Watermelon is one fruit that people consume a lot because of its health benefits and satisfying nature, especially in summer time. It is an alkalising, mineralizing, and cleansing fruit that is highly recommended for people of all ages.
Watermelon belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family along with fruits like pumpkin, cantaloupe and others that grow on vines on the ground.
Watermelon comes is different sizes and shapes like round, oblong, or donate. They could be light or dark green in colour with some of them even have stripes of a lighter shade of green.
Their bright red flesh is delicious and easy to munch as well as contains beta-carotene, 92%water, folate, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, Vitamin C. Watermelon can also provide you with plenty of minerals like phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and calcium.
Watermelon contains potent antioxidants in its red carotenoids pigment lycopene, and also citrulline which is another valuable compound.
While it is common to eat watermelon on its own, it is also healthy to drink it’s juice. In this article we will be telling you about all the wonderful benefits of drinking watermelon juice.
This juice is very healthy and makes a great option for hydration if you do not like drinking regular water.
Benefits of drinking watermelon juice
1. Watermelon juice is alkalizing which means it is capable of neutralizing acidity in the system thus preventing conditions like cancer and also fight against bacteria, yeast, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
2. The high lycopene content of watermelon juice acts as an anti-inflammatory agents which fights against and prevent inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
3. Watermelon juice is potent enough to lower C-reactive Protein which is a measure of body wide inflammation connected to conditions such as heart disease and arthritis flares. It also contains an abundance of carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin, which can help to reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and also treat painful joint inflammatory conditions.
4. Watermelon juice has laxative effects that helps to improve regularity, treats acid reflux, fights inflammation and acidity, regulates pH levels, and also calms the gastrointestinal tract. This juice has also been discovered to be a great treatment for constitution.
5. Like we mentioned above, watermelon juice is rich is various minerals which makes it a great way to replenish electrolytes lost after exercising and also treat issues like sore muscles, weakness, spasms, twitches, restlessness, headaches, insomnia, heart palpitations, numbness, fatigue, dizziness, and joint pains.
6. Since watermelon juice is rich is beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body, it is very good for your eye health. What this means is that watermelon juice helps to prevent problems like cataract, age related muscular degeneration, night blindness, and retinal degeneration.
7. Watermelon is low in calories but has high water and fiber content. What this does is to give you the feeling of satisfaction while cleansing your body like a detox would, and help you loose weight at the same time.
8. Watermelon is rich in antioxidants, lycopene, and other wonderful vitamins and minerals thus taking the juice will help to reduce the risk of other heart disease and even stroke. Lycopene helps to reduce the thickness of the internal layer of your the blood vessels, which will help to lower the risk of myocardial infarction. The prevention of LDL oxidation, on the other hand, protects against heart attack, ischemic strokes, and even atherosclerosis.
9. Everybody need to detoxify their system as often as they can. However most of the detox powders and drinks we get from stores taste terrible and sometimes are not as effective as we want.
Watermelon juice is a natural detox which is tasty and hydrating. It also does a great job at speeding up metabolism.
10. In the case of asthma and allergies, Lycopene will help to reduce oxidative stress as well as inflammation. If you want to increase your immune systems response against harmful foreign bodies, then the most natural and healthy ways is by drinking watermelon juice.
11. Citrulline is an amino acid present in watermelon which you can find at its highest concentration in the white rind of the fruit. citrulline works hand-in-hand with vitamin c to breakdown kidney stones, fight inflammation that are caused by free radicals, and also detoxify the bladder and kidney.
You can also treat water retention problems using watermelon juice because they have diuretic powers, they treat urinary tract infections, and also prevent bloating that occurs during PMS.
12. Drinking watermelon juice helps to relax and dilate the blood vessels as well as boost your stamina and energy levels. What this means is that it is capable of treating erectile dysfunction and acts as a natural Viagra.
Watermelon is one fruit that is healthy all-round. You can eat from the green covering down to its seeds as they all have health benefits that you shouldn’t miss. For example, watermelon seeds are rich in healthy fats, nutrients, and minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron.
They can help to suppress appetite, improve hair growth, energized the body, improve the healthy of your nails and skin, prevent depression, anemia, and fatigue.
Just like with everything that has countless advantages, excessive consumption of watermelon has its adverse effects. To avoid suffering from the side effects of eating too much watermelon or drinking too much of its juice, please follow the information below;
- You may suffer from sleep deprivation if you eat watermelon at the wrong time so it is best you avoid eating it before bed time. The best time to consume watermelon or it’s juice is in the morning before breakfast or in the afternoon when the weather is hot and you need to hydrate.
- Never throw away your watermelon rinds because they contains about 95% of the fruits total nutritional value. You can juice the rind along with the flesh and seeds.
- Before you consume your watermelon with the rinds, make sure to wash it properly.
- If you have leftover slices of watermelon that you’ll like to keep fresh, make sure to store them in a cling wrap before you refrigerate.
- You can consume your watermelon in a fruit salad, on its own, or in a juice.
Below are some easy recipes that you can try with your watermelon.
1. Melon smoothie
This is a very easy smoothie to make
Ingredients
- Two cups of cubed, seedless, watermelon
- One cup of cubed cantaloupe melon
- Half cup of lemon-lime soda pop
- One cup of cubed honeydew melon
- Half cup of ice cubes
How to make it
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. Pour into your glass cup and enjoy or store some in a plastic container and refrigerate.
2. Watermelon tomato salad
Ingredients needed
- Two tablespoons chile-garlic sauce
- Two cups of cubed, seeded watermelon
- One large red tomato, cut into cubes
- One large yellow tomato, cut into cubes
- Two teaspoons honey
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- One tablespoon chopped fresh lemon basil
How to make it?
The first step in to drain some of the moisture by spreading the chopped tomatoes and watermelon on a paper towel. Once that is done, you can gently transfer them to a large bowl.
Mix the other ingredients in a separate bowl then pour the mixture into the chopped tomatoes and watermelon bowl. You can eat this as a side dish or on its own.
Enjoy your watermelon juice! ???
