Health Benefits of Watermelon

The other day I read that watermelon is a better source of lycopene than tomatoes—which is really awesome for me, since I don’t like tomatoes but I love watermelon. It got me thinking: other than freezing the thing and filling it with vodka for a good time, eating its sweet juicy goodness to cool off, throwing a seed-spitting contest, making cool fruit baskets, and this new lycopene revelation, what else is a watermelon good for?

It turns out that there are plenty of health benefits to be had from eating watermelon. Here are just a few highlights.

• Watermelons may help increase your energy. Instead of reaching for an energy drink, you might just want to eat some watermelon. Not only will it taste better, it also won’t pack the calories that canned cat pee-like stuff will. Watermelon contains lots of B vitamins, which help the body make energy. Magnesium and potassium, other energy-enhancing nutrients, are also found in watermelon.
• Watermelons help you stay hydrated. Like many other fruits and veggies, watermelon has very high water content. The fruit is actually over 90% water. This helps you quench your thirst even if you’re not drinking water. This is yet another reason to stop drinking the energy drinks—which are often diuretics—and switch to the melon.
• Eat some watermelon for better vision. I know, your grandmother probably told you to eat your carrots to help improve your vision; so did mine. But watermelon can help fight loss of vision in age-related cases—even better than carrots can!
• Watermelons are a good source of antioxidants. We’re all looking for these “miracle foods” these days, aren’t we? Keeping foods rich in antioxidants in your diet is a good idea, since they often protect against cancer and other diseases. In watermelon’s case, the antioxidants help fight asthma, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, colon cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.
• Watermelons are rich in vitamins and minerals. The fruit is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and vitamin B1.
• Watermelons are a good part of a heart-healthy diet. The nutritional composition of the fruit can possibly help in preventing stroke, controlling blood pressure, and regulating the heart rate. It might also help prevent bone loss as well as the development of kidney stones.
• The lycopene present in watermelon can help prevent many diseases. These include lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial disorders.