Watermelon benefits your health by providing important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, potassium, zinc, and sodium. These nutrients help the body repair damage caused by certain health conditions or accidental damage. It also strengthens the immune system, promoting overall health.
Consult a nutritionist to know about the watermelon intake according to your overall health.
Highlights
- Watermelon improves blood flow and reduces cardiovascular problems.
- Watermelon reduces the risk of developing chronic health conditions.
- The watermelon maintains the blood pressure of pregnant women.
Is Watermelon good for your health?
Watermelon, also known as a green fruit, red fruit, or sweet melon can decrease the risk of developing chronic health issues due to poor health. It improves your quality of life by providing the following health benefits:
1. Does watermelon increase your blood flow?
Watermelon improves blood flow in your body, reducing the signs and symptoms of various health conditions, and promoting health. Improved blood flow provides these health benefits:
- Reduce bad cholesterol: Adequate blood circulation alleviates bad cholesterol and blood pressure, reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
- Reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases: A 2021 research study suggests that watermelon is rich in a carotenoid called lycopene. This nutrient reduces oxidative stress, decreasing the chances of myocardial infarction.
- Promote healthy blood vessels: The green fruit provides citrulline, which promotes nitric oxide in your body. This nutrient can help dilate blood vessels and improves blood flow.
2. Does watermelon reduces the risk of chronic health conditions?
A 2019 research study considers watermelon a potential fruit snack. It can strengthen your immune system, helping reduce the risk of developing chronic health conditions such as:
- Cancer: The anti-oxidative properties of this fruit neutralize the free-radical in your body. This prevents the growth of cancer cells in your body’s brain, breast, or other organs.
- Autoimmune diseases: The sweet fruit provides lycopene, which reduces inflammation in the body. This reduces the risk of developing autoimmune diseases including — Addison disease, graves disease, pernicious anemia, or multiple sclerosis.
3. Does watermelon help with muscle pain?
A 2019 research study claims that watermelon contains amino acids such as L-Citrulline.
- This nutrient can help alleviate the symptoms of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) — a health condition characterized by muscular pain and soreness after intense exercise.
- This nutrient also relieves muscle stiffness caused by underlying health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia.
Know about: Watermelon Juice Benefits with Easy Recipe
4. Does watermelon improve digestion?
The fruit is rich in soluble and insoluble fibers which regulate bowel movement, improving the process of digestion.
- Reduces constipation: It adds bulk to the stool, alleviating the symptoms of constipation.
- Alleviates digestive issues: Its anti-inflammatory properties help decrease the symptoms of various digestive problems, including gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease.
5. Does watermelon help maintain weight?
Multiple research studies suggest that the lycopene in green fruit burns extra fats, which results in weight loss.
- Promotes hydration: The fruit also provides plenty of water content to the body. Increased water intake helps your stomach feel less hungry, resulting in less meal intake and weight loss.
- Flush excess nutrients: Green juicy fruit is a natural diuretic, as it flushes out toxins, and extra fluids or salt from your body, resulting in weight loss.
If you’re trying to shed extra pounds, drink watermelon juice daily, especially on an empty stomach.
6. Does watermelon improve skin?
The red fruit is rich in vitamins including vitamins A, C, and B6. These nutrients promote collagen production and cell rejuvenation, reducing premature skin aging. The red fruit also protects the skin from the ultraviolet damage caused by the sunlight, per 2020 research.
- Reduces skin inflammation: Essential nutrients in the fruit alleviate skin inflammation, reducing the symptoms of skin conditions like acne, dermatitis, or psoriasis.
- Improves texture: The hydrating properties of green fruit improve skin’s texture, making it appear smooth and wrinkle-free.
7. Is watermelon good for a cancer patient?
The presence of antioxidants — especially, lycopene and amino acids — like citrulline in watermelon reduces the risk of abnormal cell division, leading to cancer in the breast, brain, kidneys, or other body organs.
- Block cancer spread: Research studies claim that watermelon juice inhibits the growth of cancer cells, diminishing cancer spread to nearby organs. Therefore, fruit juice can be beneficial for cancer patients.
- Reduce side effects of cancer treatment: The fruit can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy such as constipation in cancer patients, helping them improve their overall well-being.
However, cancer patients should take a suitable amount of watermelon after consulting a nutritionist.
8. Is watermelon good for sexual performance?
The green fruit is densely packed with essential nutrients including vitamins, minerals, potassium, zinc, amino acids, and enzymes, which promote sexual health in both men and women.
- Watermelon benefits for men: Waterelon, a natural Viagra has been proven effective for erectile dysfunction in men. It also reduces dehydration and improves sexual performance in men.
- Watermelon benefits for women: The fruit juice enhances bad mood, reducing the symptoms of low libido in women. It also increases blood flow to the ovaries, which reduces infertility issues.
9. Is watermelon seeds good for pregnancy?
The red fruit improves the health of the developing fetus and expecting women. It diminishes dehydration, reducing the risks of constipation, fatigue, or preterm labor. Pregnant mothers should incorporate sweet melon into their diet to get these proven health benefits:
- Diminish swelling: Body swelling such as edema is common in expecting mothers. The seed of sweet melon contains lycopene, which helps alleviate swelling symptoms on joints, ankles, hands, and feet.
- Maintain heart health: A 2021 research study suggests that watermelon contains anti-hypertensive nutrients, namely sodium, beta carotene, potassium, and L-arginine, which help maintain healthy blood pressure. This fruit also reduces the symptoms of hypotension during pregnancy. It also reduces high cholesterol levels, which decreases the chances of cardiovascular diseases like heart failure, coronary artery disease, or arrhythmia.
- Promote fetal heart health: The fruit provides essential nutrients, reducing the chances of fetal heart defects such as atrial septal defect, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, or pulmonary atresia.
- Immunity booster: The Vitamin-rich fruit help boost the immunity of the expecting mothers. A healthy immune system reduces fetal infections and birth complications.
Insomnia during pregnancy can be reduced by eating watermelon, as this fruit provides tryptophan — a natural neurotransmitter that regulates sleep. Similarly, expecting women also experience sleep apnea, which causes breathing problems during sleep. The juicy fruit provides serotonin, reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Best time to eat watermelon
You can eat watermelon anytime. However, nutritionists say taking the fruit on an empty stomach in the morning can provide more health benefits.
Some people often feel digestive issues if they eat this fruit at night. This is not scientifically proven. But it is generally recommended to avoid it at night.
Conclusion
Adding sweet fruit to your daily intake will reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and promote healthy functioning of the different organs. Therefore, you can add it to your diet by cutting it into slices or making juice or a smoothie.
Consult a nutritionist to plan a watermelon diet per your health condition.
FAQs
1. How much watermelon should you eat a day?
Expert nutritionists claim that eating one or two bowls of watermelon is enough for improving your health. Avoid overeating as it may have adverse impacts on your health.
2. Does watermelon have a lot of sugar?
Watermelon contains a moderate amount of sugar and electrolytes. This helps balance high insulin levels, which makes this fruit a good snack for diabetics.
