Health Benefits of Watermelon

The Nutritional Facts

Watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight. As with many other fruits, it is a source of vitamins A, B6 and C. Additionally, watermelon is a good source of thiamin, potassium and magnesium. Watermelons contain a significant amount of citrulline - an amino acid our bodies use to make another amino acid, arginine. They have no fats, have fewer amounts of calories and are one of the healthiest fruits. Watermelon is also mildly diuretic and contains large amounts of beta-carotene.

Although watermelon with red-pink flesh is more common, there are varieties of watermelon that feature yellow, orange or white flesh. Watermelon with red-pink flesh is a significant source of a potent antioxidant, lycopene - a plant pigments responsible for the red color of watermelon, tomatoes, and pink guavas).

The Health Benefits

1. Aids in Energy Production: Watermelon is concentrated with B-vitamins. B-vitamins are responsible for a lot of your body's energy production. This means, eating watermelon can give you substantial energy. It also has high amounts of the energizing nutrients, magnesium and potassium. Eating watermelon is a safe alternative to taking energy drinks prior to exercise. It also keeps you hydrated with its high water content as opposed to caffeine filled energy drinks that dehydrate you.
2. Provides Antioxidants: Watermelon is a natural source of the most powerful antioxidants. It is a good source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A (through its concentration of beta-carotene). Watermelons with red-pink flesh are also a good source of carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. All these antioxidants reduce the risks of asthma, heart disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and various cancers by neutralizing dangerous free radicals that could otherwise damage cells and cell membranes.
3. Shows Cancer Fighting Properties: Adding watermelon into your diet can help prevent and fight cancer. This can be attributed to its rich antioxidant profile. The antioxidants of watermelon are very concentrated and they have the ability to kill the cancer causing free radicals. Lycopene, a potent carotenoid in watermelon, has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. In research on humans, lycopene has been linked to the protection of DNA inside of white blood cells due to its antioxidant function to help protect cells from free radical damage. Lycopene has been found to be protective against many cancers, particularly prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer and colon cancer.
4. Improves Eye Health: Eating enough watermelon can prevent night blindness. This is because, watermelon is rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, which improves overall eye health. Eating watermelon can also prevent age related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults. Macular degeneration is just a fancy word for loss of vision. Studies show that eating watermelon is actually healthy for your eyes than eating carrots. That holds true in preventing both short-term and long-term vision loss.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure: Watermelon is a good source of potassium, which helps in controlling blood pressure and in maintaining the body's proper electrolyte and acid-base balance. Two cups of watermelon contains about 10 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium.
6. Promotes Brain Power: Being a very good source of vitamin B6, watermelon serves as a great brain food. Vitamin B6 helps the body to create brain chemicals that regulate sleeping patterns, relieve stress and even give a feeling of elation.
7. Promotes Heart Health: Scientists suggest that when watermelon is consumed, citrulline (an amino acid) is converted to arginine through certain enzymes. Arginine is an amino acid that works wonders on the heart, the circulatory system and the immune system. The citrulline-arginine relationship promotes heart health.
8. Acts as the Natural Viagra: Scientists suggest that watermelon has ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body's blood vessels and may even increase libido. It has been found to show great effects in relaxing blood vessels without involving any side effect of a drug.
9. Treats Erectile Dysfunction: Arginine, produced by the body using citrulline, is used by the cells lining your blood vessels to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the blood vessels and this is the same effect which Viagra produces while treating erectile function.
10. Treats Impotence: Arginine seems to improve sexual function in men with impotence. Arginine boosts nitric oxide which relaxes blood vessels. A study of 50 men with impotence reported significant improved sexual function after they were given arginine supplementation.
11. Promotes Muscles Health: Potassium-rich foods like watermelon help athletes to cope up with muscle strain and cramps. Eating a slice of watermelon immediately after rigorous exercises can even prevent the muscles from becoming sore.
12. Aids in the Weight Loss Process: Watermelon is low in calories and high in water content. This makes it filling but not fattening. Eating watermelon in place of high-calorie treats can help to shed pounds without the feeling of missing out on something. The natural sweetness found in melons will help you not to be tempted to grab those high calorie sweets.
13. Boosts the Immune System: Arginine is the physiologic precursor in the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), which plays a pivotal role in many biological processes such as platelet aggregation and immune system modulation. A study involving 40 children demonstrated an increase in lymphocytes, which play an important role in the immune system, after oral administration of arginine.
14. Helps Remove Toxins: Arginine plays an important part in the healing of wounds and the removal of ammonia and other toxic compounds from the body. Excess ammonia in the blood can lead to fatigue, kidney and liver disease.
15. Improves Insulin Sensitivity: Arginine has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetic patients with insulin resistance.