Second of three parts
The first part is at thevoice.us/watermelon-one-of-the-most-beloved-fruits-in-the-world
Ocean Robbins of Food Revolution Network writes about one of Summer’s favorite foods. Watermelons.
“Watermelons are among the largest and heaviest fruits available at most grocery stores, but is lugging them home worth the effort? The three most popular types of watermelon enjoyed in the U.S. include
“1. Icebox. This is a smaller type of watermelon, which you can usually store in your refrigerator whole. It weighs anywhere from five to 15 pounds. Some popular varieties of icebox watermelon include Sugar Baby, Cal Sweet Bush, and Garden Baby.
“2. Picnic. Weighing between 15 to 50 pounds, the picnic watermelon is very large and is best cut before storing in your fridge, unless your fridge interior is the size of a walk-in closet. Some popular varieties of picnic watermelon include Black Diamond, Crimson Sweet, and Dixie Sweet.
“3. Seedless. Usually similar in size to picnic watermelons, seedless types are the majority of watermelons you’ll find in grocery stores. Seedless watermelons came about around 50 years ago. Although they don’t contain mature black seeds, they may contain some immature and edible white seeds.
“Although there’s a common misconception that seedless watermelons are genetically modified, this isn’t the case. They’re actually a sterile hybrid created by cross-pollinating male pollen for watermelon with a female watermelon flower. In this sense, seedless watermelons are sort of the mule of watermelons, made similarly to crossing a horse and donkey. Popular varieties include King of Hearts, Millionaire, and Crimson.
Watermelon Nutrition
“Figuring out if watermelon is healthy or not starts with examining its nutritional content. Nutritionally, watermelons contain lots of good-for-you compounds.
“As their name suggests, watermelon have a high water content, which helps keep you hydrated. They’re high in Vitamins A and C, potassium, and carotenoids. In particular, watermelons are high in the antioxidant-rich carotenoid lycopene, which gives the flesh its pinkish-red color. (As a result, red watermelons are naturally higher in lycopene than yellow or pink ones.)
“Watermelons are high in natural sugars (about 9.4 grams of sugar per cup), so they’re high on the glycemic index. But because they’re so high in water, they still turn out to be low on the glycemic load scale. This means that despite their sweetness, they likely won’t spike your blood sugar when you eat them.
Health benefits of Watermelon
“The watermelon is mighty in its size and shape, and in its potential health benefits. Research has found watermelon is a functional food because its flesh, seeds, sprouts, and leaves are full of compounds that may offer protective properties to those who eat them.
Some health benefits of watermelon:
“1. It may help you lose weight. Watermelon is rich in water and fiber, which help fill you up when you eat it. These nutrients can reduce appetite and potentially prevent overeating that would otherwise contribute to unwanted weight gain.
“In one study among 33 overweight or obese adults, researchers found that eating two cups of watermelon daily for four weeks led to a significant reduction in body weight, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio. This was compared to the effects of another group who consumed isocaloric, (meaning, the same number of calories as the watermelon) low-fat cookies daily for four weeks instead — which led to an increase in body fat.
“2. It may protect against heart disease. Watermelon is high in compounds that may reduce inflammation, offer antioxidant effects, and help improve lipid profiles. It contains the amino acid L-citrulline, which is the precursor of L-arginine, another essential amino acid used for protein synthesis. It’s a rich source of the antioxidant-rich carotenoid lycopene. Both of these compounds may play roles in protecting your cardiovascular system.
“Additionally, eating watermelon has been observed to help increase the synthesis of nitric oxide, a colorless gas that dilates your blood vessels and helps prevent blockages.
“3. It may have anticancer properties.
Eating plenty of naturally antioxidant-rich foods is one way that you can help your body better defend itself against cancer.
“The L-citrulline content and nitric oxide boosting effects of watermelon may be the reason that watermelon decreases cancer cell proliferation in some animal studies. Watermelon may regulate the expression of DNA repair enzymes to combat cancer in mice.
“4. It may be used to help treat ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by widespread inflammation throughout the digestive tract. It’s a risk factor for colorectal cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis.
“Some research has found that watermelon can help with UC by increasing antioxidant activity and alleviating inflammation.
“5. It may be good for your skin. The antioxidants in watermelon help protect your skin from Sun damage and fight oxidative stress. Antioxidants, like the lycopene in watermelon, may help minimize wrinkles and slow other aging effects related to UV damage.
“6. It may help support your athletic performance. Watermelon is a natural source of L-citrulline, which may increase L-arginine bioavailability and nitric oxide production that can aid in exercise performance. There are several studies that have found success in L-citrulline supplementation for improving exercise performance and recovery.
Continued at https://thevoice.us/watermelon-from-choosing-ripe-to-storing-to-diet