Cucumber
Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps
Mostly water by weight — which is exactly the point of it.
Stage by stage
- Intake (High water content): Its high water content (over 95%) requires minimal digestive breakdown.
- Stomach (Fast-moving, low-calorie): Passes through digestion quickly given its low fibre and calorie density.
- Small intestine (Modest nutrient absorption): Modest amounts of vitamin K and potassium are absorbed.
- Hydration & electrolytes (Fluid contribution): Contributes to overall daily fluid and modest electrolyte intake.
Timing
With skin on retains more fibre and nutrients than peeled.
Time to effect
- Minutes: Contributes to fluid intake essentially immediately.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.
In season
May to September in the northern hemisphere, November to March in the southern.
Satiety
The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 13 kcal per 100 g that is 1.8 kg of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.
Environmental footprint
0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £2.5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 13.4
- Protein: 1.2g
- Carbohydrate: 1.4g
- of which sugars: 1.4g
- Fat: 0.1g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 0.9g
- Sodium: 16mg
Food vs. supplement
Cucumber’s main practical value is hydration and volume with very few calories — it doesn’t meaningfully substitute for any specific supplement, but is a genuinely useful low-calorie way to add fluid and fibre-free bulk to a meal.
Kitchen tip
Leave the skin on where possible - it holds a good share of the fibre and a modest amount of vitamin K.
Common myth
“Cucumber has a special ability to flush toxins from your body.” In reality: Its main effect is hydration and fluid intake — the "detox" framing isn’t a distinct or measurable physiological process beyond normal kidney and liver function.
Recipes that use it
More in Vegetable
In the glossary
Sources