Watermelon – tasty and so good for your health

Who doesn’t enjoy some fresh watermelon?  So juicy and naturally sweet.  We have some sliced watermelon in our fridge as my husband went to the farmer’s market this week. Many people enjoy watermelon and don’t realize how healthy it is.  Cleveland Clinic says, “watermelon should be part of your diet”.  Why?  Watermelon is “packed with vitamins and minerals and can be enjoyed all year ‘round”.  We hear a lot about superfoods like blueberries but we don’t hear much about other fruits like watermelon.  

Watermelon packs a big nutritious punch.

One reason why watermelon is so good for your health is that it is loaded with many vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. 

  •          Vitamins: watermelon is a good source of vitamins A, C and many B vitamins.  One cup of watermelon balls provides 12.5 mg of vitamin C, almost 25% of daily needs.  One cup also provides 876 IU of vitamin A, almost 20% of daily needs. 
  • Minerals:  think potassium.  Almost all fruit provides this important mineral which helps counteract the bad effects of sodium.  Loading up on potassium rich foods helps fight high blood pressure.  Watermelon also provides some magnesium, copper and other minerals. 
  • Low-calorie:  eat up as a cup of watermelon provides only 46 calories.  Watermelon provides 0 grams of fat.
  • Low sodium:  only 1 mg of sodium in an entire cup of sliced watermelon
  • Hydration: many people think only plain water is hydrating.  Not true.  Fruits, like watermelon, contain a lot of “water” and are good for hydration.  You may be surprised to learn watermelon is about “92 percent water”, so a great choice for hydrating. 
    • Sports hydration:  Kids playing sports can enjoy watermelon to help them stay hydrated. After physical activity rehydrate with some watermelon sprinkled with some salt.  This will help replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates.  Dietitian Lara Whitson, RD, LD says, “It’s amazing what it can do to restore your energy and quench your thirst”. 
  • Fiber: I recently blogged about how important fiber is to your health (See:  A power nutrient your diet may be lacking ).  One way to get more fiber is to eat fresh fruit like watermelon. 
  • Phytonutrients: “Phyto” means plant.  And plants have many phytonutrients that are not just good for plants but are good for our health.  I have noted many times how important phytonutrients are to good health.  (See:  Why are berries and other fruit and veggies so good for your health?).  Fruits that are reddish in color provide the phytonutrient or antioxidant, lycopene.  Researchers have extensively studied the health benefits of lycopene.  Lycopene is not a vitamin or mineral but is good for eye health, helps prevent cancer by slowing “the growth of cancer cells”, reduces heart disease risk by lowering the bad cholesterol, LDL, , is anti-aging and helps protect your skin, (See:  Health Benefits of Lycopene from WebMD.)  And what fruit is a great source of this healthy lycopene?  Watermelon. 
  • Joint health:  WebMDindicates that the color in watermelon contains beta-cryptoxanthin and this antioxidant “may protect your joints from inflammation.  Some studies show that over time, it could make you less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis.”  

How do you know if a watermelon is ripe?

  1. Skip watermelons with bruises, dents or bumps.  Scratches are OK as that can happen in shipping.  A regular shape is good as odd shapes with bumps, curves may mean irregular exposure to water or sun.
  2.  Look for a “creamy yellow spot” as that is “where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun”.  “A watermelon with a creamy yellow field spot is likely perfectly ripe inside.” 
  3. No stem – if you see a green stem, it means the watermelon was picked too early and thus didn’t fall off the vine.  Watermelon falls off the vine naturally when they are ripe.  If there is a little stem, it should be dark, not bright green.
  4. The “tap test”.  Some people try to “thump” the watermelon to see if it is ripe.  Some truth to this as if the watermelon sounds hollow, it is probably ripe.  “A dull sound, or a deep thud, means the fruit hasn’t reached its prime yet and isn’t ripe enough”. 

Conclusion:   Adding some watermelon to your day is an easy way to add some good nutrition to your day.  On a diet?  Choose some watermelon as it is low in calories and the fiber in it will help fill you up.  And while enjoying this healthy food, you also are doing good things for your eyes, skin and heart.  Enjoy some watermelon on National Watermelon Day, August 3, 2023.  

 

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