Summer without watermelon is not meant for most of us. And to be honest, I have never met anyone who does not like watermelon, but maybe there is someone, somewhere ...
It's refreshing, delicious, especially if it's good, but how beneficial is it for our health? What does it offer us? Few calories and how many benefits? Let's look at them in detail:
1. Hydration
Drinking water is very important for hydrating our body. However, eating foods with high water content can also help, in this case, watermelon is one of these foods as it contains 92% water.
In addition, the high fruit content in water is one of the reasons why fruits and vegetables generally give us a sense of satiety. The combination of water and fiber through a food provides us with a good amount of food, without many calories.
2. In the fruit category, watermelon is one of the fewer calories
One cup approximately (150g) has 46 calories. It also has fewer calories than berries that also have a small amount of sugar.
But a mug of watermelon also has many other nutrients, such as the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C - 21% of the Intake Reference Quantity (PPI)
- Vitamin A - 18% from PPI
- Potassium - 5% of PPI
- Magnesium - 4% from PPI
- Vitamins B1, B5, B6 - 3% from PPI
Watermelon also contains a significant amount of vita carotene, lycopene and citrulline.
3. It contains ingredients that protect against cancer
Scientists have come to the strong antioxidant and anticancer action of lycopene, contained in watermelon, as well as tomato, giving them the distinctive red color. It even seems to be particularly effective against digestive cancer.
4. Improves the health of the heart
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Lifestyle, focusing on nutrition, is a key factor in protecting the heart by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Many of the watermelon nutrients contribute to this protection. Lycopene is one of them. In fact, with relevant research, it can help prevent oxidative damage to cholesterol.
Citrine, an amino acid present in the watermelon, can increase the levels of nitric oxide in the body, which helps the blood vessels to expand and thus reduce blood pressure.
5. It can help prevent macular degeneration
Again lycopene plays a significant role elsewhere in the body, eyes. Lycopene, therefore, is found at various points in the eye, which helps protect against oxidative damage and inflammation.
One of the problems faced by older people is macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness. Lycopene can prevent this process either by preventing or limiting the extension of this condition.
6. Helps relieve muscle pain
Citrulline, another amino acid found in watermelon, helps reduce muscle pain. In fact, juice consumption facilitates absorption by the body.
In particular, through a small study, where athletes consumed plain watermelon juice, watermelon juice mixed with citrulline and citrulline pure in the form of beverages, it turned out that juices - not beverages - were more effective against muscle pain.
7. It is good for skin and hair
Two of the vitamins, A and C, are important for our skin and hair. Vitamin A contributes effectively to protecting the skin while helping to create and restore damaged cells. The lack of vitamin A can be hidden behind a dry skin. Vitamin C helps our body produce collagen, a protein that keeps the skin supple and makes our hair strong.
Two more important elements, as we have seen above, lycopene and β carotene, can also help protect our skin from sunburn.
8. It contributes to the good functioning of our digestive system
Watermelon contains as we saw a lot of water and a small amount of fiber, two necessary elements, for good digestion. Water helps our digestive tract function efficiently while fiber is effective against constipation.
In conclusion
Yes, watermelon is an impressively healthy fruit. It has a high water content but also has a range of very important nutrients, such as lycopene and vitamin C. So it's not just a particularly tasty low-calorie dietary option, it's also good for our health.
πηγή: healthline.com
