Food in Focus - Watermelon

Watermelon

This popular summer fruit is full of water and is an excellent way to stay hydrated. It also has some surprising uses and health benefits.

TRY ME I’M GOOD IN… a watermelon salsa, blended up to make a refreshing lemonade, frozen to make a watermelon lolly, or added to an Asian duck and noodle salad.

FACTS

· Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a flowering plant and the name of its edible fruit, which is a berry that has a hard rind and no internal divisions

· The sweet, juicy flesh is usually deep red to pink and even yellow, with many black seeds, although seedless varieties exist.

· Watermelons were domesticated in Egypt by 2000 BC, although they were not the sweet modern variety, but sweet dessert watermelons spread across the Mediterranean world during Roman times.

· Genus: Citrullus Species: C. Lanatus Family: Cucurbitaceae

WHY IS IT SO GOOD?

Nutritional highlights - watermelon has good levels of:

· Vitamin C - that is essential for skin health and immune function.

· Potassium - that is important for blood pressure control and heart health.

· Vitamin A - watermelon contains beta carotene, which your body can turn into vitamin A.

· Citrulline - found in the white skin (so do not peel it all off) that coverts to the amino acid arginine that synthesises nitric oxide.

· Lycopene - that is a powerful antioxidant with several important health benefits.

Main health benefits

Helps you stay hydrated - Watermelon comprises of 92% water, making it an excellent choice for improving daily water intake

May have anticancer effects - the lycopene may be associated with a lower risk of some types of cancer, such as prostate and colorectal cancers

May improve heart health - lycopene helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and the citrulline increases nitric oxide levels that helps your blood vessels expand, which lowers blood pressure.

May reduce inflammation and oxidative stress - the combination of antioxidants, lycopene, and vitamin C may help lower inflammation and oxidative damage.

May improve digestion - watermelon contains plenty of water and a small amount of fibre, both of which are necessary for healthy digestion.