Watermelon Benefits for a Healthier Summer

पावर फ़ूड

Watermelons don’t just weigh heavy on the scale due to their weight, but they are also a storehouse of important nutrients that are proven to be extremely beneficial for health. Let’s explore some of the most prominent watermelon nutrition benefits and how you can incorporate them into your diet.

Watermelon Benefits for a Healthier Summer

Introduction

Cultivated during the summers, watermelon is not just an appetising fruit loved by many, but watermelon benefits stretch around many spheres. It is loaded with nutrients and is touted for its role in maintaining good health. A study even proposed that daily consumption of watermelon can help in losing weight, reaching ideal body mass index (BMI), and maintaining blood pressure levels. Watermelon is indeed a fruit with mighty merits. In this blog, we attempt to cover some of the most prominent health benefits of watermelon.

Nutrients in Watermelon

Watermelon nutrition benefits are credited to its vast nutrient profile, which is described below:

Water: About 95% of watermelon is composed of water, thus making it an excellent fruit for hydration
Vitamin-B6: Also known as pyridoxine, it is essential for immune function and the formation of haemoglobin that helps in the transportation of oxygen
Vitamin A: Every serving of about 20 g of watermelon contains 115.2 μg of β-Carotene. In the body, beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A and is especially required for good vision.
Vitamin C: Every serving contains 2.3 mg of Vitamin C that helps in providing immunity and fighting infections.
Magnesium: Every serving contains 1.5 mg of magnesium.
It is a rich source of potassium and high in many electrolytes.
Black watermelon seeds are quite healthy and edible too. They contain iron, zinc, protein, and fibre.

Benefits of eating watermelon

Helps to maintain blood pressure: The extracts obtained from watermelon can help reduce hypertension, which is characterised by an increased pressure of the blood as it flows through the vessels. Watermelon is also high in potassium, which is a micronutrient present within our cells and body fluids and helps regulate blood pressure, thus influencing heart rate. In fact, the rind of watermelon contains citrulline, an amino acid that can help with vasodilation - widening of blood vessels to allow easy flow of blood through them.
Heart health: Watermelon benefits the heart as it contains high levels of lycopene, which acts as an antioxidant. It protects cells from damage and can lower the risk of heart disease. By playing a role in influencing blood pressure, the advantages of watermelon include its ability to help in the prevention of stroke and coronary heart diseases.
Anti-inflammatory in nature: The health benefits of watermelon are derived from its antioxidant potential, which can help reduce inflammation in the body. Anti-inflammatory foods are known to defend our body against attacks from toxic substances. The presence of lycopene can act against various inflammations and neutralise the harmful free radicals that would otherwise damage our cells.
Beneficial for immune function: A general notion prevails that consumption of foods rich in vitamin C can assist the body in developing resistance against infectious agents and fighting harmful oxygen-free radicals. Superoxide dismutase, which is a natural antioxidant in our body, requires manganese for its proper functioning, and this essential mineral can be obtained through watermelons. Besides, watermelon fruit benefits our immune system by providing vitamin A, another micronutrient credited for being a natural antioxidant and neutralising the dangerous byproducts formed due to the reactions taking place within our cells. Vitamin A is also required for good vision.
Keeps you hydrated: The health benefits of watermelon are associated with its high water and electrolyte content, which helps one to stay hydrated. Water affects daily exercise performance as well as short and long-term health. Watermelon is especially beneficial in the summer as it helps beat the heat and quench our thirst.
Aids in Digestion: The benefits of eating watermelon are also linked to improved digestive health. The fibre present in the fruit encourages a healthy digestive tract. Fibre is also essential for the growth of healthy microorganisms in our gut and helps maintain ideal body weight and overall metabolic health.
Good for skin and hair benefits: One of the advantages of eating watermelon is that it is a wonderful food for our skin. The vitamin A in it helps keep skin moisturised while the vitamin C content promotes the synthesis of collagen, which provides a structural framework for our skin.
May aid in promoting hair growth: Watermelon’s nutrient content can also encourage the healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells for hair.
Can help relax sore muscles: The citrulline in watermelon is proposed as an ergogenic aid and could be used to enhance exercise performance. It can also help reduce muscle soreness experienced after exercising.

Summer watermelon recipes

Minty Watermelon Lemonade: Made by blending diced watermelon, mint, and lemon juice, this is a very healthy drink for the summer season. It boasts a blend of nutrients in a glass and can keep you hydrated for a long time.
Watermelon Corn Salad: This salad is a no-fuss whip and can be made by adding julienned cabbage, grated carrot, chopped capsicum, tomato, onion, and boiled sweet corn with diced watermelon sprinkled with seasonings of choice. It serves as a filling option for evening summer snacks.
Watermelon Salsa: You can make this salsa by adding chopped cucumber and tomato to cubed watermelon. A dash of mint and lemon juice will help enhance the overall flavour of the dish.

Conclusion

Being an all-rounder food that is advantageous for our heart, immunity, digestion, skin, and hair, watermelon benefits our health in a multifaceted fashion. The vast list mentioned above is a good reason for everyone to bite into this juicy fruit every day, for it is a powerhouse of nutrition!