One large peeled cucumber contains only 34 calories. They are an excellent source for vitamin C and K and are known to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Even though most folks are familiar with the long, dark green, smooth-skinned garden variety, cucumbers actually come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and shapes. There are white, yellow and even orange-colored cucumbers. They are all from the same family of plants, called Curcubitaceae. Botanically speaking, like tomatoes and squash, cucumbers are actually a fruit, not a vegetable, even though we tend to refer to them as a vegetable. Pickled, raw or baked, cucumbers are an excellent addition to a healthy diet.

Discover Cucumber (Huang Gua) and other herbs by visiting our Herb Directory.