Can one eat too many cucumbers?
I managed to poison myself. I woke up with tummy pain. I had a light breakfast that included cheese and cucumbers, hoping it would go away. At lunch, I ate a banana – I wasn’t hungry at all.
Then I started thinking about what I had eaten yesterday. I had cheese, bread, tomatoes and cucumbers from our own garden, and then new potatoes with a cucumber salad. The only thing I might have had too much of were cucumbers. I grow them in the greenhouse and I eat most of them. I had a least one big cucumber every day since they started producing about 10 days ago. I gift them to neighbours and friends. But I love my cucumbers and they are mostly water anyhow, isn’t it?!
And then I decided to ask “doctor” Google. I landed on Quora:
“Too many cucumbers is detrimental to the renal system. It produces too much blood which is bad for blood vessels and heart. It produces too much water which overworks kidneys. The vitamin C is good but in large doses it promotes growth of free radicals. Potassium is good but large doses will overwork kidneys. Just keep with a daily recommended serving. I love cucumbers as well but too much of a bad thing is always harmful. Stay in moderation.”
and then The Times of India:
“Excessive intake of cucumbers may trigger Hyperkalemia, which is a rare medical condition caused due to the presence of high potassium content in the body. Excessive intake of potassium rich cucumber may lead to flatulence, abdominal cramps and in some cases it can affect the renal system and kidneys.”
Hyperkalemia landed me in hospital in January 2021, when I needed a cardioversion to get back on my feet. And I added a banana to the mix – talk about the body’s wisdom… Mine is a perfect idiot!
No more cucumbers for me for at least a week – until I detox!
July 31 2023 04:20 pm | Limerick