The only benefit of cucumber water that Malkani can see would be that the flavour is so good that it encourages you to hydrate. “Whatever inspires people to drink more water, and replace sugar-sweetened beverages like sports drinks with water, is good,” she says. So, if you have the time and energy to chop up a cucumber to throw in your water, go for it. But if you don’t have time for that, plain water is fine, too.