Watermelon - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Everyone agrees that watermelon is perfect to cool you down on a hot day, but this healthy fruit can also help you control diabetes and fight free radicals, which can make your body more likely to get chronic diseases. It can also help keep you from getting heart disease or asthma attacks, and it can help you lose weight. This fruit is good for your health because it has 45 calories, vitamin C, and vitamin A. The best thing about watermelon is that it will keep you hydrated, since 92% of this healthy fruit is water. This will also help you control your hunger and feel full.

Interesting facts about watermelon: 

• Around the world, there are about 1200 different kinds of watermelons.
• Since the 1970s, watermelons have been grown in a box shape in Japan.
• This is the fruit that people in the United States eat the most of.
• Only 40 calories are in each cup.
• Some kinds of watermelons need 130 hot days in order to be ready to eat.
• It makes your body less inflamed.
• It doesn't have any bad cholesterol, which makes it a good way to lose weight.
• In ancient Egypt, watermelons were put under the tomb to show that the tomb would be fed.
• In the 1300s, this healthy fruit was grown in Europe, and in the 1000s, it was grown in China.

Nutritional value of watermelon:

Watermelon is a fruit that is low in calories and has a lot of vitamins and micronutrients. It also keeps you hydrated. One cup of watermelon, which is about 150 g, can have at least 0.6 g of fibre and 11.5 g of carbs, of which about 9 g are sugars. Even though watermelon isn't a great source of protein, it still adds to a protein-rich diet. Each 1-cup serving has about 1 gram of protein. When it comes to health benefits, watermelon really shines when it comes to its vitamins. It has 5% and 14% of the daily needs for Vitamins A and C, respectively. It also has 4% of the daily recommended amount of potassium and magnesium.

Are watermelon seeds harmful?

You may have been told as a child that watermelon seeds will grow in your stomach if you eat them. Not true! After all, your stomach is dark, has no soil, and has a lot of acid. These days, many melons don't have seeds, but don't worry if you do swallow one. They are actually very healthy.

How to cut and store watermelon? 

Before you cut into your melon, wash the outside. You don't want germs from the outside to get into the food. Melons taste best right after you cut them, but you can keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freezing is also a choice. Even though the watermelon won't stay crunchy, it can be thawed and used in smoothies.

Ways to use watermelon: 

Juice: Put diced watermelon and a few ice cubes in a blender to make a cold, refreshing electrolyte drink that is great for rehydrating after exercise or a day in the sun.

Salad: For a tasty and healthy salad, put watermelon, mint, and fresh mozzarella on a bed of spinach leaves. Use balsamic dressing to drizzle on top.

Smoothies: You can make a watermelon smoothie or add orange juice to give it more tang. Remember that juicing breaks down the fibre, which makes it easier for your body to take in the sugar. People with diabetes might want to eat a whole, fresh watermelon instead of drinking watermelon juice.

Roasted seeds: To make a tasty snack, put the watermelon seeds in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. One ounce (28.5 g) of seeds has about 8 g of protein, which is between 14% and 17% of the protein a person needs every day.

Health benefits of watermelon: 

1. Keeps you hydrated:

 This healthy fruit is 92% water, which means you can eat a lot of food while eating fewer calories. This fruit can keep you from getting too dehydrated, so you should eat it if you're trying to lose weight. Staying hydrated as much as possible can keep your mouth from getting dry and is good for your heart health. During the hot summer months, staying hydrated will help keep your body cool. It will make your skin healthy and clean your body. So all you have to do is eat one cup of watermelon every day, and you'll be fine.

2. Helps control blood sugar:

 The amino acid L-citrulline is turned into the amino acid L-arginine by this juicy fruit (amino acid). In fact, these two amino acids may help keep you from getting diabetes. From a medical point of view, the L-arginine supplement that watermelon has is very important for controlling how the body uses glucose and insulin.

3. Helps you lose weight:

 If you want to lose weight naturally, don't forget to include this healthy fruit in your weight loss diet. This fruit is mostly water, so it makes you feel full, which will stop you from wanting to snack on your favourite foods. So, if you want to lose weight, you should definitely add this juicy fruit to your diet.

4. It helps prevent heart disease:

 The red colour of watermelon comes from a chemical called lycopene, which is found in the fruit. This substance is in tomatoes as well, but did you know that watermelons have more of it than tomatoes? Well, lycopene can lower your cholesterol and make you less likely to get diseases of the heart. You only need to eat one cup of watermelon every day. This will do the trick.

5. Lessens the severity of asthma:

 Watermelon is a good source of vitamin C, which is known to lessen the effects of asthma. This means that eating just one cup of watermelon every day could help you fight some of the worst effects of asthma. Also, asthmatics who don't get enough vitamin C tend to have more asthma symptoms, so watermelon is a great food to eat if you have one of these diseases. Simply put, about 40% of the vitamin C in watermelon is good for asthmatics.

6. Reduces dental problems:

 If you eat a cup of watermelon every day, you can avoid periodontal disease, which affects about 25% of the world's population. This disease causes tooth loss and infections, and it can also lead to other heart problems. Vitamin C is the main thing that helps reduce the bad effects of periodontal disease. So all you have to do is eat some watermelon every day and you'll be in good shape.

7. Fights inflammation:

 Inflammation is one of the most common inflammatory diseases that most people have, and it is the cause of many serious illnesses. Heart disease, cancer, and fibromyalgia are all examples of these diseases. Most people today deal with a lot of problems caused by inflammation, so fighting this disease is something that should be done as a precaution. But adding watermelon to your daily diet is a simple way to fight this kind of inflammation.

8. Good for nerve function:

It has a lot of potassium, which keeps nerve function in check. To put it more simply, it makes it possible for electric impulses and messages to be sent. You need to keep in mind that tingling and numbness can be caused by not having enough potassium in your body. So, if you have leg cramps, it could be because your body doesn't have enough potassium. You just have to drink a glass of watermelon juice.

9. Prevents heat strokes:

 Many people in the US have to deal with this dangerous problem. But this condition can be life-threatening because it causes fever, and the body can't handle temperatures that are too high. Electrolytes, which are found in watermelon, can help prevent heat strokes. All you have to do is drink some watermelon juice, and your body will stay cool and your temperature will be more stable.

10. Good for kidneys:

The food we eat and the air we breathe are both sources of toxins that get into our bodies. But your kidneys get rid of these toxins. If you want your kidneys to stay healthy and work well, you need to drink 1 glass of watermelon juice every day. Calcium and potassium are the main nutrients in watermelons. These nutrients help fight toxins and flush them out of your body.

12. Heals aching muscles

It has been shown that eating watermelon or drinking watermelon juice can help you do better in sports and make you feel less sore afterward. It may have something to do with an amino acid called citrulline. Citrulline might help your body make more nitric oxide, which could make your blood flow better. Even though this health benefit needs to be tested more, why not give it a try and use watermelon juice as part of your post-workout recovery?

13. Aids in digestion

Both water and fibre are important for a healthy digestive system, and watermelon has both. Constipation and other problems can be caused by a diet low in fibre. If you have trouble with indigestion or constipation, eat more watermelon and other foods that are high in fibre.