Watermelon – A superfood

This is the time of year for seasonal fruits: fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. And my personal favourite after a long, hot day on the bike - watermelon! Love getting the water and the sweetness all in one. Owing to its high water content, watermelon has beneficial effects on the body’s fluid balance, helping prevent water retention and promoting well-hydrated youthful skin. But it does a lot more than that!

Watermelon has long been used in tropical countries to quench the thirst. It has the supporting effect of helping the body shed excess fluid, which can cause bloating and puffiness. Being 92 per cent fluid and 6 per cent well-diluted sugar, watermelon does not negatively affect blood sugar levels and helps to pull water into the cells.

Kidneys and liver
The diuretic effect of watermelon helps clean out the kidneys, thus supporting revitalizing detoxification. It does this by increasing the flow of urine but does not strain the kidneys like alcohol and caffeine do. Watermelon helps the liver process ammonia (protein waste) which eases strain on the kidneys while getting rid of excess fluids.

Skin
The bright red colour of the flesh comes from the high levels of carotenoid antioxidants beta carotene and lycopene, which help protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays.

Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C, helping to heal all the body’s tissues and keeping skin plump and free of age spots.

Weight control
Watermelon contains citrulline which can reduce the accumulation of fat in our fat cells. I’m surprised somebody hasn’t made this into a pill and bottled it for the North American market!

The amino acid arginine helps take the sugars out of the bloodstream for use as energy, helping to regulate weight.

Cardiovascular and bone health
Lycopene is also important for cardiovascular health as well as bone health. Watermelon can improve cardiovascular function because it improves the blood flow via vasodilation (relaxation of blood pressure). Dietary lycopene reduces oxidative stress which normally reduces activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the two major bone cells involved in the osteoporosis. Consuming lycopene-rich foods means stronger bones. Watermelon is also rich in potassium which helps to retain calcium in your body, leading to stronger bones and joints.

Protein in the seeds
All parts of the watermelon have nutritional value, including the seeds. Watermelon seed meal protein content is high: 31 grams in one cup! And while seedless watermelons are more convenient to eat, they cannot reproduce without human intervention and so there are good reasons to choose seeded varieties, in addition to consuming the seeds.

Allow the fruit to fully ripen to get the most nutrients. The lycopene and beta-carotene content increases as the fruit ripens to its reddest colour of flesh. Enjoy plenty of watermelon this summer and start to reap the benefits!