Do you love watermelon? Although it is a summer fruit, it can be enjoyed all year round. Watermelon is one of the most beloved fruits in the world due to its sweet flavor and refreshingly juicy texture. It is also incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. In this post, we will explore the many health benefits, as well as some creative ways to enjoy it. We will also discuss the different varieties of watermelon, so you can find the perfect one to suit your taste. So sit back, grab a slice, and let’s dive into the world of this amazing fruit!
Watermelon Nutrition Facts and Calories Chart
Watermelon is a nutritious fruit that is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It contains high amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, both of which are essential for healthy skin and eyes. This fruit is also a source of potassium and magnesium, which help to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Additionally, watermelon contains lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. With its delicious flavor and impressive nutritional profile, watermelon is a great addition to any diet. Nutritional value per 100 g watermelon:
- Biotin: 0 µg
- Calcium: 11 mg
- Carbohydrates (Carbs): 8.1 g
- Chloride: 19 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Choline: 5.9 mg
- Chromium: 1.1 µg
- Copper: 0.1 mg
- Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
- Energy (Calories): 30 kcal
- Fat: 0.2 g
- Iodine: 1.7 µg
- Iron: 0.2 mg
- Magnesium: 10 mg
- Manganese: 0.1 mg
- Molybdenum: 2.1 µg
- Pantothenic Acid: 0.2 mg
- Phosphorus: 18 mg
- Potassium: 112 mg
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Saturated fat: 0.03 g
- Selenium: 0.4 µg
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Sugars: 6.2 g
- Vitamin A: 533 IU
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B9 (Folate / Folic Acid): 7 µg
- Vitamin B12: 0 µg
- Vitamin C: 9.1 mg
- Vitamin D: 0 µg
- Vitamin E: 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K: 1.9 µg
- Water: 91.5 g
- Zinc: 0.1 mg
Watermelon in India
It is a large oblong or roundish fruit of a vine of the cucumber family. It has a hard green or white rind, and a pink or red pulp with a copious sweet juice.
- Scientific Binomial: Citrullus vulgaris
- Common English: Watermelon
- Ayurvedic: Kalinga
- Unani
- Sanskrit: Dindisha
- Hindi / Urdu: Tarbuj / Tarbooz
- Bengali: Chal Kumro / Tarmuj / Tormuj
- Marathi: Kalingad / Kadu vrindavana
- Telugu: Puchakayi / Eriputccha
- Tamil: Darbusini / Poiychaviral / Tharbuzapalam
- Gujarati
- Kannada: Kallangadi balli
- Malayalam: Thannir mathan
- Oriya
- Punjabi / Sindhi
- Assamese
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Manipuri
- Dogri
- Bhojpuri
Home Remedies
Watermelon is useful to treat bladder inflammation, burns, kidney dysfunction, heat stroke, exhaustion. It is rich source of sodium, carotenoids and lycopene. Lycopene is supplement that’s received a lot of scientific attention. An antioxidant found in this fruit and sold in supplement form, it helps lower a man’s risk of prostate cancer. This antioxidant, lycopene decreases inflammation and swelling of the prostate gland. Fresh juice of this fruit is also helpful in cases of heatstroke.
- Morning Sickness: In case of morning sickness, nibble watermelon. Getting enough fluids is vital during pregnancy and can help dispel queasiness. Watermelon is a delicious water delivery system. It contains energy boosting carbohydrates, electrolytes (mineral salts), carotenoids, potassium, vitamin B6 which works as taming nausea of pregnancy, and other B vitamins. Also, it’s relatively low in calories and contains fiber, which can counteract pregnancy associated constipation.
- Kidney Stones: In case of kidney stones, try drinking a cup of watermelon juice with 1/4 teaspoon coriander power. Watermelon is a diuretic (as is coriander), so this mixture will give the kidneys a good flushing and help to remove small stones and crystals. Use this 2 to 3 times a day.
- Intestinal Gas: A piece of watermelon consumed immediately after eating a meal of beans usually helps to relieve and reduce the embarrassment of intestinal gas which frequently occurs later on.
- Rashes: To treat rashes and hives, eat the red part of watermelon fruit and rub the white part of the rind onto your skin.
- Poison Ivy Itch: For poison ivy itch and rash, rub some fresh watermelon flesh with the rind itself.
- Minor Burns: Watermelon also makes great home remedy for burns. According to Chinese folk healers, take some fresh pulp and juice of fully ripened watermelon. Place in a clean glass jar, tightly seal and allow to stand at room temperature for 3 months. After which, filter the juice, having acquired a sour plum odor in the meantime. In case of burns first wash the affected area with a cold normal salt solution or just with plain cold water. Then take a piece of treated cotton dip into the clear fermented watermelon juice and apply directly to the burned area. Change this dressing several times each day.
- Eat plenty of watermelon or use them to make fresh juices, as its natural diuretics will help flush out the infection.
- Bladder Infection: Watermelon seeds can be black, brown, red, green or white; size and shape, along with color, can be an aid in varietal identification. The seeds are universally acclaimed for their marvelous diuretic activity and soothing effect on bladder inflammation. Some times even the rind is dried and used the same way. For this boil 1 liter of water. Add 6 tablespoons of freshly discarded, roughly bruised seeds to boiling water. Let it boil for more 40 minutes on low flame. Strain and drunk 1 cup of liquid trice a day. Same tea is used to expel some intestinal worms.
- Heart Health: Whenever eat watermelon, eat seeds too. The seeds have a juice that contains L-citrulline, an amino acid the body converts to L-arginine, another amino acid, which relaxes arteries. Recent research shows that consumption of a watermelon supplement reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure.
- Regulates High Blood Pressure: Watermelon seeds are diuretic and can work to regulate high blood pressure. It was proved in recent experiments that a substance extracted from seeds has a definite action in dilating the blood vessels, which results in lowering the blood pressure.
- Migraine Headaches: To relieve excruciating migraine headaches, try binding thick rind of fruit around the forehead and temples. OR else the rind is mashed into a pulp and applied as a poultice directly over the liver or gall bladder to relieve pain and suffering in either of those organs.
Side Effects and Precautions
Eating unripe watermelons causes serious illness.