Saturday, October 15, 2011

Watermelon Health Advantages



Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.

Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and Its a summer fruit and can be consumed in many ways like eaten raw, or as a juice and can be added to the salad in combination of other fruits. 100 gm of watermelon contains 90% water and 7% carbohydrates providing just 46 calories per 100 gm.

Watermelon has the highest concentration of lycopene which is a important antioxidant helpful in fighting heart diseases and cancer. It also contains high amount of potassium which is essential for muscle nerve function and helps lower blood pressure. The fruit contains vitamin A which helps maintain eye health and is a good antioxidant, B6 provides brain function and vitamin C which helps build immunity and prevent cell damage.

As an added bonus, these studies have also shown that deep red varieties of watermelon have displaced the tomato as the lycopene king, Patil said. Almost 92 percent of watermelon is water, but the remaining 8 percent is loaded with lycopene, an anti-oxidant that protects the human heart, prostate and skin health.

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