We often consume cucumbers as a topping for salads or in the form of a pickle, but this fruit is packed with many nutrients that should makes want to find more ways to incorporate it into our diets. Cooking and juicing cucumbers have grown in popularity as more people realize the health benefits that it can provide. It contains a number of components that are good for our health and also help protect the body from different ailments. Including this fruit (yes, technically it is considered a fruit) in some of your juicing recipes can have a significant positive impact for you.

Health Benefits

Cucumbers are 95% water, which is the most essential component of the body as it helps the body function properly. Every process in the body needs water to run smoothly, be it digestion or cleansing. Cucumbers have high water content and therefore are a good way to ensure your body is always hydrated. This diuretic fruit also helps the body get rid of toxins through urination. In fact, according to some research, cucumber consumption on a daily basis can aid in kidney stone dissolution.

Vitamins and Minerals

Cucumbers also contain numerous vitamins and minerals, each of which comes with its own nutritional and health benefits. The alkalinity of the minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus for example helps in neutralizing the body’s acidity. In a world where fast foods are the in thing in our too busy schedules, incorporation of this vegetable in the diet, will ensure body pH is always at the required level. Another important mineral component of this vegetable is silica, which promotes construction of connective tissues such as muscles, cartilage, bones, ligaments and tendons. Silicon and sulphur minerals are known to stimulate hair growth and shininess.

Like the other members of the cucurbitaceae family, this vegetable is also a rich source of vitamin A, B, C, D and E, otherwise known as cucurbitacins. All these vitamins are highly under scrutiny for their anti-cancer properties. In fact, scientists have established that cucurbitacins activities can block different signaling pathways required for cancer cell development and survival. Moreover, vitamins A, B and C boost body immunity as well as energy levels.

Cucumbers contain three types of lignans (lariciresinol, pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol) which have been researched for a long period as possible cures for different types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, cucumber extracts have recently been established to have both anti- inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is a common ingredient in most beauty products that are geared towards treating acne, eczema or other skin conditions due to its anti-oxidant nutrients including vitamin C, Manganese and beta-carotene. It also contains minerals that are naturally good for the skin like potassium and silicon.

Too much body water retention can also be taken care of by eating cucumber. It has the necessary electrolytes that restore hydration of the body cells hence reducing water retention. Puffy eyes are a result of too much water retention in the body, putting two slices of fresh cucumber on the eyes for ten to twenty minutes reduces the puffiness. It’s skin can also act as a sunburn healer, besides its cooling effect.

Weight Loss

Cucumber is also recommended for weight loss diets and is good for the digestive system. It has high digestible fiber and water content , both of which are good ingredients for weight loss. It contains a substance called sterols that helps reduce cholesterol level. Moreover, the vegetable itself contains low calories and zero cholesterol.

Blood Sugar

Another health benefit of cucumber is that it is good for blood sugar regulation. It has a special hormone that is needed by the pancreas cells for insulin production; it is therefore healthy and highly recommended for diabetic patients. Potassium, sodium, magnesium and fiber contents of this vegetable are also responsible for making it a good blood sugar regulator.

As you can see, cucumbers have numerous potential benefits that you should try and take advantage of. Juicing this fruit should be no sweat for any of the top rated juicers on our list. Both masticating and centrifugal juicers will be able to get the most out of this wonderful produce and deliver all of its goodness into your glass. For a refreshing example of a juicing recipe that includes cucumber check out this video below.

There is nothing so fulfilling like drinking juice directly extracted from raw green leafy vegetables. This is one sure way of ensuring you have taken nutrients by bulk without overwhelming your digestive system. The Omega NC800 is the 6th generation of masticating juicer made by Omega. Omega is one of the most renowned juicer makers in the world. According to Omega, this brand of juicer comes with a lot of improvements that are going to take juicing to a whole new level. The Omega newest single gear masticating juicer extractor operates at a low speed of approximately 80RPM. It also has a 150-watt motor which often drives the solid auger made of GE Ultem materials. Such an auger gives you the privilege of juicing any fruit or vegetable no matter how hard they are. These new improvements have resulted in a machine that produces 12% more juice from the same amount of produce than the previous models. Below are some of the features of this juicing workhorse including its pros and cons and other recommendations.

Features Included in the Omega NC800

• It has a low speed masticating juice extraction which runs at only 80RPM.
• Just like the previous version of Omega, it also has a dual stage extraction process and can squeeze juice from leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.
• It has the following dimensions: 14.5 by 6.5 by 15.5 and only weighs 20 pounds
• This masticating juicer comes with a 15 year warranty which means that in case anything goes wrong within the warranty period, Omega is going to take care of it at no cost for a period of up to 15 years.
• The NC800 has three pasta nozzles which are an adjustable nozzle, a pasta nozzle and a bread stick nozzle. It also comes with a screen for the juice and another screen for the solid food.
• It makes use of 110 volts at 60 Hz and is set with 3 pronged grounded cords.
• Just like the other Omega juicers, it makes use of a gear reduction motor which is equivalent to 2HP that spins the auger at 80rpm
• Has a black plate which helps you to make healthy all natural sorbets nut butter and baby food.
• Providing excellent versatility, it is also capable of grinding coffee, nuts to make butter among many other things.

This latest generation masticating juice extractor has been very popular with owners and that is reflected in customer feedback. Studying the latest juicer reviews shows just how well the NC800 ranks among other juicer machines. If you are looking for an easy way to turn around your diet then this is one small kitchen appliance worth considering.

Pros

Produce the highest yield possible

Omega NC800 extracts 25% more juice compared to the 8004 which is perfect given the fact that 8004 was already popular for being one of the best green leafy extractors in the market today. One of the key players to bring the above difference was the bigger juicing screen and the adjustable end cap. The larger screen lets more juice to flow through and at the same time, the adjustable end cap gives you the opportunity to squeeze more juice from the greens.

Easier to clean

It will take you 3- 5 minutes to clean the machine completely. The Omega NC800 has the auger, juice screen, drum and hopper which are easier to assemble and take apart compared to a vertical style auger juicer such as Hurom HU-100. The auger and the screen are also narrow and lack recess points where pulp can get and get stuck.

Has a long warranty

The Omega NC800 has a 15 year warranty which is enough for you to use before purchasing another juicer.

Fairly quiet

Unlike other types of juicers, the Omega NC800 is fairly quiet and you will realize this when you start using it.

BPA free

Even though this is not included in their product description, I made a follow up and they confirmed that the Omega NC800 is BPA free.

Longer juice storage

Given the fact that this is a slow juicer which rotates at a slow 80rpm, it does not produce too much heat and introduce oxygen to your juice. You are also able same time store this juice for a period of up to 72 hours in a refrigerator. In order to get the best results, always ensure you store the juice in a glass container such as a mason jar and over fill it so that it does not have any air packets inside which can oxidize the juice.

Cons

Slow

Even though the slow juicing mechanism has a number of advantages, the record still remains that it is slow than other juicers.

Pre-cutting Veggies

This juicer has the widest of any of the Omega Horizontal masticating juicers meaning that less produce needs to be cut to fit into the feed chute. However, when you use produce with long fibers, they will still need to be diced otherwise the long fibers will wind around the slow auger ending up clogging it.

Final Verdict

Even though it is not the cheapest juicer available, the Omega NC800 gives you extreme value for the money. The added improvements to this line has really made almost the perfect juicing machine. A wider feed chute really comes in handy and helps save time, which is something that every slow juicer could benefit from. This masticating juice extractor represents a significant advance in juicing tech and is something that can provide you with years of reliable juicing.