Watermelon is a summer refreshing delicate fruit belonging to the genus Citrullus and Cucurbitaceae family. It is native to South Africa but is widely eaten in all parts of the world mainly due to its refreshing effect and sweet taste. This fun type of fruit provides multiple essential nutrients along with providing 92% of water at a very reasonable price. There are many health benefits of watermelon that make it an amazing summer fruit.
Angela Lemond, a Texas-based registered dietitian nutritionist said that:
“Foods that are high in antioxidants and amino acids allow your body to function optimally”.
Watermelon is not only a rich source of vitamins and minerals, but it also carries enough quantity of antioxidants and amino acids that will be provided to you in every bite of it. In this guide, you will get to know the health benefits of watermelon, its nutritional composition, the ways it can be utilized, and to whom it may be consumed in a limited amount.
Table of Contents
Watermelon nutritional data
The whole watermelon has only 8-10% of the solid portion. One cup of watermelon can provide broad kinds of nutrients with just 46 calories. It has:
- Water: 90-92%
- Protein: 0.6g
- Carbs: 7.6g
- Sugar: 6.2g
- Fiber: 0.4-0.6g
- Fat: 0.2g
Together with the above-mentioned nutrients, watermelon benefits indicate that it comes with vitamin, Vitamin C, vitamin B-1, B-6, lycopene, antioxidants, and many other essential compounds.
Health benefits of watermelon
The summer trendy fruit ‘watermelon’ has vitamin A which is essential for vision health. This fruit also contains vitamin C which is essential for bones and cell repair and Vitamin B-6 which maintains red blood cells in the body. Besides this, it has antioxidants that prevent the chances of cancer and other degenerative diseases and increase its health benefits. Citrulline is present in large quantities that appropriately make the blood flow in the body.
The refreshing effect of watermelon
A normal human body needs 8-10 glasses of water per day. Why not, replace water with watermelon to quench thirst nutritionally? It does not only give 90% water but also provides a feeling of fullness with a very low amount of calories.
Watermelon seeds for diabetic people
Watermelon contains natural sugar which is not good for diabetes but watermelon seeds are beneficial for diabetic patients. These seeds benefit as evident from their composition. It contains iron, magnesium, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), and zins. Not only this, these black seeds are found to help diabetic patients by reducing insulin resistance and controlling blood sugar levels. The best way to eat them is by roasting watermelon seeds to make them crispy. One can also add spice, lemon juice, or olive oil to add to its flavor.
Watermelon diet for weight loss
The whole watermelon calories are very low which makes it the foremost choice in the weight loss journey. It helps greatly in reducing body fat as it makes you feel full with less fiber. Also, it has arginine amino acid that makes the fat storage process, even more, slower and improves the immune system. One can easily get a weight-loss snack in less amount than any other diet.
Nowadays, a three or five days’ watermelon diet plan is focused on weight loss. Among these plans, the topmost is cleanse plan, which involves a strict break from the regular diet for 3-5 days. At this time one watermelon is to be consumed per day and then gradually moving to the regular diet with eating watermelon as a snack.
Watermelon rind acts as an energy booster
A marvelous fact about watermelon’s benefits is that not only its fiber reduces the risk of diseases but also its rind acts as an energy booster. The citrulline present in the rind improves oxygen availability to muscles during exercise and dilates blood vessels. In this way, it improves athletic performance.
Get skin and hair treatment with watermelon
Lycopene, vitamin C and Vitamin A are present in a rich amount in watermelon. These antioxidants remove dead cells from your skin and keep it glowing. Lycopene reduces free radicals and keeps skin ever young and fresh. The hydrating effect of watermelon provides a soothing effect making watermelon act as a skin toner. For hair treatment, watermelon has arginine, iron, and vitamin C content that helps in the provision of oxygen to hair follicles that makes hear healthy and stronger.
Is watermelon a Keto diet?
A keto diet includes all types of food items that are low in carbohydrates but high in protein content. Watermelon sugar is natural but some people doubt watermelon as a keto-friendly diet because of its carb content. No doubt all fruits and vegetables are high in carbohydrates but among all, watermelon can be the best fit in the keto diet because of its relatively low amount of carbohydrates. So one can easily include watermelon in the keto diet plan but with careful considerations to fit it into the required carbs content.
Watermelon in pregnancy
‘Can watermelon go bad in pregnancy’ is a frequently asked question and the woman thinks that it can cause a bad impact on her health. This is wrong as watermelon does not carry any harmful nutrients for pregnancy. However, watermelon sugar contents are high that may lead to gestational diabetes. So women must avoid taking large portions of watermelon in pregnancy.
Watermelon serving ideas
For people who want to eat the fruit in different forms together with other ingredients, this is for them. There are multiple ideas to make beneficial combinations of watermelon with different ingredients. For example, watermelon and lemon water are served together in juice form.
One can make watermelon smoothies with orange juice, cucumber, and kiwi fruits. Watermelon Feta Salad is highly demanded these days that are made by mixing mint, mozzarella, lime, olive oil, and spinach leaves. This salad is highly functional and refreshing for summer days.
When watermelon is bad? Final verdict
Although watermelon is a safe nutritious fruit with a lot of health benefits, yet in some cases, it may cause oral allergic reactions that are seen in few people. Watermelon diarrhea is very commonly reported in people who follow a watermelon diet but this can be avoided by taking portions of watermelon at intervals. People already facing low blood pressure issues must avoid it as it may further reduce blood pressure that can make the situation even more dangerous.
Instead of these minor issues, watermelon is considered a safe, energetic, nutritionally safe, and immune booster fruit. It will be true to call watermelon a summer energetic refreshment which is evident from its water content.
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