Are Watermelons Healthy? Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
Watermelon is a delicious and refreshing fruit that is also very healthy. It is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and magnesium.
Watermelon also contains lycopene and citrulline, two plant compounds that may have health benefits. Yet, the question lingers: Are watermelons truly healthy?
Join us on a journey through the nutrition facts and health benefits of this beloved fruit to uncover the delicious truth. Read on!
Are Watermelon Healthy?
Yes, watermelon is a healthy fruit. It is low in calories and fat, and it is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as potassium and magnesium. Watermelon also contains antioxidants, which can help protect the body from damage.
1 Cup Diced Watermelon nutritional content (157 grams):
| Nutrient | Amount | Percent Daily Value (%DV) |
| Calories | 46 | 2% |
| Fat | 0.2 g | <1% |
| Saturated fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.1 g | <1% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.1 g | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 1.5 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 170 mg | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g | 4% |
| Dietary fiber | 0.6 g | 2% |
| Sugars | 9.4 g | |
| Protein | 0.9 g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 865 IU | 17% |
| Vitamin C | 12 mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 11 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 4% |
Watermelon is a good choice for people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. It is also a good choice for people with diabetes or other dietary restrictions.
Top 5 Health Benefits of Watermelon
Watermelon has long been considered a nutritious, healthy fruit that’s both delicious and fun to eat- but are there real health benefits to adding it to your diet? It turns out that the answer is yes.
While most people associate watermelon with hot summer days and picnics, this fruit actually has several nutritional benefits that make it an excellent addition to your diet year-round.
Here are some of the many benefits of watermelon that will have you eat it daily! (in no particular order)
Good for Weight Loss
You must be wondering how watermelon is good for weight loss.
Watermelon is low in calories but high in water content, making it an excellent food for weight loss. The high water content can help you feel full and eat less overall, and the nutrients in watermelon may help boost your metabolism.
Besides, the fiber content increases too, which can help you feel full longer, making you less likely to overeat later.
Prevents Growth of Cancer Cells
In addition to being loaded with vitamins and nutrients, watermelon also contains lycopene, an antioxidant known to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer by protecting cells from damage, for example, prostate cancer and other cancers.
Keeps You Hydrated
Watermelons are high in water content. So, it makes them an excellent way to stay hydrated while providing several essential nutrients.
Improves Hair Growth
People often say that consuming a lot of watermelons is suitable for your hair because it provides the essential hydration needed to keep strands and follicles healthy. While this may be true, there are other ways to care for your hair.
Anti-inflammatory Properties
Recent research has shown that watermelon may have anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help reduce the body’s inflammatory responses and improve symptoms of allergies, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 2 diabetes.
Watermelon Side Effects Due To Overeating
Did you know that consuming too much watermelon can cause health problems?
It might seem counterintuitive, but there are three health risks of consuming watermelon (that you didn’t know about). Here they are. You’ll never look at the popular summer fruit the same way again.
Risks Of Too Much Vitamin A
Too much vitamin A can be dangerous as it can increase the risk of osteoporosis and cancer. For pregnant women, too much vitamin A can cause congenital disabilities.
There is also a chance that some people will experience allergic reactions to eating watermelon due to the fact that they are allergic to melon or cucumber, both of which are in the same family as watermelons.
Risks Of Too Much Lycopene
Lycopene is what gives watermelon its rich red color. It has been thought to protect against cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. However, too much lycopene can also be harmful to some people with diabetes or kidney problems.
Also, eating large amounts of lycopene-rich foods may result in diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Risk of too much fructose
Watermelon is a high fructose (fruit sugar) fruit. According to the USDA, 100 grams of watermelon has 6 grams of fruit sugar. Studies have also shown that overconsumption of high-fructose fruits has been linked to increased body weight, belly fat, and triglycerides.
Risks Of Too Much Oxalic Acid
Oxalic acid is the compound that makes many fruits and vegetables taste sour, apples, oranges, and rhubarb. It also has a mild laxative effect, so people who eat a lot of these foods will sometimes get an upset stomach or diarrhea.
Although the concentration of oxalic acid in watermelon is less than 0.5%, it is still there. And consuming too much oxalic acid can lead to oxalate kidney stones or gout.
Risk Of Too Much Citric Acid
Because the fruit contains an acid called citric acid, which is present in high concentrations when the watermelon is under-ripe, this could be bad for tooth enamel. Usually, a cup of watermelon contains around 12 milligrams of vitamin C, which can be easily overconsumed if you do not control the portion.
Watermelon vs Watermelon Juice- Which One is Healthy?
Watermelon is delicious, but in order to reap the maximum benefits, it should be consumed as whole fruit, not in juice form.
The first problem with watermelon juice is that it lacks the fiber that comes from the skin and pulp of fresh watermelon. A cup of watermelon contains around two to three grams of fiber, while only trace amounts are found in one cup of watermelon juice.
Consuming less than 20 grams of fiber daily can lead to constipation and other digestive problems. This is definitely something to consider if you’re relying on watermelon juice for your daily dose.
Is Watermelon Water Good For You?
Although you will get the same amount of hydration from watermelon juice as you would with consuming the fruit, you risk consuming additional sugar through the juice.
It is evident that fruit juices contain added sugar. So, when the added sugar in the juice is combined with the natural fructose of watermelon, you tend to consume a lot of sugar at once.
Therefore, consuming whole watermelon fruit instead of juice is a healthy option.
How many watermelons Should I Consume Every Day?
Watermelon has high amounts of lycopene and even more significant benefits when combined with selenium, zinc, and copper. It contains other nutrients like beta-carotene (vitamin A), lutein, potassium, folate, and vitamin C.
That said, some caveats can come with overeating watermelon. Eating excessive watermelon over a short time can harm one’s health, as you have seen above.
You might have yet to realize this, but the amount of watermelon a person should consume varies. Some people will be able to have a little more than others and still stay within the recommended daily serving size. Consuming a maximum of one or two cups of watermelon won’t do any harm to a healthy individual.
If you are too concerned about how much is right for you, speak with your doctor or calculate the nutritional information from the chart above.
FAQs
Are watermelons healthy for diabetics?
For people with diabetes, the sugar in watermelons can be problematic if consumption is not controlled. Watermelons have natural sugars called fructose, which can trigger the condition when consumed too much at a time.
Are watermelons healthy for pregnancy?
Watermelon is one of the healthiest fruits to consume during pregnancy. Pregnant women suffer from constipation, so the high fiber content in watermelon helps ease it.
This fruit also keeps their body hydrated and nourished. Also, the numerous healthy vitamins and minerals in the fruit are good for fetal development.
Is watermelon good for diarrhea?
Diarrhea means excessive loss of water from the body. Since watermelon is rich in water, consuming it when you are suffering from diarrhea can help your body with hydration.
In this case, consuming watermelon juice is better to avoid the fiber intake, as drinking too much fiber during diarrhea can increase the condition.
Are watermelons good for gastritis?
Watermelon is a safe fruit to eat even if you have gastritis. It won’t trigger or worsen the condition because watermelon is a low-acidic or alkaline fruit.
A fully ripe watermelon has a pH level of 9. It helps to neutralize the acid produced in gastritis.
Final Thought
Are watermelons healthy? Yes, watermelons are healthy fruit as mother nature has instilled many good things in them; we all know that. But excess of anything has an adverse effect, and that’s what I was trying to show you.
You might have been stuffing your tummy with watermelon, thinking it won’t affect your health negatively. Although it won’t harm you in a single day or two, you should stop immediately if you continue doing it for the entire summer season.
Spelt Focaccia With Rosemary, Garlic, And Pecorino
I made buttermilk pancakes the other day and substituted a little of the all-purpose flour for spelt. They were so good! It made me realize that it’s been a long time since I baked with whole grain flours (hard to believe that it had been my sole obsession three years ago). Also, yikes, I just realized the last recipe featured on this blog containing a flour other than all-purpose was way back in November! They’re really good cookies by the way.
I decided to remedy this immediately. As usual, I pulled out my battered copy of Good to the Grain. The recipes coupled with the photography always fill me with this longing to lead a more wholesome life, with no greasy take-out food, no indoor pants, and fresh air coursing through the rooms at all times. Let’s address why these are impossibilities.
First, there’s no way I could do away with my comfort food burritos, which are filled to the brim with rice, beans, meat (MEAT), and other stuff that’s good for the soul but not so much for the waistline (it feels weird writing about waistlines, as I don’t think I’ve ever given mine any proper thought). Secondly, I hate wearing jeans, which is something about me you would never guess because I ALWAYS WEAR JEANS. But it’s true. I’d much rather have my legs be swathed in loose, silky, comfortable pants when there’s no one to impress.
And finally, it’s still 40 degrees out, yo! Despite the fact that both Chris and I think of our heating as the devil because it makes the apartment unbearably stuffy, it only turns on twice a day, so to open the windows would be wasting the heated air.
I think the point I’m trying to make is that the healthful life I dream about is probably largely illusory. Though I enjoy baking with whole grain flours, and eating vegetables with all my meals (well, not breakfast—I do give myself a break then), and going to the gym thrice weekly, I’m not perfect.
Anyway, the focaccia called to me.
Spelt foccacia is less springy than regular foccacia, of that I’m sure. Since spelt contains low amounts of gluten, doughs containing it don’t rise as well and result in a lack of the same effervescence as all-purpose doughs. Hence, a slightly denser texture and less sticky.
On the other hand, spelt has a great flavor that I think came through in this recipe. It was kind of hard to tell, with such strong-flavored toppings all competing for attention, but I detected a wheat-flour like taste, with that signature nuttiness I really love.
What disappointed me the most about this recipe was probably due to the overall crappiness of my oven, but my focaccia refused to golden-brown properly! Very disappointing, especially because, I’d kept it in there for so long that the garlic and rosemary started burning. It’s alright. I don’t think the taste suffered too much, but it made for a slightly less attractive presentation.
I don’t need to tell you what to do with focaccia. Neither do I need to tell you how to top it. But, I will add, rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, and it really suits breads, spelt, and garlic and pecorino. With that said, a simple sea salt topping would be enough to make me a happy sailor, and I would gladly eat this focaccia in any form it was offered. In my case, it went perfectly alongside leftover soup (third batch and still going strong), always a winning combination.
(I should also add, I accidentally bought 2 pounds of active dry yeast, so I think I’m going to take up bread-making as a hobby for the foreseeable future. Focaccia is only the beginning, my friends!)
SPELT FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY, GARLIC, AND PECORINO
Adapted from Good to the Grain
Makes 1 rectangular focaccia
Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 tsp)
Pinch of sugar
1 cup spelt flour
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
1 T kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 T olive oil (plus more for greasing)
garlic, herbs, spices, coarse salt, cheese, and any other toppings of choice
Directions:
Lightly rub a large bowl with olive oil. Add 1-1/4 cups of warm water, yeast, and sugar to another large bowl. Stir, and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes (should start bubbling). Add the flours, salt, and 2 T olive oil and stir to combine. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin kneading, adding up to 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour if needed (depending on the manageability of the dough, as it’s quite sticky). Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and supple (you’ll start to feel the difference—just keep kneading!)
Put the dough in the oiled bowl, turning it so it’s lightly covered with the olive oil. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Generously oil a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the risen dough onto the baking sheet and stretch it so it fills the pan. Dimple it with your thumb, then cover with a towel and let rise for about an hour.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Now it’s time to top the dough. First, brush a 1/4 cup of olive oil onto the dough, then sprinkle with the toppings of your choice. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
As a note, you can store the dough in the fridge after the first rise. Just cover it tightly with plastic wrap and make sure to let it come to room temperature before continuing on with the recipe.