Health
Although watermelon has a sweet taste and its benefits include the prevention of diseases, including kidney disorders and some others. Despite its beneficial effects, which are derived mainly from its unique mix of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds, it is still not a popular fruit among Nigerians.
By Benprince Ezeh
WATERMELON is a popular fruit eaten by most people for its cool, refreshing sweetness and high water content. Incidentally, it takes its name from water. It is closely related to cucumber, pumpkin, and squash and it is believed to have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago, where it is depicted in hieroglyphics.
This fruit is more than just delicious and it is a super-healthy addition to your diet, but must be taken in moderation.
Felicita Ogbu, a doctor based in Ukraine said that Watermelon is around 90% water, which makes it useful for staying hydrated. “It can also satisfy a sweet tooth with its natural sugars and also contains antioxidants.
“These substances can help remove trusted source molecules known as free radicals, or reactive species, from the body. The body produces free radicals during natural processes, such as metabolism which can also develop through smoking, air pollution, stress, and other environmental pressures,” Ogbu said.
According to her, too many free radicals stay in the body, oxidative stress can also occur. “This can result in cell damage and may lead to a range of diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. The body can remove some free radicals naturally, but dietary antioxidants support this process,” she said.
Emmanuel Enang, a doctor said that watermelon does good things for men and they should always take it for healthy fits. “L-arginine in the fruit helps with erectile dysfunction by helping to relax your blood vessels, including those supplying blood to the penis and that’s why watermelon is sometimes referred to as “Nature’s Viagra.”
“In fact, citrulline supplementation has been found to improve erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction. It’s rich in anti-inflammatory substances. For instance, it contains the anti-inflammatory antioxidant lycopene as well as cucurbitacin E, or triterpenoid, which reduces the activity of the pain and inflammation-causing enzyme cyclooxygenase. This same enzyme blocked by COX-2 inhibitors, which include most NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen,’ he said.
According to him, watermelon reduces calories in the body. “While being very low in calories (about 46 calories in a cup), watermelon also contains an impressive variety of other important nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin A and magnesium,” Enang said.
Elvis Okafor, a nutrionist in the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Abeokuta Ogun state, said that if you have a digestive condition like Crohn or colitis, the list of what not to eat during a flare can belong.
“You can put watermelon on your yes list. Its soft, fleshy fruit is easy for even an inflamed gut to digest.
“A slice of fresh watermelon tastes great, but you can do more with it. Top a salad with cubed melon and crumbled feta cheese.
“Make a watermelon pizza by topping wedges with yogurt, mint, slivered almonds, and berries. And save the seeds. Tossed with olive oil and sea salt, they can be roasted for a tasty and healthy snack,” he said.
Okafor also says that the seeds can be eaten too.
Another nutritionist, Jennifer Ani, says that a new research highlighted the role of watermelon nutrients on heart attack prevention, through significant reduction in blood pressure.
“Obese people who participated in the study and received citrulline and arginine supplements derived from watermelon extract had significant improvements in blood pressure and cardiac stress, both while at rest and undergoing stressful cold-water test.
“It supplementation reduced aortic blood pressure and myocardial oxygen demand during cold pressor test and the magnitude of the cold-induced increase in wave reflection in obese adults with hypertension. This may provide cardio-protection by attenuating cold-induced aortic hemodynamic responses,” she said.
According to her, the citrulline in watermelon in your body is converted into L-arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide. “Adequate nitric oxide is required to enable your blood vessels to stay relaxed and open for blood flow, which is one reason why it may help lower blood pressure,” Ani said.
One must be careful when taking watermelon. It should be taken alone. Hence no food should be eaten 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after eating melons.
First published – Sept. 23, 2021 @ 15:18 GMT | C.E
Tags: WATERMELON
