Watermelon For Health Benefits

Watermelon may taste great and quench thirst but it has powerful health benefits. It is full of 2 amino acids-- citrulline and arginine which makes it great for lowering high blood pressure or hypertension. Additionally, it contains lutein and zeaxanthin that prevent macular degeneration.

Watermelon is rich in carotenoids. Some of the carotenoids in watermelon include lycopene, phytofluene, phytoene, beta-carotene, lutein, and neurosporene. Lycopene comprises the majority of the carotenoids in watermelon. The carotenoid content varies depending on the variety of the watermelon.

Eating watermelon can protect from the negative effects of macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is just a fancy word for loss of vision. It fights the age-related symptoms of vision loss. Studies show that eating watermelon is actually healthy for your eyes than eating carrots. As an immune system booster Watermelon is a rich source of citrulline, an amino acid that can be metabolized to arginine, an essential amino acid. A controlled human study investigated if watermelon juice consumption increases fasting concentrations of plasma arginine, ornithine, and citrulline in healthy adult humans.

Watermelon is among the best natural sources of antioxidants. It contains vitamin C and vitamin A, and pink watermelon includes a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene. These antioxidants act to neutralize toxins so that they cannot damage cells and cause cellular mutations. Because cellular mutations have the effect of cancer, eating watermelon and other foods rich in antioxidants can provide a protective effect for the body. Watermelon can also help prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol in order that it can adhere to the walls of the arteries and cause blockages of blood circulation.

The lycopene in pink watermelon has been tested in humans and has a demonstrated protective effect against several kinds of cancers. They include breast cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. Watermelon is an extremely good source of B vitamins which help the body produce energy. It also contains arginine, which can help reduce blood pressure levels, prevent erectile dysfunction and improve the body's sensitivity to insulin. One study also showed that watermelon can be good at helping to prevent a condition known as age-related macular degeneration.

Lose Weight

The research reported further good news when researchers learned that mice that received the watermelon juice supplement gained 30% less weight than the control mice. More research in the University of Kentucky also pinpointed watermelon to become among foods for weight loss, finding that animals experiencing diet-induced high cholesterol levels given watermelon juice lost more abdominal fat than animals fed exactly the same diet but with water.

Eyes care

More scientific studies are needed to determine at which molecular level watermelon is working to produce its health promoting benefits. Clearly, watermelon is really a fruit that deserves attention among other raw foods recognized for their ability to fight off chronic disease.

Blood Pressure Naturally

The health benefits of watermelon don’t visit weight loss and protection from heart diseases - the fruit can also help lower your blood pressure naturally.Earlier studies found that 4 grams of watermelon extract per day reduced systolic blood pressure but recorded no change in heart rate in adults with prehypertension and hypertension.