You could be enjoying watermelon SO MUCH MORE than you probably do with it’s delightful versatility. Let me share with you what I’ve discovered about the very special ways that watermelon loves you!
Reasons to love watermelon (in addition to it being delicious!):
- May help lower your risk of colorectal cancer;
- When consumed with other foods high in carotenoids, it has proven to reduce risk of prostate cancer;
- The lycopene content in 1 cup of watermelon is comparable to the lycopene found in two medium raw tomatoes;
- The lycopene in watermelon appears to be more easily absorbed than in raw tomatoes;
- Watermelon rind stimulates nitric oxide production, which improves circulation in arteries.
- Here is my post on how to select a watermelon.
- Here is my post on how to prepare the rind.
- Watermelon supplies vitamin C and beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin
You can eat watermelon rind. Watermelon rind boosts nitric oxide’s production, which improves arterial blood flow and might reduce blood pressure. In many traditional African cuisines, watermelon flesh and seeds (a source of fatty acids and protein) are cooked and served as a vegetable. I’ve enjoyed pickled watermelon rind -which was sweet and heavily spiced with clove – with cream cheese and crackers. As a home remedy, the rind can be applied to skin that is suffering from the itch of poison ivy and poison oak for relief.
Recipe links:
Watermelon Salad with Tomato, Basil and Lime
USDA’s complete home guide to canning and pickling
To make the watermelon rind pickles or the preserves, it will require traditional home canning equipment and careful attention to food safety practices. The most important tip is to follow this recipe exactly as indicated. Do not substitute ingredients. This is because the pH of the recipes below is precise, and changing ingredients could mean changing pH. Here is the USDA’s complete home guide, which is a great guide for how to get started.
Did you know that the seeds are also edible? Human trials have shown that you can safely eat the seeds without risking sprouting a watermelon tree from your belly button! In some parts of India, the seeds are ground into flour. Watermelon seed tea was once used medicinally for reducing blood pressure and as a diuretic. In Russia, watermelon juice is also processed and enjoyed as an alcoholic beverage.
The skin absorbs pesticides. Even if you don’t plan to eat the rinds – just yet, anyway – people often think that the thick skin of the melon will protect it from the effects of pesticides. Not true! Depending on the variety of melon, its flesh is at least 90% water or more. This means that when your thirsty melon is slurping up every ounce of water it can find, it’s also gulping in any pesticides or other chemicals it encountered during its growing period.
- Tip for selecting a ripe watermelon: Look for a melon that is heavy and has a hard rind. Be sure it is free of bruises and dents. Look for the spot where it sat on the ground. If the spot is yellow, it was allowed to ripen on the vine longer. If the spot is white, it is less ripe. Unfortunately, watermelons do not ripen off of the vine. The debate continues on as to whether thumping the melon to test ripeness actually works. An uncut melon will keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. Store cut melons, covered, in the refrigerator. Watermelon is best when it is grown in season.
Watermelon history: They were highly prized and often buried in the tombs of kings for nourishment in the afterlife. It was likely cultivated around 5,000 years ago among Egyptians, and are found painted in hieroglyphics in buildings. Melons were cultivated for thousands of years in China, Greece, Rome, and the Mediterranean. At long last, they reached the United States with European colonists and African slaves. Now, over 1200 varieties of melons exist, with 200-300 varieties growing in the US and Mexico. Forty-four states now grow watermelon, with the biggest producers being California, followed by Florida, Texas, and Georgia. It’s inner flesh ranges from deep red to pink, orange, yellow, and rarely, white.
Did you enjoy this Namaste Nutritionist podcast? Please rate it on iTunes!
(Need help downloading the podcast? Click here.)
.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
