"As Cool As A Cucumber" by Neal Murphy

June 3, 2022 - I am sure that you have heard the little phrase “as cool as a cucumber”. It is usually used to describe a person who is very calm and in control of their emotions. These individuals are further described as composed and self-possessed, as in “despite the mishap, Margaret was as cool as a cucumber.”

Have you ever wondered how and why cucumbers are considered as cool? This idiom apparently is based on the fact that in hot weather the inside of cucumbers remains at least twenty degrees cooler than the air around them.

Cucumbers have an interesting history. Physicians in the 17th century prescribed fevered patients to be placed on a bed of cucumbers so they would become cool. Cucumbers are 96 percent water and are cool to the touch. It is this water-retentive ability that gives them their reputation for never losing their “cool”.

Cucumbers were around as early as 3,000 years ago. You may recall that when the Israelites were wandering in the desert for forty years they lamented leaving their luscious cucumbers in Egypt. Legend tells us that Roman Emperor Tiberius commanded cucumbers appear on his table every day. In order to accomplish this, his gardeners forced cucumbers in portable containers which they moved from place to place following sunlight to provide out-of-season cucumbers for the royal household.

It might surprise you to learn that cucumbers are technically fruits, and belong to the same plant family as pumpkins, zucchini, and watermelons. Since cucumbers are 96 percent water, they contain no fat, no carbohydrates, and very few calories which make them a popular diet-friendly snack. All that water also gives cucumbers their unique refreshing quality, especially on a hot summer day. So, the phrase, “cool as a cucumber”, is actually a scientific fact.

Cucumbers are among the top five most popular garden vegetables – so popular that the National Garden Bureau declared 2014 the “Year of the Cucumber”.

It turns out that cucumbers aren’t just for placing over your eyes while you get a facial. There are some fun and surprising facts about cucumbers that are generally unknown. The following are some facts about how cucumbers can help us:

Scientists have discovered that cucumbers actually cool the temperature of the blood. When applied topically, they really do cool the blood and ease facial swelling, which is why they are so popular in facial regimens.

To help with your 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 that are responsible for causing bad breath.

Who needs a multivitamin when cucumbers contain Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Zinc?

As a stress reliever, cut up an entire cucumber and place in a boiling pot of water. The chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam. This creates a soothing, relaxing aroma.

Do you have a problem with your bathroom mirror fogging up after your morning shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror. It will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

Instead of trying to drink eight glasses of water per day, try munching on some cucumbers. They are made up of 96% water, and can help curb hunger.

Take a slice of cucumber and wipe it on any surface that needs a little TLC – your faucets, sinks, stainless steel, etc. It will remove tarnish and built-up residue leaving it looking clean and shiny.

If you have had too much alcohol, consider this – cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins, and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in balance. Just eat a couple of slices of cucumber before going to bed and wake up headache free.

Stay away from those energy drinks. Cucumbers are a great source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide that afternoon pick-me-up that can be just the jolt that you need.

So, there you have the real scoop on cucumbers. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, so those 17th century physicians may have been on to something when they placed feverish patients on beds of cucumbers. So, they are really “cool” for a number of reasons.

CITATIONS:
“The Town Dish” – Kathy Hullen
“Natural Food” – Dave Roos
“Cucumbers Are Cool” – Ellen Peffley ( A-J Media)