September 14, 2009
About Watermelons
The watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which includes cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and squash. LIke many of its relatives, it is a sprawling vine.
Watermelons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape. They are usually light to dark green with white mottling stripes, but some are dark purple with golden spots. Their flesh is commonly bright red some varieties have brown, orange, yellow, pink or even white flesh. Their core contains large black seeds. Seedless varieties tend to be less flavorful.
Few fruits are as cooling as watermelons on a hot summer day. Usually only the flesh is eaten while the rind is discarded. The rind is the whitish green part of the watermelon, between the skin and the flesh. The rind is richest in minerals and can juiced with the flesh, or pickled by itself.
Nutritional Benefits
The watermelon has a very high watwer content (92%.) It is rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B5 and smaller amounts of B1, B2, B3 and B6. It is also a rich source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and smaller amounts of copper, iron and zinc. Like the tomato, the watermelon is rich in lycopene, the red carotenoid pigment that gives it its red color. This important anti-oxidant is powerful in neutralizing harmful free radicals in our body.
Health Benefits
Watermelon is very cleansing, alkalinizing, diuretic and mineralizing. It is very effective in promoting elimination of toxic wastes. The alkalinizing effect maintains the acid-alkaline balance in the body, neutralizing the toxic condition of the body resulting from excessive intake of acid-forming foods.