Cucumber contains decent amounts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, which are the main electrolytes. It has only a poor content of sodium and chloride. But, it’s easy to consume high doses of sodium and chloride from table salt.
Water in cucumber hydrates the body
Above all, cucumber is good for hydration because it’s 96% is water! A whole cucumber provides up to 300 grams of water. Moreover, cucumber has high-quality purified water! Fruits and vegetables are nature’s water filters.
Due to its high water content, cucumber is good for weight loss. First, a whole cucumber has less than 50 calories. Moreover, proper hydration is necessary for fat burn. Water and electrolytes are important for energy metabolism!
Why do we need electrolytes?
For proper hydration, besides water, we also have to replenish electrolytes. Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium) are essential minerals for the human body. We have to get them from food.
Electrolytes are involved in many functions of the body. They regulate:
- muscle contraction
- the pH of the blood
- the fluids in the body
- nerve signals
Excessive sweating, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea are common reasons of electrolyte imbalances.
Athletes and active people have a high risk of electrolyte imbalances. Muscle cramps are common side effects of electrolyte imbalances.
Drinking water without replenishing electrolytes isn’t a good idea. Too much water can lead to greater electrolyte imbalances.
Do cucumbers have electrolytes?
Cucumber contains decent amounts of most electrolytes:
- Potassium (381 mg) or 11 of the Daily Value (DV)
- Calcium (39 mg) or 4% DV
- Magnesium (33 mg) or 8% DV
Cucumber isn’t a good dietary source of sodium and chloride. We can get high doses of these two minerals from table salt, though. Even 1/4 tsp of salt provides 575 mg of sodium![1]
Also, cucumber contains decent amounts of many other minerals:[2]
- Iron (0.6 mg)
- Phosphorus (58 mg)
- Zinc (0.4 mg)
- Copper (0.2 mg)
- Selenium (0.3 mcg)
Other foods high in electrolytes
Magnesium is naturally found in both animal (e.g. fish, meat, dairy) and plant-based foods. Green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach), legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and certain fruits are good sources of magnesium. We also can get high dosages of magnesium from water.
Potato, dark chocolate, seeds, and nuts (e.g. walnuts), and certain fruits (e.g. avocado, banana) are great dietary sources of potassium.
Moreover, there are many plant-based foods high in calcium. Cow’s milk and dairy aren’t the only good dietary sources of calcium. Beans (soybeans, in particular), seeds, nuts (e.g. almonds), as well as certain vegetables (e.g. kale) are rich in calcium!
