- Watermelon is really a scrumptious and refreshing fruit that’s also healthy for you.
- It has only 46 calories per cup but has elevated levels of ascorbic acid, vit a and lots of healthy plant compounds.
- Listed here are the very best 9 health advantages of eating watermelon.
1. Can Help You Hydrate
Consuming water is a vital way to maintain your body hydrated.
However, consuming foods that have a superior water content will also help. Interestingly, watermelon is 92% water (1Trusted Source).
In addition to this, a high-water content is among the explanations why vegetables and fruit assist you to feel full.
The mixture water and fiber means you’re eating a great amount of food without lots of calories.
2. Contains Nutrients and Advantageous Plant Compounds
So far as fruits go, watermelon is among the cheapest in calories – only 46 calories per cup (154 grams). That’s less than even low-sugar fruits for example berries (2).
Single serving (154 grams) of watermelon has numerous other nutrients too, including these minerals and vitamins:
Ascorbic Acid: 21% from the Reference
- Daily Intake (RDI)
- Vit A: 18% from the RDI
- Potassium: 5% from the RDI
- Magnesium: 4% from the RDI
- Vitamins B1, B5 and B6: 3% of
- the RDI
Watermelon can also be full of carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lycopene. Plus, it’s citrulline, an essential amino acidity.
Here’s an introduction to watermelon’s most significant antioxidants:
Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic Acid is definitely an antioxidant that can help prevent cell damage for free radicals.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids really are a type of plant compounds which includes alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vit a.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a kind of carotenoid that does not become vit a. This potent antioxidant provides a red colorization to plant foods for example tomato plants and watermelon and it is associated with many health advantages.
Cucurbitacin E
Cucurbitacin E is really a plant compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Bitter melon, a family member of watermelon, contains much more cucurbitacin E.
3. Contains Compounds That Might Help Prevent Cancer
Scientific study has studied lycopene along with other individual plant compounds in watermelon for his or her anti-cancer effects.
Though lycopene intake is connected having a lower chance of some kinds of cancer, study answers are mixed. The most powerful link to date appears to become between lycopene and cancers of how excess (1Trusted Source).
It seems to lessen cancer risk by lowering insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein involved with cell division. High IGF levels are associated with cancer (3Trusted Source).
Additionally, cucurbitacin E continues to be investigated for being able to hinder tumor growth (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
4. May Improve Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease is the main reason for dying worldwide (6Trusted Source).
Lifestyle factors, including diet, may decrease your chance of cardiac problems by reduction of bloodstream pressure and levels of cholesterol.
Several nutrients in watermelon have specific benefits for heart health.
Studies claim that lycopene might help lower cholesterol levels and bloodstream pressure. It may also assist in preventing oxidative harm to cholesterol (1Trusted Source).
Based on studies in obese, postmenopausal ladies and Finnish men, lycopene might also lessen the stiffness and thickness of artery walls (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Watermelon also includes citrulline, an amino acidity that could increase nitric oxide supplement levels in your body. Nitric oxide supplement helps your bloodstream vessels expand, which lowers bloodstream pressure (9Trusted Source).
Other minerals and vitamins in watermelon will also be great for your heart. Included in this are vitamins A, B6, C, magnesium and potassium (1Trusted Source).
5. May Lower Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
Inflammation is really a key driver of numerous chronic illnesses.
Watermelon might help lower inflammation and oxidative damage, as it’s wealthy within the anti-inflammatory antioxidants lycopene and ascorbic acid (1Trusted Source).
Inside a 2015 study, lab rats were given watermelon powder to supplement a poor diet. When compared to control group, they developed lower quantity of a inflammatory marker C-reactive protein and fewer oxidative stress (10Trusted Source).
Within an earlier study, humans received lycopene-wealthy tomato juice with added ascorbic acid. Overall, their markers of inflammation went lower and antioxidants increased. Watermelon has both lycopene and ascorbic acid (11Trusted Source).
Being an antioxidant, lycopene might also benefit brain health. For instance, assistance delay the onset and advancement of Alzheimer’s (12).
6. Might Help Prevent Macular Degeneration
Lycopene can be found in several areas of the attention where it will help safeguard against oxidative damage and inflammation.
This may also prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This can be a common eye problem that induce blindness in seniors (1Trusted Source).
Lycopene’s role being an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound might help prevent AMD from developing and becoming worse.
For additional info on how to maintain your eyes healthy, consider studying The 9 Most Significant Vitamins for Eye Health.
7. Might Help Relieve Muscle Soreness
Citrulline, an amino acidity in watermelon, may reduce muscle soreness. It is also like vitamins.
Interestingly, watermelon juice seems to boost the absorption of citrulline.
One small study gave athletes plain watermelon juice, watermelon juice combined with citrulline or perhaps a citrulline drink. Both watermelon drinks brought to less muscle soreness and faster heartbeat recovery, when compared with citrulline by itself (13Trusted Source).
They also conducted an evaluation-tube experiment, investigating the absorption of citrulline. Their findings claim that citrulline absorption is ideal when it’s consumed as a part of watermelon juice.
Other studies have also checked out citrulline’s possibility to improve exercise endurance and gratifaction.
To date, citrulline doesn’t appear to enhance exercise performance within the amounts studied, but it’s still a place of research interest (14Trusted Source).
8. Will work for Hair and skin
Two vitamins in watermelon – A and C – are essential for hair and skin health.
Ascorbic Acid helps the body make bovine collagen, a protein that keeps the skin supple as well as your hair strong.
Vit A can also be essential for healthy skin because it helps create and repair skin cells. Lacking the necessary vit a, the skin look dry and flaky.
Both lycopene and beta-carotene also may help safeguard the skin from sunburn (15Trusted Source).
9. Can Improve Digestion
Watermelon contains plenty of water and a tiny bit of fiber – each of which are essential for healthy digestion.
Fiber can offer bulk for the stool, while water assists in keeping your digestive system moving efficiently.
Eating water-wealthy and fiber-wealthy vegetables and fruit, including watermelon, can be quite useful for promoting normal bowel motions.
The Conclusion
Watermelon is really a surprisingly healthy fruit. It features a high-water content as well as delivers a number of other essential nutrients, including lycopene and ascorbic acid.
These nutrients imply that watermelon isn’t merely a tasty low-calorie treat – it is also excellent to improve your health.