タイトルまたは説明

Health benefits of watermelon

• Rich in electrolytes and water content, melons are natures gift to beat tropical summer thirst.

• Watermelons are very low in calories (just *0 calories per **0 g) and fats yet very rich source of numerous health promoting phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants that are essential for optimum health.

• Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin-A, which is a powerful natural anti-oxidant. **0 g fresh fruit provides **9 mg or *9% of daily-required levels of this vitamin. It is one of essential vitamin for vision and immunity. Vitamin-A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

• It is also rich in anti-oxidant flavonoids like lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants are found to offer protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Phyto-chemicals present in watermelon like lycopene and carotenoids have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen-free radicals.

• Watermelon is an excellent source of carotenoid pigment, lycopene and indeed, superior to raw red tomato. **0 g of fresh melon provides ***2 µg lycopene, whereas this value only ***3 µg for tomatoes. Studies suggest that lycopene offer certain protection to skin from harmful UV rays.

• Watermelon fruit is a good source of potassium; Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; It thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.

• Furthermore, it contains a good amount of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B*1), vitamin-C, and manganese. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

• Total measured antioxidant strength (ORAC value) of watermelon is **2 µmol TE/**0 g.