The Glaze

This is an improved version of the cucumber-mint juice, with lemon added. The lemon brings an acidity that wakes up the entire blend and gives it a natural lemonade quality. I often prepare it on Sunday afternoons when it’s hot and I want something fresh without sugar. Lemon also prevents juice oxidation, which allows you to keep it in the fridge a bit longer. It’s such a simple juice that you wonder why you don’t make it every day.

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Bioactive molecules

The ascorbic acid from lemon combines with the polyphenols from cucumber and mint to form a particularly stable water-soluble antioxidant network¹. Citric acid naturally chelates heavy metals and improves the bioavailability of cucumber’s minerals². The menthol from mint activates TRPM8 cold receptors and provides a sense of freshness that ice alone cannot reproduce³. It’s a natural lemonade without sugar, perfect in a carafe during summer⁴.

Adding lemon to the cucumber-mint duo creates an interesting synergy. The ascorbic acid from lemon (53 mg/100 g) combines with polyphenols from cucumber and mint to form a particularly stable water-soluble antioxidant network. Citric acid acts as a natural chelator of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), facilitating their urinary excretion. D-limonene, the major terpene in lemon zest, induces phase I hepatic detoxification enzymes (cytochrome P450) and phase II (glutathione-S-transferase). The combination of silicon from cucumber, menthol from mint, and vitamin C from lemon simultaneously supports skin (collagen), digestion (antispasmodic), and immunity (ascorbate).

This cucumber-mint-lemon trio is the ultimate thirst-quenching summer juice. Three ingredients, zero complications, maximum freshness. Hydrating, diuretic, digestive, and detoxifying, it replaces all industrial lemonades.

Key micronutrients table

Micronutrient	Main role
Vitamin C (lemon)	Antioxidant, heavy metal chelator
D-limonene (lemon)	Hepatic detoxification phase I and II
Menthol (mint)	Digestive antispasmodic, freshness
Silicon (cucumber)	Collagen synthesis, skin elasticity
Potassium (cucumber + lemon)	Gentle diuretic, water balance
Rosmarinic acid (mint)	Anti-inflammatory, antiallergic

Extraction method

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 green apples
• A few mint leaves
• Ice cubes

Press the peeled lemon last so its acidity protects the juice from oxidation. If you want an even fresher effect, add 3 ice cubes to the glass. This juice is also perfect as a mocktail base with sparkling water.

My personal take

Drink it very cold, almost iced. Shake the juice with crushed ice or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving. Cucumber, mint, and lemon form an unbeatable thirst-quenching trio. It’s the juice I serve in a carafe when I have friends over in the middle of summer.

My recommended extractor

For this recipe, I use the Hurom H80-ST. Cold pressing preserves all enzymes, vitamins, and phytonutrients that the heat of a centrifuge would destroy.

Promo code: francoisbenavente20 for -20% on the entire Hurom website.

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To go further

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