The Watermelon Way

Here I am sharing some of the facts and benefits and even risks of eating a yummy tempting watermelon!

First of all lets start with what is a watermelon? although most of us would know it :p

Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant originally from southern Africa. It is a large, sprawling annual plant with coarse, hairy pinnately-lobed leaves and white to yellow flowers. It is grown for its edible fruit. The fruit has a smooth hard rind, usually green with dark green stripes or yellow spots, and a juicy, sweet interior flesh, usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, or white, with many seeds.

I know this sounds much of science but basically watermelon is what we all know-a fruit and even a vegetable.

 Watermelon Facts:

• watermelon is more than 91 percent water. 
• It has more lycopene than raw tomatoes.
• The watermelon can be classed as both a fruit and a vegetable.
• It is a fruit because it grows from a seed, has a sweet refreshing flavor, and is loosely considered a type of melon (although it is actually a type of berry called a pepo).
• It is a vegetable because it is a member of the same family as the cucumber, pumpkin and squash. It is also harvested and cleared from fields like other vine growing vegetables.
• There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon that come in various weights, shapes, sizes and red, orange, yellow or white in color. 
• It contains vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids.
• All parts of a watermelon can be eaten, even the rind.

  Health benefits:

• 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. 
• It is also rich in anti-oxidant flavonoids like lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants have been 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.
• The juice may relieve muscle soreness.
• To really maximize your lycopene intake, let your watermelon fully ripen. The redder your watermelon gets, the higher the concentration of lycopene becomes.
• Eating watermelon on a hot summer day is a tasty way to help you stay hydrated and avoid.

  Its Seeds:

• One of several minerals found in watermelon seeds is magnesium.
• A handful of watermelon seeds contains about 0.29 mg of iron which is an important component of hemoglobin — carrying oxygen through the body. It also helps your body convert calories into energy.

  The Rind:

• Its rind,also known as the citrulline might give your workout a boost.
• Citrulline might improve your next athletic performance as well.
• It Can Reduce Your Blood Pressure.
• If your doctor instructed you to lower your blood pressure, try eating watermelon — rind and all. Some research has shown that watermelon extract supplements are able to help obese adults control their blood pressure. 

  Now For The Risks:

• Though most of us think that watermelons might not have any risks but....
• If eaten in reasonable amounts, watermelons should produce no serious side effects. If you eat an abundance of the fruit daily, however, you may experience problems from having too much lycopene or potassium.
• The consumption of more than 30 mg of lycopene daily could potentially cause nausea, diarrhea, indigestion and bloating, according to the American Cancer Society.

These were some of the many facts and benefits and ricks whatever u name it of a very tempting fruit and even a vegetable called the watermelon!

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