Will eating bitter cucumbers cause poisoning?

Cucumber is a very important vegetable in our life. It is a melon and fruit vegetable native to inland arid areas. It has a very high water content and tastes crisp and refreshing. It has become a must-have vegetable for cooling down in the hot summer. However, some parts of the cucumber taste very bitter and are difficult to swallow. Let’s take a look at whether eating bitter cucumbers will cause poisoning? I hope everyone can understand.

Why are cucumbers bitter?

In the hot summer, cucumber is a common dish on the table for cooling down and relieving heat, but some people find that the cucumbers they eat taste bitter. Experts tell us that cucumbers taste bitter because they contain a bitter substance called "cucurbitacin C".

The increase in the bitterness of cucumbers may be due to poor planting conditions, low temperature (below 13 degrees), high temperature (over 30 degrees), insufficient water, excessive use of pesticides, etc. Generally, the cucumber head has a bitter taste, which is determined by genes and is to prevent pests from eating the cucumbers.

Can you eat bitter cucumbers?

It is best not to eat bitter cucumbers, especially for people with poor gastrointestinal function.

If you consume too much bitter cucumber, you will experience symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, if you buy this kind of cucumber, it is better to eat less.

Cucumber itself is a delicious and nutritious vegetable. In terms of taste, cucumber is crisp, tender, juicy, sweet, fragrant and delicious; in terms of nutrition, it contains rich ingredients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, multiple vitamins, cellulose, and calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. In particular, the fine cellulose contained in cucumbers can lower the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, promote intestinal peristalsis, accelerate waste excretion, and improve body metabolism. The succinic acid contained in fresh cucumbers can also effectively inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates into fat. Therefore, eating cucumbers regularly can help lose weight and prevent the occurrence of coronary heart disease.

How to Choose Cucumbers

First, choose cucumbers that are straight, elongated and uniform in shape.

Second, pick up the firm cucumber with your hands.

Third, choose cucumbers with wilted flowers. Generally, when you pick them, they have thorns on the top of the flowers. The flowers will wilt after a few days. If the flowers still look plump, they may have been coated with chemical ingredients.

Cool Facts: Cucumbers are green, so why are they called cucumbers?

Cucumber was brought back to the Central Plains by Zhang Qian during his mission to the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty. It was called Hugua. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Five Barbarians, Shi Le was too afraid of the word "Hu" to use the word "cucumber". In the beginning, people waited until cucumbers were ripe before eating them, so they ate "yellow" cucumbers. Later, they found that they were crisper, tenderer and more delicious when they were unripe, so they started eating green cucumbers.