11 Benefits of Eating Watermelon Everyday

11 Benefits of Eating Watermelon Everyday

1. It's packed with essential nutrients

With only 46 calories per cup, watermelon is a stellar calorie-dense fruit. It also has about 15% of your daily vitamin C needs, Opens a New Window, says Sollid, along with a storehouse of other vitamins and minerals, including potassium and vitamins A and B6.

Vitamin C strengthens your immune system and helps the body absorb iron, while vitamin A is important for skin and eye health, says Derocha. Watermelon is rich in potassium, which lowers blood pressure and supports nerve function, and vitamin B6, which helps the body break down the proteins you eat and boosts the immune system and nerve function.

2. It provides high levels of lycopene

Lycopene is a natural compound found in watermelon and other fruits and vegetables that has antioxidant properties. It's also the substance that gives watermelon its red colour; But beyond its colour, lycopene is also good for you.

Meyer-Jaques says it may reduce the risk of cancer, open a new window, heart disease, and age-related eye disorders. Solid says lycopene works to protect your cells from damage, and research suggests it may have a blood-pressure-lowering effect. This is especially true when consumed regularly through the diet opens a new window.

3. Watermelon helps keep you hydrated

Watermelon is made up of more than 90% water. “As the name suggests, watermelon keeps you hydrated,” explains Derocha. “We get 80% of our hydration from what we drink and 20% from what we eat; watermelon helps with this balanced intake and opens a new window.

Most adults don't drink enough water, which opens a new window, and hydration is especially important in the summer, opens a new window, when temperatures rise and fluids can be lost through sweat.

Meyer-Jaques recommends eating watermelon with a little salt sprinkled on it after a workout or when you've been sweating profusely. "The combination of carbohydrates and salt is ideal for replenishing lost electrolytes and carbohydrate stores," he says.

4. It contributes to healthy digestion

Watermelon is high in water and low in fibre. "Both are important for keeping digestion running smoothly. Fibre adds volume to your stool and keeps you regular, while water helps move waste through your digestive system.

5. It helps with weight management

Meyer-Jaques explains that choosing watermelon over another sweet snack may help you feel fuller for longer. Limited research published in Nutrients Opens a New Window 2019 found that people who were considered overweight or clinically obese and ate watermelon instead of low-fat cookies experienced greater satiety.

Eating watermelon daily was associated with reduced body weight, which in turn decreased body mass index, blood pressure, and waist circumference in the subjects.

6. May improve heart health

Research suggests that eating lycopene-rich foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Opens a new window suggests a link between the fruit and heart disease, as a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension in 2012 suggested that watermelon juice may lower blood pressure over a sustained period. "The authors suggest that two antioxidants in watermelon — L-citrulline and L-arginine — may improve the function of arteries," says Derocha.

7. It May Reduce Cancer Risk

The lycopene found in watermelon may reduce inflammation, open a new window, and oxidative stress, an imbalance between free radicals (unstable molecules produced naturally by the body that can cause disease) and the body's ability to fight off their effects.

Chronic inflammation may increase the risk of certain diseases, including cancer, opens a new window, and research suggests that lycopene has the potential to reduce inflammation and prevent cancer cells from growing, thereby reducing the risk of diseases.

Studies have shown that increasing lycopene intake may reduce the risk of digestive tract cancers and open a new window, and prostate cancer opens a new window.

8. Watermelon Helps Reduce Inflammation

Derocha explains that a specific combination of antioxidants, lycopene and vitamin C, found in watermelon may reduce inflammation and oxidative damage over time. Those experiencing inflammation may experience swelling, pain or red skin. This opens a new window and chronic inflammation can lead to serious conditions including cancer, asthma, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

9. It's good for your skin

"The water in watermelon and the vitamins A, B6, and C help keep your skin soft, supple, and supple," says Derocha. Vitamin C boosts collagen production, opening a new window of production, which improves skin elasticity and blood flow to the skin. Vitamin A helps repair skin cells, preventing dry, flaky skin, while vitamin B6 helps heal blemishes.

Lycopene may play a role in protecting your skin from the sun, making you less prone to sunburn, Derocha says. But that doesn't mean you should skip applying sunscreen, she stresses; it's very important to use your favourite SPF regularly. Opens a new window

10. It relieves muscle pain

A small study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry opened a new window and found that athletes who drank watermelon juice experienced a reduction in muscle pain for up to 24 hours. The juice also helped lower their recovery heart rate.

Researchers have linked watermelon juice's ability to relieve muscle pain to its content of L-citrulline, an amino acid that helps reduce muscle damage. Although scientists need more solid evidence to confirm the extent of this benefit, this link may inspire you to consider incorporating watermelon juice into your post-workout routine.

11. Watermelon seeds and peel are nutritious

Most people stick to the red or pink pulp when eating fresh watermelon. But you can eat the peel and seeds because they offer overall health benefits of their own.

The peel has less sugar and more fibre than the watermelon pulp, says Meyer-Jacques, and "when eaten with the rest of the watermelon, it slows the absorption of sugar in the gut and reduces the rise in blood sugar." Watermelon peel contains L-citrulline, which may lower blood pressure and boost athletic performance.

Watermelon seeds, which can be eaten raw or dried, are rich in magnesium, which opens a new window — which Derocha explains plays an important role in energy production, nerve function, DNA and protein synthesis, and blood pressure regulation. They also contain folate, which may help reduce the risk of cancer and depression. The seeds are good sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke and the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.