The Health Benefits of the Thirst-Quenching Watermelon

By Vera Viner

When you have that first bite of a watermelon, the sweet taste bursts in your mouth while the juices start dripping down your chin. You would never have thought that something as sweet as the watermelon could have some significant health benefits and be part of a fresh plant-based diet.

According to Medical News Today, watermelons have plenty of vitamin C, which retains the strength of your immune system, stops cell damage, and keeps teeth healthy. Robust immunity goes a long way to preventing disease such as the common cold or even cancer. This red and green fruit is a good source of vitamin A as well, which boosts eye health. Another interesting vitamin that the watermelon possesses is vitamin B6, which promotes healthy brain function.

The red and juicy parts of the watermelon are full of phytochemicals including lycopene. The substance lycopene can actually protect your body from cellular damage that causes cancer. Additionally, one study found that this fruit can actually prevent some cardiovascular problems such as prehypertension and lower aortic blood pressure.

Watermelon also has an excess of L-citrulline, which has lowered the aches linked to muscle soreness. One study had participants eat watermelon after a difficult exercise session to lower muscle soreness. If you’re looking to add potassium to your diet, you can’t go wrong with a slice of watermelon. Potassium will lower high rates of blood pressure and improve muscle and nerve function.

One of the best ways to incorporate watermelon in your weekly diet is to make a fruit salad for dessert. Along with watermelon, some great fruits to add to your salad include pineapple chunks, blueberries, cantaloupe, raspberries, honeydew melon, and strawberries. If you incorporate a plant-based diet into your lifestyle and exercise regularly as well, you will be going a long way toward preventing breast cancer and other diseases.

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