Cucumber
Why cucumber is anti-inflammatory
Cucumber is anti-inflammatory largely because of the cucurbitacins and the vitamin K in its skin. The dark green skin holds those compounds along with the fibre, and the cucurbitacins are what give an older cucumber its bitter edge. The pale flesh underneath is about 95 percent water.
Chemists pulled a compound called idoBR1 out of cucumber fruit and found that it lowered an inflammatory signal in human blood samples in the laboratory. That is a purified compound tested in glassware, and it does not show that eating a cucumber calms inflammation. What cucumber does for you is simpler than that.
It fills a plate for very few calories. A bowl of slices takes the place of the crisps or biscuits you would otherwise pick at, and those sit near the top of our inflammation scale. Replacing food that way is slower than any plant compound, and more dependable.
Shop cucumbers are often waxed or wrapped in plastic so they do not dry out, and that is why many people peel them. Peeling takes the fibre and the plant compounds off with the skin. Rinse the cucumber under the tap instead. If a cucumber tastes bitter, the bitterness gathers at the stem end, so cut an inch off and taste again.
Pickles are a different food: cucumbers kept in salt brine, because the salt is there to stop them spoiling, so it arrives with every bite. Sweet varieties add sugar on top of the salt. Keep those as a condiment and put the fresh cucumber on the plate.
Cucumber on the AIP diet
Cucumber is allowed from the first day of the AIP elimination phase. It belongs to the gourd family, not the nightshades, so it stays on the plate alongside courgette and pumpkin. Some strict versions of the protocol have you scoop the seeds out. Pickles need reading: dill is a herb and passes, but mustard seed, black pepper and chilli in the jar do not.
Benefits
- Almost all water, so it fills a plate for very few calories
- The dark green skin carries the fibre, the vitamin K and the plant compounds
- Raw and ready, so it takes no cooking to be worth eating
- An easy swap for the crisps and biscuits picked at between meals
Watch out for
- Pickled cucumbers sit in salt brine, and the salt comes with every bite
- Sweet pickle varieties add sugar on top of the salt
- Peeling removes the skin, which is where most of what cucumber offers sits
- A very bitter cucumber holds too much cucurbitacin and can upset your stomach
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Frequently asked
Is cucumber anti-inflammatory?
Yes. Cucumber is almost all water, and the dark green skin carries the fibre and the plant compounds. It also fills a plate for very few calories, which makes it an easy replacement for salty snacks.
Should I peel cucumber?
No. The skin holds the fibre, the vitamin K and most of the plant compounds, so peeling throws away the best part. Shop cucumbers are often given a thin food-grade wax to stop them drying out, and a rinse under the tap takes it off.
Are pickles as good as fresh cucumber?
No. Pickles are cucumbers kept in salt brine, so the salt comes with them, and sweet varieties add sugar as well. Treat them as a condiment rather than as a vegetable.
Can I eat cucumber on the AIP diet?
Yes, from the start of the elimination phase. Cucumber is a gourd, not a nightshade. Pickles depend on the jar: dill is fine, but mustard seed, black pepper and chilli are not.
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