Watermelon is a delicious, nutritious treat and is a surprisingly healthy fruit. It has a high water content and also delivers many other important nutrients, including lycopene and vitamin C.
Vitamin C which is an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage from free radicals and Lycopene, a type of carotenoid that doesn’t change into vitamin A. This strong antioxidant gives a red color to plant foods such watermelon and is linked to many health benefits.
The numerous health benefits of watermelon are as follow:
- Antioxidants Function
One good health benefit of watermelon is antioxidant function. It serves a great source of fighting free radicals, especially in the form of vitamin C and lycopene. Antioxidants in this sense, has to do with vitamin C and lycopene which provides one of their extra electrons to the free radical, thereby neutralizing it and preventing it from causing cellular damage.
- It Protects Against Diabetes
When you consume watermelon, your kidneys convert one amino acid, L-citrulline, into another amino acid, L-arginine. The one-two function of these two amino acids has many health benefits, which is protection against the growing of diabetes.
Studies have shown that L-arginine supplementation is beneficial in regulating glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. While you consume much of the amino acid from watermelon the fact remains that you might through supplementation of foods that contain this compound can be of a beneficial part of a diet designed to fight against diabetes.
- Prevents Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Every summer, a number of people fall victim to heat stroke, with over thousands of people dying from the condition annually in the United States and other high temperate region globally. Heat stroke is not just about being a little overheated. In some countries, we have what they call spinal meningitis which is the swelling of the throat as a result of heat. This is a serious condition that requires medical attention and consumption of watermelon can be of immense help to reduce the scourge.
Watermelon, which contains lots of water mostly has electrolytes which help to reduce the effects of the heat in the summertime and wonderfully reduce the risk of suffering heat stroke.
- Reduces Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is a condition that is suspected of affecting anywhere from 20-25% of the population. Periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss, infection and has even been connected to other health conditions such as heart disease.
Watermelon is a great source of vitamin C that will help fight this disease and make you live a normal and healthy life.
- Digestive Function
We often experience dehydration, which is a situation of not taking enough water during the day. You might not really notice it because you are not necessarily thirsty. However this could give you chronic health side effects like headaches, fatigue and uncomfortable constipation.
We need enough water in our body system to help digest foods and push them through. We also need fiber to help with this process. Watermelon contains both, making it a perfect digestive weapon.
- It Supports The Kidney
During the day, we as human beings are exposed to a number of toxins. While some come from the foods we eat, others come from the air outside. Most often we experience more toxins from unsuspected places inside your own home or place of work. Not minding the source, your kidneys do a lot of work to keep you healthy by eliminating these toxins from your system.
Certain nutrients found in watermelon can help support the kidneys throughout this process. The two main toxin fighting nutrients in watermelon are calcium and potassium. It is advisable that we take watermelon every day to help support the kidneys throughout the day and keep you healthy.
- Reduces Asthma Attacks
Researches have equally shown that low levels of vitamin C could lead to an increase of asthma attacks, while higher levels of vitamin C are tied to a reduction in asthma symptoms. Interestingly enough, vitamin C has a lot to do in asthma reduction.
It is advisable you eat more vitamin C rich foods, such as watermelon which has about 40% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C to fight asthma and keeps you healthy.
- Helps In Weight Reduction
Trying to lose weight, is not something that should be done to cause more harm to health.
Consumption of watermelon helps in weight reduction without necessarily causing damage to yourself. Watermelon satisfies the emotional craving as well as the physical one.
- Is Good for Skin and Hair
Several nutrients in watermelon are good for your hair and skin. Some help keep skin supple while others protect against sunburn. Two vitamins in watermelon — A and C — are important for skin and hair health.
Vitamin A is also important for healthy skin since it helps create and repair skin cells. Without enough vitamin A, your skin can look dry and wrinkle. Both lycopene and beta-carotene may also help protect your skin from sunburn.
- Helps Balance Your pH
The foods we eat and the drinks we enjoy all fall somewhere along the pH scale. While some are acidic, others are considered alkaline based. We need more of alkaline foods in the human body to help regulates itself at a very specific 7.4 Watermelon is an alkaline food, which helps to neutralize the acidic components in our diets, and thereby helping our bodies maintain a proper pH level.
- May Improve Heart Health
Heart disease is one of the numerous causes of death worldwide.
Lifestyle factors, including diet, may lower your risk of heart attack and stroke by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Several nutrients in watermelon have specific benefits for heart health. Studies suggest that lycopene may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It can also help prevent oxidative damage to cholesterol.
- Helps Prevent Cancer
Researchers have shown that watermelon contains compound lycopene and other individual plant compounds for their anti-cancer effects.
It appears to reduce cancer risk by lowering insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein involved in cell division. High IGF levels are linked to cancer.
Conclusion
These nutrients mean that watermelon isn’t only a tasty low-calorie treat— it’s also has wonderful health benefits for your well being.
It is my earnest hope that you will begin to eat watermelon the right food to eat, to boost your immune system (self-healing mechanism) inside of you, to help you have wellness and maintain healthy life.