by Karin Jennings
I recently read a very interesting article about the nutritional benefits of watermelon. I have always been a fan of this fabulous fruit because it’s refreshing and sweet, but I learned there are even more reasons to enjoy watermelon!Why eat watermelon?
- First of all, it’s a great source of vitamin C, Vitamin A and potassium.
- Secondly, it will help you stay hydrated because it is 92% water.
- Also it contains citrulline and lycopene, according to Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a professor of horticulture in the Plants for Human Health Institute at North Carolina State University. (She has been studying watermelon nutrients for 15 years!!)
How does citrulline benefit your body?
I hadn’t heard of this non-essential amino acid prior reading about it last week, but here’s what found out: It is involved in producing nitric oxide which relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure which benefits the both the brain and heart. It also helps to flush the kidneys.How does lycopene benefit your body?
The tomato industry has been touting the benefits of lycopene for a while now (I see it on every bottle of ketchup), but it turns out that lycopene is more abundant and easily absorbed from watermelon than from tomatoes. (That’s good…I like watermelon better!) Lycopene reduces plaque build up in arteries and helps prevent prostate cancer.For those of you who prefer lists…watermelons will improve the following:
- muscle pain after workouts
- blood pressure
- plaque build up in arteries
- inflammation of the prostate
- erectile dysfunction
- menopause symptoms
- acid reflux
Watermelon is a very healthy snack…here’s the nutritional information:
Two cups of watermelon contains:
- 80 calories
- 21 grams of carbohydrates (mostly sugars)
- 0 grams of fat
- 0 grams of protein
