
Watermelon is a very delicious fruit that has allot of health benefits. It contains only 46 calories per cup, but is high in vitamin C and vitamin A among others.
Here are 6 health benefits of watermelon that you never knew about.
1. Watermelon is good for your skin and hair Two vitamins in watermelon-A and C- are important for skin and hair health. Vitamins c helps your body make collagen, a protein that keeps your skin supple and your hair strong.
Vitamins A is also important for health for healthy skin since it helps create and repair skin cells. Without enough vitamin A, your skin can look dry and flaky.
Lycopene and beta-carotene may also help protect your skin from sunburn.
2. Helps improve digestionWatermelon contains lots of water and small amount of fiber which are important for healthy digestion.
Fiber provides bulk for your stool, while water helps keep your digestive tract moving freely, promoting normal bower movement.
3. Watermelon improves heart healthHeart disease is a major cause of death worldwide. Healthy diet may lower the risk of heart problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
Studies suggest that lycopene may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It can also help prevent oxidative damage cholesterol. Lycopene has also been seen to help reduce the stiffness and thickness of the artery wall in obese postmenopausal women and men.
Watermelon also contains citrulline, an amino acid that changes to arginine. Arginine then changes to nitric oxide, a vasodilator. This means it helps your blood vessels expand, which lower blood pressure. Watermelon also contains vitamins A,B6,C, magnesium and potassium which are also good for the heart.
4. Helps keep you hydrated Water is a necessity to keep your body hydrated. However , eating foods that have a high water content can also help you stay hydrated. Interestingly, watermelon contains 92% of water. For this reason, you feel full when you eat watermelon, a combination of water and fiber found in watermelon means you are eating a good volume of food without lots of calories.
5. Watermelon helps prevent cancer.Lycopene and other individual plant compounds in watermelon have anti-cancer effects. Although lycopene intake is linked to a lower risk of some types of cancer, the results are mixed. The strongest link so far seems to be between lycopene and cancers of the digestive system. This is done by the action of lycopene on insulin, lowering the insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a protein involved in cell division. High secretion of IGF results in cancer.