I was enjoying some delicious watermelon the other day, and came up with a theory that it was basically sweetly flavored air. What nutritional value could possibly come from watermelon, a water-melon? It has no substance. There’s really no chewing involved; it dissolves almost instantly in your mouth. Other fruits have some “meat” to them — apples, bananas, etc, they’re pretty solid. Even other melons require some work to eat. Not the watermelon though.
My hypothesis was that watermelon was basically the cotton-candy of fruits: melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness, but basically no nutritional value beyond sugar.
What I Found
Turns out watermelon does have some value beyond being a low-calorie way to fill up your belly. A 1-cup serving (who can eat just 1-cup?) contains just 46 calories, with no fat, no cholesterol, and a negligible amount of sodium. The calories come primarily from carbs: 1g of fiber and 9g of sugars. I was surprised to find out that watermelon also contains a small amount of protein. From the seeds maybe?
For vitamins, watermelon is a very good source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Who knew? Even more surprisingly, a cup of watermelon delivers 5% of your daily value of potassium, which is about as much as half a banana. Watermelons are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant most commonly found in tomatoes.
Researchers have linked watermelon consumption to reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of kidney stones, a stronger immune system, reduced cancer risk, arthritis relief, reduced diabetes risk, reduced heart attack risk, improved night vision, and improved asthma symptoms. What I thought was just sugar-water is pretty much a miracle food.
Haha those studies were probably sponsored by the Watermelon Farmers Association.
Next up, watermelon Jolly Ranchers.
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