinkles too, and puffiness for eyes – in case you’d ever wondered why people put slices on their face while trying to react.

Prevents hangovers

Nobody likes waking up with that feeling – so the mums of Facebook encourage everyone to chomp on a few slices of cucumber to wake up refreshed the day after drinking.

Cucumbers contain plenty of sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients we lose when we take to alcohol – restoring our equilibrium overnight.

Shines leather shoes

Need to shine your shoes but don’t have the time to go and get the polish? Apparently cucumber is the answer to this problem too.

Rubbing the centre of a cucumber over a leather shoe will provide a quick and durable shine that also repels water.

However, it won’t work if the leather is scuffed, so you’ll still need to dig out the chemicals for that larger job.

Fixes squeaky hinges and handles

Don’t reach for the WD-40 just yet, or make that trip down to the hardware store – as something in your salad drawer can help with squeaking hinges.

A slice of the translucent centre of a cucumber rubbed onto the problem area will prevent the squeaking noise from happening again.

Cleans surfaces and taps

Taking a slice of cucumber, rub it on the surface you want to clean – not only will it remove the dirt and leave a shine, but won’t harm your fingers from any harsh chemicals.

And it works on other things too, so if you’ve got crayons or pen marks on painted walls, remember to use the cucumber first before reaching for the paint.

Freshens breath

To eliminate bad breath, take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds.

The phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath – making a cheap and natural alternative to a mint.