8 Health Benefits of Watermelons

 Nutrition and eight health benefits of eating watermelons.

Introduces watermelons and their history and details their nutrition values and eight health benefits of eating them.  The considerable water percentage of the fruit helps your body to function correctly.

The picture is credited to Wikipedia.

Watermelons are edible fruits with scrambling and climbing vines, cultivated worldwide in over a thousand varieties.  It loves tropical and sub-tropical regions. 

It is a large berry with sweet juicy flesh, usually in deep red to pink or yellow, packed with tiny black seeds.  The flesh is eaten raw and juiced, and the hard rinds after cooking. 

5000years old watermelon seeds were discovered at Uan Mahuggiag, a prehistoric archaeological site in Southwestern Libya.  

The fruit was domesticated in northeast Africa and cultivated in Egypt by 2000 BC, and they were not a sweet variety.  The lovely, sweet types were spread across the Mediterranean during the Roman time. 

Watermelon's history dates back 5000 years to southern Africa, where the brutal, drought-tolerant ancestor of watermelons thrived.  In India, it was cultivated in the 7th century and reached China by the 10th century. 

Nutrition facts about watermelon.

Nutrients in one cup (152) grams of raw diced watermelon

Calories:  46.

water:  91%

Protein:  0,9 grams

Carbs:  11.5 grams

Sugar:  9,4 grams

Fibre:  0,6 grams

Fat:  0,2 grams.

Vitamin A:  5% of the Daily Value.

Vitamin C:  14% of the DV.

Potassium:  4% of the DV.

Magnesium:  4% of the DV.

Health benefits of watermelons.

1.  It helps you stay dehydrated.

Eating food with high water content may help your body water to function correctly.  Watermelon contains 92% of water and has low calories.

2.  May have anticancer effects.

Several plant compounds in watermelon, such as lycopene and cucurbitacin E, may have anticancer effects.

3.  Improves heart health.

Studies suggest that lycopene may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

4.  May reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.

The combination of antioxidants, lycopene, and vitamin C in watermelon may lower inflammation and oxidative stress.

5.  May help prevent macular degeneration in the eyes.

Macular degeneration with age is a common eye problem that causes blindness in older adults.

6.  May relieve muscular soreness.

Citrulline, an amino acid in watermelon, may reduce muscle soreness. 

7.  It May aid skin health.

Vitamins A and C in watermelon are essential for skin health.

8.  May improve digestion.

Watermelon contains considerable water and a small amount of fibre, both necessary for healthy digestion.

Conclusion.

Introduces watermelons and their history and details their nutrition values and eight health benefits of eating them.  The considerable water percentage of the fruit helps your body to function correctly.

Is watermelon among your favourite fruits?  If so, what are the reasons?

This post is for the letter W in the series of my A2Z blog posts, lasting for the entire month and is part of the A2Z Blog chatter challenge.  To read earlier posts, click on these letters   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S TU V

*