NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🥒

cucumber

Mostly water and crunch — a near-zero-calorie hydrator with modest potassium and vitamin K.

Preliminary evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup sliced, raw with peel (104 g)

104gSERVING
  • Sugars 1.7 g2%
  • Fibre 0.5 g0%
  • Other carbs 1.6 g2%
  • Protein 0.7 g1%
  • Other 99.5 g96%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C3%Fiber2%Potassium3%Folate2%Vitamin A0%Vitamin K14%Vitamin B62%Manganese3%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
16 kcal0.7 g protein0.5 g fiber1.7 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C2.9 mg3%
Fiber0.5 g2%
Potassium153 mg3%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin A4 µg0%
Vitamin K17 µg14%
Vitamin B60.04 mg2%
Manganese0.08 mg3%
Copper0.04 mg4%
Vitamin E0.03 mg0%
Magnesium14 mg3%
Calcium17 mg1%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is cucumber?

cucumber is a vegetable used for very low energy density aids satiety and weight control. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Cucumber is roughly 95% water and one of the lowest-energy-density foods in the diet, which is its main evidence-based virtue: it adds volume, hydration and crunch for almost no calories. Direct human trials are small — a few RCTs of concentrated cucumber seed extract or juice report improved lipids and glycemic markers, but doses far exceed culinary intake and the studies are underpowered. The strongest applicable evidence is indirect: large dose-response meta-analyses show higher overall vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Purported Benefits

✓Very low energy density aids satiety and weight control
✓High water content supports hydration
✓Modest potassium and vitamin K
✓Concentrated extracts may improve lipids (small RCTs)
✓Adds vegetable volume linked to lower CVD risk

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup sliced, raw with peel (104 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
cucurbitacinsfisetincucumegastigmanesluteinvitexin/orientin flavonoids

Safety & Cautions

Generally very safe and well tolerated. Provides vitamin K (~17 ug/cup), relevant for patients on warfarin who should keep intake consistent. Cucurbitacins can make some varieties bitter and, rarely, cause GI upset. Mild oral-allergy/cross-reactivity (ragweed/melon) is possible in sensitized individuals. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining cucumber with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Meta-analysis Topical plant-based products meta-analysis 2024 ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs of topical plant-based products (incl. cucumber) found significant improvement in skin hydration and elasticity and reduced melanin/erythema, but no significant effect on transepidermal water loss.
Meta-analysis Oral fruit/fruit extract skin aging meta-analysis 2023 ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs found oral intake of fruit or fruit extracts improved skin elasticity and hydration parameters in healthy adults.
Meta-analysis Aune 2017 ✓ Full text
Dose-response meta-analysis of 95 cohort studies: each 200 g/day increase in fruit and vegetable intake was associated with 8% lower CVD (RR 0.92) and 10% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.90), with benefit up to ~800 g/day.
Meta-analysis Zhan 2017 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of prospective cohorts (38 studies, 1,498,909 participants): highest vs lowest vegetable intake was associated with 13% lower cardiovascular disease risk (RR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.91).
Meta-analysis Wang 2014 ✓ PubMed
BMJ dose-response meta-analysis (16 cohorts, 833,234 participants): each additional daily serving of vegetables was associated with a 5% lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.99), plateauing near five servings/day.
RCT Sadeghi 2023 ✓ Full text
In a randomized trial of women with type 2 diabetes (n=40), cucumber juice consumption significantly reduced fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL and raised HDL (P<0.05), with greater effect combined with resistance training.
RCT Hausenblas 2025 ✓ PubMed
Double-blind RCT in 80 adults with mild-moderate joint pain: 60 days of standardized Cucumis sativus extract (Q-actin, 20 mg/d, >1% idoBR1) improved WOMAC, Brief Pain Inventory and Pain Disability Index versus placebo (e.g. WOMAC +31.8% vs placebo -14.3%).
RCT Hausenblas 2025 ✓ Full text
CONSORT-compliant double-blind RCT (n=80, mean age 50): 60 days of Cucumis sativus L. extract (20 mg/d) produced greater improvements than placebo in fatigue, mood, sleep quality, perceived stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life.
RCT Soltani 2017 ✓ PubMed
In a 6-week double-blind RCT (n=47), 500 mg/day cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seed extract significantly lowered total cholesterol (P=0.016), LDL-C (P<0.001) and triglycerides (P<0.001) and raised HDL-C (P=0.012) vs placebo.
Narrative review Dandawate 2024 ✓ PubMed
Review of cucurbitacins (triterpenoids abundant in Cucurbitaceae including cucumber): preclinical and mechanistic data show pro-apoptotic, anti-proliferative and JAK/STAT-inhibiting anticancer activity, with no confirmatory human trials to date.
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about cucumber

What is cucumber used for?

cucumber is most often taken for Very low energy density aids satiety and weight control, High water content supports hydration, Modest potassium and vitamin K, Concentrated extracts may improve lipids (small RCTs). Mostly water and crunch — a near-zero-calorie hydrator with modest potassium and vitamin K.

Does cucumber work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Cucumber is roughly 95% water and one of the lowest-energy-density foods in the diet, which is its main evidence-based virtue: it adds volume, hydration and crunch for almost no calories. Direct human trials are small — a few RCTs of concentrated cucumber seed extract or juice report improved lipids and glycemic markers, but doses far exceed culinary intake and the studies are underpowered. The strongest applicable evidence is indirect: large dose-response meta-analyses show higher overall vegetable intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

What is the typical dose of cucumber?

Standard serving: 1 cup sliced, raw with peel (104 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is cucumber safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally very safe and well tolerated. Provides vitamin K (~17 ug/cup), relevant for patients on warfarin who should keep intake consistent. Cucurbitacins can make some varieties bitter and, rarely, cause GI upset. Mild oral-allergy/cross-reactivity (ragweed/melon) is possible in sensitized individuals.

How many studies support cucumber?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for cucumber, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). cucumber: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/cucumber

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_cucumber,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {cucumber: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/cucumber},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

← Back to the full dex · All substances