Isn’t this a lovely time to post about watermelon? With the lovely sun over you in the United States now, watermelon can be a salve to your body. The name of this fruit itself gives anyone a cooling sensation. You will find hardly anyone who doesn’t like watermelon, be it oldies, middle-aged people, or kids. It not only cools your body but also comes in with a lot of boons too. Are you thinking about what it does to your health? Here, we are going to straightaway dive into the benefits of watermelon and some more things that will draw your attention. So, scroll down and let’s know a lot of interesting facts about watermelon.
Table of Contents
Watermelon Nutrition Facts
Before we get to know all the benefits of watermelon, let us throw some light on its nutrition facts. This loveable fruit is high in vitamins, and so much more. So, let’s see what the nutritive facts of watermelon are:
Low in Calories
You will find the calorie count in watermelon to be extremely low when compared to other fruits. When you consume just a serving of watermelon, you are having only 46 calories. Isn’t that quite low compared to other fruits?
Rich in Vitamins
This juicy fruit is simply loaded with vitamins. It majorly contains vitamins like C and A. You will find the presence of vitamin A to be in the cast of carotenoids. As you already know that watermelon is a huge source of vitamin C. So when you have only a cup of freshly cut watermelon, you’re consuming more than 12 milligrams of vitamin C.
High in Potassium
Watermelon is very rich in potassium too. You are going to consume around 4% of potassium if you have a cup of cubed watermelon.
Highly Fibrous
Watermelon is rich in insoluble and soluble fiber. So, this mixture is good for your body. You will get approximately 4 grams of dietary fiber if you have 175 calories of freshly cut watermelon.
Low in Carbohydrates
You are giving your body 11.6 grams of carbohydrates in one single serving of watermelon. However, the carbohydrates here are a combination of sugars, fiber, and starch.
Low in Fat
Watermelon benefits weight loss as it has a very low-fat content in it. Just by having one serving, you are providing your body with only 0.2 grams of fat. Isn’t that great?
Rich in Lycopene
The bright red color you see in watermelon is because of the antioxidant called lycopene. It is because of this your health gets most of the benefits of watermelon.
Now, that you know so much about its nutrient content, let’s see below what the health benefits of watermelon are.
Benefits of Watermelon on Health
As you are already aware that watermelon is a good source of nutrients. It is inevitable that you will benefit your health by consuming this fruit. So, without wasting any time let us check out how watermelon benefits you.
The health benefits of watermelon are as follows:
Improves Heart Health
Studies have said that watermelon slices if consumed regularly don’t allow bad cholesterol to accumulate. As a consequence, preventing you from heart problems. Even more, it is seen that fat deposition is also quite less in the blood vessels for people who consume watermelon every day.
Do you know watermelon also contains citrulline? If you haven’t heard of it, let us tell you that citrulline is a chemical that helps the human body in several conditions. According to a Kentucky study, it is seen that citrulline is beneficial in the case of atherosclerosis. Even more, it helps to reduce stiffness in the arteries for women having menopause.
Reduces Inflammation
Lycopene works miraculously in inflammation, for its anti-inflammatory properties. Watermelon consists of many carotenoids among which lycopene is the best. However, beta-carotene is also an important content in watermelon and benefits your health immensely.
Helps in Hydration
Whenever it is a hot summer afternoon, doesn’t watermelon give you a sense of relief? It is because of the cooling properties and the high water content in watermelon. That round juicy fruit contains almost 90% of the water in it. You can easily let go of the colas and caffeinated drinks and replace it with watermelon. It will keep you extremely hydrated.
Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Lycopene is a magical content in watermelon. You will find a lot of studies to back that the lycopene content in watermelon helps to fight against cancer. More so, watermelon benefits for men are also immense as it contains chemo-preventive properties that help in prostate cancer cells.
Helps in Digestion
You already know that watermelon is has a very high water content in it. It is because of this high water-content watermelon benefits in digestion. Further, it also prevents you from having constipation.
Helps Pregnant Women
All of you must be aware that heartburn is quite common in pregnancy. So, having watermelon for pregnant women is very good as it reduces heartburn, morning sickness, and even muscle cramps. The mineral content in watermelon helps in doing so.
Watermelon benefits for skin
Watermelon benefits for skin are tremendous due to the vitamin C content in it. This vitamin helps in the synthesis of collagen, which strengthens hair and keeps your skin beautiful and radiant.
Even more, you will find many studies say that beta-carotene and lycopene in watermelon keep you away from sunburn too. It helps in many skin problems like vitiligo and psoriasis too.
Watermelon also contains vitamin A in it, which helps your skin to be radiant and healthy. This vitamin is particularly important for generating new cells, or else you would find yourself to have flaky and dull skin.
Keeps Bones Healthy
Vitamin C is an important component in maintaining bone health and healing wounds too. So, studies say that if you consume lycopene through watermelon your body can get protection against bone fractures and osteoporosis. Moreover, watermelon contains vitamin A which helps your bones to grow stronger as well.
Helps in Losing Weight
Watermelon benefits in weight loss as it is low in calories and has high water content. It can fill you up for long and prevent you from frequent cravings that add to your body weight. Moreover, it also speeds up the metabolism rate of your body and takes out all the fats and toxins from the body. This eventually helps you in losing weight.
Boosts Immunity
The benefits of watermelon on immunity is impactful for the high content of vitamin C in it. This fruit also contains vitamin B6 in it, which helps your body produce antibodies too. Moreover, it helps your red blood cells to form. Even more, the vitamin A content in watermelon protects your body from infections too. So, remember that in this time, boosting your immunity is extremely important and for that watermelon should be a must-inclusion in your diet.
Gives Energy
You already know that watermelon has high amounts of vitamin C and A, but it is also a source of vitamin B. This vitamin helps your body to produce energy and boosts its levels. Watermelon is extremely low in calories but can give you the energy to function actively throughout the day. Moreover, it also contains potassium in them. Potassium is like an electrolyte which prevents you from becoming tired and exhausted. So, if you are a lethargic very often, don’t forget to include watermelon to your diet daily.
Keeps Gum Healthy
When you have a deficiency of vitamin C, you will start having gingivitis and gum bleeding. So, watermelon being high in vitamin C, helps you keep your gums healthy. It also keeps the capillaries of your mouth well.
Also, vitamin C kills bacteria in the mouth, which prevents you from having mouth odor, gum infections, and other gum problems.
How Choose the Best Watermelon?
Now that you know having watermelon helps you in keeping a healthy body and even acts as a salve during summers. Don’t you eagerly want to buy the best watermelon? No one likes to buy their favorite fruit rotten, and for that, we are here to help.
We have got you some quick and easy tips that’ll help you choose the best watermelon. Here are the following tips:
- When you choose your watermelon, first check out if it is nice and firm. It has to be symmetrical and shouldn’t have any dents, cuts, or bruises. If you pick a watermelon that has lumps on them, then you can be sure it isn’t that good. It is probably the result of receiving low amounts of water or sunshine. This is the first and the most important tip you need to keep in mind.
- Secondly, you must remember to lift up the watermelon. You will reap the benefits of watermelon only if it is nice and heavy. Once you find it to be quite heavy you can be sure it has a lot of water in it and is very ripe. Moreover, you can conduct a small test by comparing the weight of two same-sized watermelons. Remember to choose the one that is heavier.
- Now comes the tricky thing about choosing the best watermelon. Once you have seen two or three watermelons that are firm and heavy. Now you have to find out where the field spot is on the fruit. Are you thinking what a field spot is? Well, a field spot is basically the position on which the watermelon was sitting on the ground. If you find the field spot to be dark, that means your watermelon will be good. However, always remember, if you do not find the field spot or it is too light, do not choose that one. That is because you can be sure it isn’t ripe at all and it was picked up very early.
- Your perfectly ripe and sweet watermelon will not be shiny on the top. Rather it must have a dark greenish dull look. That is the one you must choose to buy.
- If you are someone who likes to buy cut pieces of watermelon, we have a tip for you too. You must select the one that has a nice sparkling red flesh inside. Moreover, you get the benefits of watermelon seeds only when they happen to be absolutely dark brown or black. Do not choose the cut watermelon that has white seeds in them. So, be sure to have a look at the flesh and seeds too.
How to Store Watermelons?
Once you buy the ripe and sweet watermelon, it is practically impossible to finish it up in one day. Consequently, it is extremely important for you to store it correctly. Wondering how? Well, we have got some tips handy for you in this regard too.
Below are some easy tips you can use to keep your watermelon fresh for long. Here are the following:
- You can easily store an uncut whole watermelon for more than a week in the freezer. But you definitely need to ensure it is handled properly and it is not be bruised in any way. You must keep in mind not to store the fruit any more below 4 degrees Celsius. That is because freezing your fruit too much might harm the fruit.
- If you want to continue cutting the watermelon as you cut it usually. All you need to do is use the knife blade downwards of the flesh. By doing this you will cut off the rinds of the watermelon flesh.
You can even cut out the watermelon in big round disks. Once you’ve done that, you can cut it into cubes around 1 inch. Then you can store it in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for a maximum of 5 days.
Final Thoughts
Watermelon has numerous benefits and you must include them in your diet. It will not only keep your internal body well but will also give you glowing skin.
As we bring you to the end of our blog, you must be well aware of the benefits of watermelon, and how you need to buy them too. You can also use the tips we’ve given you to keep your watermelon fresh and for a long time. So, when better than this summer to include watermelon to your diet?
