The Different Ways To Enjoy The Benefits Of Watermelon
Nature never ceases to surprise us with its wonders. Full of water and vitamins, watermelon is popular for quenching your thirst and staying hydrated during the summer months. Apart from health, this juicy fruit is used in several applications thanks to its invaluable virtues. The watermelon is a seeded fruit, a family of cucurbits, including cucumbers, squash, melons, and pumpkins. Native to Africa, these climbing plants can reach up to 4 meters long.
The watermelon is characterized by its large size, oval or rounded shape, and heavyweight ranging from 1.5 kg to 11 kg. Behind the thick, dark green rind lies a beautiful, crisp, pink, or yellow-tinged flesh that is mouth-watering. These red or white seeds are scattered in all its corners and allow multiple uses. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the benefits of watermelons.
Nutritional composition
The watermelon is known for its high water content, hence its name watermelon. This composition reduces its calorie intake. Indeed, there is only 144 kcal (kilocalories) in 100 g of watermelon. For this same portion, it contains 7.3 g of carbohydrates, which gives a very appetizing sweet taste. Moreover, it is a powerful antioxidant and a source of vitamin C.
Like tomatoes and carrots, the reddish hue of watermelon flesh is a sign of the presence of lycopene, a type of carotenoids. Moreover, this fruit gets its name “citrullus lanatus” from its composition rich in citrulline. 1 kg of watermelon contains about 2 mg of citrulline. As for its seeds, they are full of proteins and magnesium. They contain good fats.
The virtues of watermelon
Fight against heart disease and high blood pressure.
Watermelon is beneficial for the heart because the presence of citrulline improves the functioning of nitric oxide in the cardiac muscles. This element favors the dilation of blood vessels facilitating the circulation of blood, the oxygen supply to the heart, and the evacuation of toxic elements. Thus, watermelon reduces heart disease. Moreover, linked to heart failure, the risk of hypertension is reduced with the regular consumption of watermelon.
The natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food
Other health benefits, watermelon is an antioxidant, just like moringa, which fights against free radicals present in the body. These radicals are responsible for premature aging. In addition, lycopene seems to be effective in fighting systematic inflammation. This kind of aggression of the blood vessel wall is caused by the body’s reaction to attacks by pathogens. It promotes the penetration of cholesterol or other microbial agents that will eventually clog the walls.
Ways to enjoy the benefits of watermelon.
Easy watermelon recipes
Although watermelon is eaten raw, you can diversify its consumption to take advantage of its benefits. Watermelon has a thirst-quenching property and can be used in the preparation of refreshing drinks such as Agua fresca, smoothies, sorbet, and watermelon granita. These recipes are easy and inexpensive.
For example, to prepare agua fresca, a kind of Mexican fruit juice, blend 300 g of seedless watermelon flesh with 6 cl of water. Add 50 g of sugar to the mixture and serve the juice with a slice of lime and mint leaves. You can also make watermelon jam with 1 kg of its flesh and 750 g of powdered sugar.
Beauty tips based on watermelon
As an antioxidant, watermelon is very popular in the manufacture of cosmetic products. You can use it to prepare your homemade beauty products, nourishing face and hair masks, body scrubs, and effective lotion for oily skin. For example, mix mashed potatoes with a slice of watermelon for the face mask and add honey.
Apply the mask to the face and leave it on for 20 minutes before rinsing it off. This preparation deeply nourishes the skin and moisturizes it. To fight against oily skin, you can apply cotton pads soaked in lemon juice and watermelon to tighten the pores and purify the face.
The preparation is based on watermelon seeds
After consuming the watermelon flesh, collect the seeds to benefit from their benefits. To do this, you can boil them in water or dry them and powder them. Then you can make an infusion or eat them raw.
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