There are so many health benefits to eating watermelon. Did you know that watermelon is packed full of nutrients? Read on to learn all of the health benefits of watermelon.

The Health Benefits of Watermelon

The Surprising Facts About Watermelon

Okay, so last week I was all about the cantaloupes…this week it’s all about the watermelons. I seriously can’t help myself…once spring hits I love going to the farmer’s market and stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies.

Not only does watermelon taste great but there are many health benefits of watermelon, too. You can enjoy it as a tasty snack, but it’s something that you really want in your diet with all of the healthful benefits it supplies.

Watermelon is chock-full of vitamins. There’s vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins (B1 and B6). Vitamin A is an antioxidant and helps improve eye health. It’s not just carrots that are good for your eyes! Vitamin C helps build up your immunity, promotes wound healing, helps prevent cell damage, and helps give you a healthy smile. And B vitamins help your brain function and turn protein into energy.

Just one cup of watermelon provides 21% of the daily value of vitamin C and 17% of the daily value of vitamin A. And with high concentrations of vitamin C you’re sure to boost your immune system.

It’s not just the vitamins found in watermelon that make this such a great fruit to eat. Watermelon contains the highest amount of lycopene of any fruit or vegetable – even more than tomatoes.

What is lycopene? Well, quite simply it’s the antioxidant which helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer – like prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer.

Watermelon, being 90% water, is an excellent source of magnesium and potassium. This helps our muscles and nerves function. It keeps our electrolytes and acid-base balanced. And it’s great at keeping our blood pressure low. Plus, potassium is a great cure for Charlie Horse – painful leg cramps.

Watermelon is a great heart-healthy food. It keeps our arteries working and blood flowing. In studies of mice, watermelon has been shown to reduce the lipid panels. It is believed that watermelon reduces clogged arteries from plaque. This lowers your chances of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Watermelon contains lutein which is great for eye health. It helps protect the eyes from age-related diseases. Coupled with the other vitamins found in watermelon, it might even help prevent diseases of the eye such as macular degeneration. It strengthens the eye which helps keep the eye healthy.

Possibly the best health benefit of watermelon would be the very low calorie content of watermelon. This means you are less likely to gain weight when you eat it. But as with everything, eat it in moderation. While it has a low calorie content, the calories aren’t at zero. But it is definitely an ideal addition to any weight loss program. With its sweet, refreshing taste and low calories, it really is the perfect snack.

There’s just no denying the numerous health benefits of watermelon – it just might be a superfruit. So be sure to enjoy plenty of it this summer. It will help keep that heart healthy and lessen your risk of getting certain types of cancer, all while keeping you bathing suit ready and looking and feeling young.