W is for Watermelon: Yet Another Wonder Working Fruit

W is for Watermelon:  Yet Another Wonder Working Fruit

Watermelon is a summer fruit that have sweet juicy flesh.  It contains 93 percent water and 8% sugar.

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This delicious fruit is famous for its medicinal content.  It’s a very good source of potassium, magnesium, fiber and vitamins A and C.  Watermelons are eaten fresh, often in salads or as a dessert. Its rind is sometimes pickled. This sweet refreshing fruits have a serious side too, it look after your health.

It belongs to the family of pumpkins, cucumber and gourd. Its birth is in Africa and from there it spread to ancient Egypt North America.  Now world’s largest producers include China, Russia and Turkey.

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It’s a great source of carotenoid lycopene, though lycopene content in watermelon is higher than tomatoes,  its content is 40% more lycopene than raw tomatoes,  the studies reveals that lycopene can prevent prostate cancer. A recent study says that men who ate more watermelon had lessened their cancer risk by 82%.

Lycopene in watermelon act as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals.  It can protect against other cancers like those of the breast and pancreas.  The studies also prove that the content of lycopene the carotenoid in watermelon fights cancer may also protect your heart.

It is also a good source of citrulline, an amino acid your body turns into another amino acid called arginine which acts like a Viagra, and also helps in erectile dysfunction, known as a good Aphrodite.   It also boosts your sleep and energy. 

Also the contents of potassium and magnesium and fiber help to regulate your blood pressure level.  Fiber content can lower cholesterol level.

This also helps to control your body weight.  So consume more watermelon the tasty fruit can satisfy your thirst, your tooth without hurting your waistline

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Health experts say that foods with higher water content can help you lose weight. The reason is the much water content in this fruit fill your stomach and you are less likely to overeat.  It increases your metabolic rate, at which you burn calories.

One slice of watermelon has only about 86 calories and less than half a gram of fat, making it the perfect dessert.

To get more nutrition out of it, it is better to store it at room temperature. It may not be as refreshing but mind it, it will have more nutrients. So to get a bit more taste place the watermelon in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing it.

It is proved that intake of this fruit can get a glowing look to the body skin.  It also reduces the sun related skin diseases.

Make Watermelon fruit salads or cold soups. Its juice makes refreshing beverage.  Its all parts are edible.  Some people pickle the rind and roast the seeds for a tasty snack.

Before slicing the watermelon scrub the entire outer surface under warm running water to remove surface bacteria.

Source:

The World Book Encyclopedia

FC&A Medical Publishing

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