Well it’s summer, and watermelon season is in, with prices coming down. While you may have watermelon every now and again, this food should actually be consumed quite often due to the numerous health benefits it offers.
Although most of us prefer the convenience of digging into a seedless watermelon, you might want ot reconsider. Watermelon seeds offer a high level of protein, and it’s not certain how creating a hybrid watermelon, even though not genetically engineered, affects the original watermelon’s dense nutrition.
Despite its light fruit pulp and high water content, watermelon is actually a nutrient dense food. Check out the many health benefits of watermelon below.
1. Hydration
Watermelons contain what’s called electrolytes, which are important because they are what your nerve system, heart, and muscles use to maintain voltages and carry electrical impulses that make them function. They are mainly salts or chlorides such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and others.[amazon asin=B00DGIUHU6&template=*lrc ad (right)]
Watermelon juice is very high in electrolytes. You can use watermelon or its juice instead of sports drinks with toxic ingredients to replace electrolytes lost from heavy perspiration, vomiting, or diarrhea.
2. Cardiovascular Health
The amino acid L-citruline, contained in watermelon, boosts heart muscle strength and increases arterial flexibility. It is clinically proven to lower blood pressure, too. Watermelon’s high amino acid L-citruline content was measured for efficacy with a trial involving seven athletes in Spain. They discovered higher rates of heart rate recovery and reduced muscle soreness.
L-citruline also helps create another cardiovascular health promoting amino acid, L-arginine, which promotes proper blood vessel dilation and function to prevent or improve endothelial dysfunction, a major heart failure precursor. Watermelon juice offers optimum bio-availability of both amino acids.
Whenever you purchase a mediocre melon, instead of having an unpleasant eating experience, juice it, or find a source for unpasteurized watermelon juice, if you can.
3. Metabolic Syndrome/Diabetes[amazon asin=1486143318&template=*lrc ad (right)]
Not only does watermelon offer higher L-arginine serum levels that protects diabetes Type 2 and metabolic syndrome, studies have also determined that watermelon actually helps stabilize blood sugar. Recent research has reversed the advice of reducing fruit intake by diabetics to encouraging its consumption.
4. Immune System Strength
Watermelon pulp is large and red, which means lots of lycopene! Lycopene is well known as the prostate’s best food-friend for preventing infection or cancer. Though the positive properties of this antioxidant and other flavonoids in watermelon don’t end there.
Watermelon is also high in lutein, a carotenoid beneficial toward improving eyesight. Another plentiful carotenoid in watermelon is beta-carotene, which helps the body to resist cancer and heart disease. Thus, watermelon offers an abundant arsenal of antioxidants that are consumed with refreshing pleasure.
5. General Nutrition
A 10 ounce wedge contains one-third of the recommended daily value of vitamins A and C as well as several essential minerals, including potassium for reliable heart functioning.
Indulge in watermelon without guilt or concern this summer!
Reprinted from Natural Society.
