Watermelons are mostly water -about 92 percent – but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamin A, B6,and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids.
There’s even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat – free, very low in sodium and has only 40 calories per cup.
“Foods that are high in antioxidants and amino acids allow your body to function optimally,” said Chijioke Justice, a Nigerian -based registered dietitian nutritionist and founder, Nutritionclinicians. Org. “Antioxidants help prevent damage, and cancer ♋.
Amino acids are the basic building block for protein, and protein is used in virtually every vital function in the body “.
A 2011 study in the journal of Food Composition and Analysis that investigated five types of watermelon at four stages of ripening found that unripe watermelon with primarily white flesh has nearly zero beta – carotene. By the time it is fully red, the fruit has become an excellent source of the phytonutrient. That doesn’t mean the red parts are the only good ones. “All parts of the watermelon are good. There are a lot of nutrients through out. This includes the white flesh nearest the rind, which contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the flesh, according to a 2005 study in the journal of chromatography.
Citrulline is a valuable amino acid that converts to the amino acid arginine.
These amino acids promote blood flow, leading to cardiovascular health, improved circulation and according to research at Texas A&M University, erectile dysfunction improvement. Recent studies have found that watermelon seeds are also wonderfully nutritious, especially if they are sprouted and shelled. They are high in protein, magnesium, vitamin B and good fats, according to an analysis by the International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences.
