Watermelon

Contributed by: Carol Kline

Watermelons are mostly water (about 92%) and are a wonderfully sweet, summertime treat!  Here are some of the health benefits you can enjoy while eating this delicious fruit:

• There are high levels of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids. There’s even a small amount of potassium.
• L-citrulline is an amino acid shown to protect against muscle pain and is found in watermelon.
• The watermelon rind is edible and contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the pink flesh! Try putting it in a blender with some lime for a healthy, refreshing treat!
• Imagine this…watermelon contains cucurbitacin E, which blocks the activity of the pain and inflammation-causing enzyme cyclooxyrgenase (this is the same enzyme blocked by COX-2 inhibitor drugs).
• One cup has 1-1/2 times the lycopene as a single tomato.
• New research has shown some improvements in blood pressure and cardiac stress in obese study participants.
• Citrulline is converted to arginine in your kidneys, which is important for heart and immune system health.

Sources:  medicalnewstoday.com, mercola.com, verywell.com, and watermelon.org