Watermelon is just plain old good food! You may appreciate watermelon most for it's crisp, cool, delicious sweetness, but did you know that watermelon is packed with nutrition? Watermelon, by weight, is 6 % sugar and 92% water. Because watermelon has a higher water content and lower calorie content than other fruits, it delivers more nutrients per calorie.
Let's take a look at which nutrients watermelon contains and how they help our bodies.
Vitamin C - helps support immune system, acts as an antioxidant, helps prevent heart attack and stroke.
Vitamin A - cancer fighting antioxidant, helps oxidize cholesterol, improves eye health, helps prevent night blindness and Glaucoma.
Vitamins B6 and B1 - helps support immune system, helps break down protein.
Lycopene - (found in pink and red fruits and vegetables) cancer fighting antioxidant, reduces harmful free radicals in the body, helps in prevention of: cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, male infertility, macular degenerative disease, and skin aging.
Magnesium - helps against: irritability, tension, sleep disorders, muscular cramping, and heart attack.
Potassium - helps create water balance within the body, good for cardiovascular and brain health, helps eliminate kidney stones.
Citrulline - helps body excrete ammonia, helps body produce Arginine, relaxes blood vessels, helps reduce high blood pressure.
Along with watermelon's low calorie/high nutrient content, watermelon also offers fiber, which gives a feeling of fullness, making it a good food choice for weight control.
Sources: Natural Health News Natural News Wikipedia
Image: watermelon Originally uploaded by dx.dealextreme
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