Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon

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Do you know these amazing health benefits of watermelon?

Watermelon is a great blessing. Nature has many wonderful properties in it for human health. Watermelon is unique in its taste as well as its benefits for our health. Watermelons are very nutritious, containing lots of vitamin A and C and potassium.

Due to its high water content, watermelon is low in both calories and carbohydrates. Although the low carbohydrate count means watermelon provides less fiber per serving than most other fruits, it still has a wealth of health benefits.

Watermelon Nutrition Facts

Here is the nutrition breakdown for a one-cup serving of diced watermelon:
  • Calories: 46
  • Fat: 0g
  • Sodium: 2 mg
  • Carbohydrates: 11g
  • Fiber: 0.6g
  • Sugar: 9.5g
  • Added Sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Calcium: 1% DV

Health benefits of watermelon

  1. Rich in electrolytes and water content, melons are nature’s gift to beat tropical summer thirst.
  2. Watermelons are very low in calories (just 30 calories per 100 g) and carry negligible amounts of fats. Nonetheless, they plentiful in numerous health promoting phytonutrients and antioxidants essential for optimum health.
  3. Watermelon nutrition profile contains vitamin-A and lycopene, which are powerful natural antioxidants. 100 g fresh fruit provides 569 IU or 19% of daily-required levels of vitamin-A. It is one of the essential vitamins needed for healthy vision and immunity. Vitamin-A is also required for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  4. It is rich in antioxidant flavonoids like β-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants have been found to offer protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Phytochemicals present in watermelons like lycopene and carotenoids have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen-free radicals.
  5. Watermelon is an excellent source of carotenoid pigment, lycopene and indeed, superior to raw red tomato. 100 g of fresh melon provides 4532 µg lycopene, whereas this value only 2573 µg for tomatoes. Studies suggest that lycopene offers protection to the skin against harmful UV rays.
  6. Watermelon fruit is a good source of potassium; Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. It, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
  7. Furthermore, it contains a good amount of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), vitamin-C, and manganese. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. The human body uses manganese as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
  8. Total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) of watermelon is 142 µmol TE/100 g.