Red, sweet and juicy: the health benefits of watermelon
It is the most Israeli and summery fruit there is, and not for nothing.
With perfect and sweet taste, high mineral and water content, watermelon has many more benefits for our health.
And also - how do you choose the best watermelon there is?
Einat Mazor Becker
20/06/2022
Monday, 20 June 2022, 06:36 Updated: 07:49
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How to choose a watermelon?
The complete guide (Walla system!)
Watermelon is perhaps one of the most delicious, beautiful and joyful signs of summer, and not in vain.
Watermelon contains a good amount of vitamins and is especially rich in lycopene and other antioxidants such as vitamin C. Despite its sweet taste, the sugar content of watermelon is not relatively high, and it does not contain a high caloric concentration, due to its high liquid content.
In fact a serving of one hundred grams of watermelon has only 30 calories.
100 grams of watermelon has 92 grams of water, 0.61 grams of protein, close to 8 grams of carbohydrates and 0.15 grams of fat.
In addition, it contains few minerals like iron, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
Here are all the benefits of the most Israeli fruit there is:
Healthy for the heart
Watermelon contains an amino acid (protein) called citrulline which, by increasing the production of another substance in the body (NO - oxygen nitrogen), encourages vasodilation and thus helps lower blood pressure.
Many studies have found that this amino acid is linked to lowering the risk of heart attacks.
Of course, the lifestyle is the main factor affecting heart health Exercise, avoiding smoking, eating in the Mediterranean diet style, reducing stress and good sleep - all of these affect heart health.
Citroline is an amino acid (protein) that is a popular ingredient in trainees' dietary supplements due to its ability to increase NO (oxygen) production - a compound that encourages vasodilation, increased lactic acid clearance and streamlines various skeletal muscle processes.
Choose a bright and ripe watermelon.
Watermelon with Bulgarian cheese (Photo: ShutterStock)
Loaded with lycopene
The red color of watermelon comes from lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
Studies show that antioxidants reduce the risk of certain cancers, diabetes and other diseases.
Watermelon has more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable - even tomatoes.
To get more lycopene, choose a bright red watermelon and as ripe as possible.
Also, seedless watermelon tends to have more lycopene than seeded watermelon.
More on Walla!
We found the healthiest way to eat watermelon
To the full article
Protects the joints
Watermelon has another natural pigment (another dye besides lycopene) called beta cryptoxanthin (this is a yellow-orange pigment from the carotenoid family) that is also linked to reducing the risk of heart disease and may protect the joints from inflammation.
Several studies have shown that eating watermelon over time can reduce the chance of getting arthritis.
Maintains eye health
One medium slice of watermelon contains 9-11 percent of the amount of vitamin A the body needs each day.
This vitamin is one of the keys to maintaining eye health.
Naturally Sweet Hydration
Juicy watermelon contains 92 percent water, so this is a simple way to help maintain saturation.
At the same time, make sure you drink enough and do not eat watermelon and other fruits in order to satiate yourself.
There is no substitute for water.
Satisfies the craving for sweets
Compared to other sweets that contain sugar or sugar substitutes, other processed ingredients and sometimes at a high calorie price.
A cup of watermelon cubes is a low-calorie sweet dish, with no processed ingredients and unlike many other desserts, it is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and has no sodium.
You can eat hard cheese cubes / yogurt / nuts or almonds next to it and thus increase the feeling of satiety.
Easy to digest.
Watermelon and watermelon juice (Photo: ShutterStock)
Easy to digest
If you suffer from various digestive problems, the list of what not to eat can be long but you can definitely try to put watermelon on your "yes" list.
The soft and fleshy fruit is easy to digest and you can definitely try and test its personal reaction for you.
If you need to limit your fiber intake do not eat the peel or seeds.
How much sugar is in watermelon?
200 grams of watermelon has about 15 grams of carbohydrates (per serving of fruit).
For comparison, 100 grams of apple has 15 grams of carbohydrates so an apple contains 2 times as many carbohydrates as watermelon.
If so, why is there a stigma about watermelon that raises blood sugar?
Because most people eat a serving several times larger than 200 grams of watermelon, so the amount of accumulated sugar is large and burdens the pancreas.
If you have diabetes and want to eat watermelon, eat a moderate amount, similar to the amount listed here, eat the watermelon separately and not next to another meal and examine its effect on your blood sugar level - with a continuous sugar meter without punctures or with a glucometer.
Another option is to add protein (cheese / yogurt) or fat (almonds / nuts) which will reduce its glycemic index and probably cause it to break down more slowly, so that the sugar reaches the blood more slowly.
Despite the widespread belief that watermelon is forbidden for diabetics, experience has shown that for many diabetics, the fruit does not raise sugar significantly, as long as one fruit serving is eaten at a given moment.
Prefer fruit over other sweets and always check how your body responds to the various fruits using sugar measurements.
It is recommended to choose a watermelon that is clean of sediment and blows and it is definitely worth washing it externally before the knife slices it.
Einat Mazor Becker, Clinical Dietitian at the Obesity Clinic at the DMC Diabetes Center
health
Nutrition and diet
Preventive nutrition
Tags
watermelon
fruits
summer
