Renowned as a staple fruit during the summer season, watermelon is both low in calories and high in water content. Besides this, it's a fantastic provider of vitamins A & C along with lycopene. Furthermore, compared to citrus fruits and tomatoes which are popular for their vitamin C and lycopene contents too, watermelon has less acidity.
Nutritional Information about Watermelon
A single serving of diced watermelon (around 152g) will give you a mere 46 calories. Although it's low in fat, just 0.2 grams, and protein at only 0.9 grams, it contains an impressive amount of carbohydrates - approximately 11.5 grams. But what sets watermelon apart is its rich content of lycopene and vitamins A and C. The nutritional details given here are as per the USDA.
- Calories: 46
- Fat: 0.2g
- Sodium: 1.5mg
- Carbs: 11.5g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.6g
- Sugar: 9.4g
- Protein: 0.9g
- Vitamin C : 12.3mg
- Vitamin A : 42.6mcg
- Lycopene: 6890 mcg
Carbohydrates
Watermelon predominantly contains sugars, with a slight presence of fiber. Out of these sugars, fructose constitutes half while glucose contributes to one fourth. Less than one fourth is sucrose and the remaining minor fractions are other types of sugars. If you're in the habit of counting your carbs intake, be careful while measuring watermelon.
- 1 cup diced watermelon (152g): provides 0.6 grams fiber, 9.4 grams sugars, totals up to 11.5 grams carbohydrates and gives net carbohydrates of around 10.9
- For a medium-sized wedge slice from the melon (286g): it has about 1.1 grams fiber, approximately 17.7 gram sugars that amounts to total carbohydrate content being roughly around -21-6grams generating net value close to another round figure -21
The glycemic index (GI) rating for watermelon stands at a not so low score -76 indicating its potential effects towards raising blood sugar levels quicker as compared to foods having lower GI value scores. However on considering the facets like Glycemic Load(GL), which inherently counts serving quantity per eatable portion too along with relative food type G.I values; then let's say as per factsheet stats- if we take around half cup chopped watermelon servings then actual GL comes out just be near about only an absolute digit:-4 which by any standards gets counted under 'low' category w.r.t it's counterparts/peers/comparative parameters or similar studied groups for analysis purposes or BMI regulatory controls etc.
Fats
Practically zero fat exists in a watermelon, on par with other melon varieties like honeydew and cantaloupe. The smidgen of fat that is available predominantly consists of polyunsaturated fats (0.076 grams), closely followed by lesser quantities of monounsaturated (0.056 grams) and saturated fatty acids (0.024 grams).
In terms of maintaining dietary records, it's safe to deem watermelon as a food with virtually no-fat content. Surprisingly, its seeds—yes, you can indeed consume them—are rich in omega-3 fatty-acids.
Protein
Watermelon is not rich in protein, delivering slightly less than 1 gram per serving. What's intriguing is that a number of companies have started producing watermelon seed protein by sprouting and de-shelling the seeds.
However, don't expect to acquire this kind of protein content from raw seeds because the seed coat prevents breaking down, thus inhibiting access to the contained protein.
Essential Nutrients
When a watermelon is fully ripe and red, it has higher nutrient levels in comparison to those that are not as ripe. Consuming one serving-deck of watermelon can greatly contribute to the daily intake of both Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Vitamin C plays a vital role in wound recovery, plus it potentially possesses anti-aging effects and strengthens your immune system. On the other hand, Vitamin A contributes significantly towards maintaining good vision health. Approximately 7% of your copper and pantothenic acid needs for the day is supplied by consuming one cup of watermelon; with an additional 5% worth of biotin along with 4% each of vitamins B1 and B6.
Caloric Content
A single cup of diced or balled watermelon carries, on average, approximately 46 calories. However, if you choose to consume it in wedge form instead, a piece that constitutes about one-sixteenth of the entire melon (weighing around 286 grams) would pack nearly twice the caloric content - roughly equating to 86 calories.
Overview
Watermelon has a substantially low calorie content and virtually no fats. Although it offers an abundance of essential nutrients, including vitamins A and C, its sugar level is on the higher side. Consequently, individuals keeping track of their sugar consumption should consider consuming this fruit in balanced portions.
Health Advantages
Watermelon is not only a delightful delicacy during the sunny season, but it also significantly promotes your wellbeing in numerous manners.
Fights against Dehydration
Significantly, watermelon is essentially made up of 92% water, which renders it an excellent source of hydration. If you or your kids find it challenging to consume sufficient amounts of water particularly during the sweltering summer heat, consider incorporating some servings of watermelon in your diet. Besides tackling dehydration, this will also bestow additional micronutrients to your systems.
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Lowers Blood Presure
Watermelon acts as an antioxidant due its abundance in lycopene; a carotenoid phytonutrient with properties that studies suggest might aid in lowering or preventing hypertension. While tomatoes are generally recognized for their high lycopene content, a completely ripened watermelon surpasses even the tomato in its lycopene amount.
Lowers the Chances of Infections and Cancer
Watermelon is chock-full of other antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids, and triterpenoids. These types of antioxidants contribute to cellular repair processes, potentially reducing susceptibility to infections and certain types of cancer.
Assists in Weight Loss
In a petite investigation involving overweight individuals, those who opted for watermelon over non-fat biscuits experienced amplified satiety. Furthermore, they also demonstrated drops in mass of the body, the ratio of waist-to-hip and blood pressure.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an outdated, prejudiced parameter that doesn't consider numerous influences including body structure, ethnicity or race, gender and age criteria.
Yet despite its defects as a tool for assessment,BMI continues to be widely utilized among healthcare professionals up till today since it offers a cost-effective means and instant process to review potential health situations and predictions.
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Assists in Alleviating Muscle Exhaustion
Citrulline, an amino acid, is notably found in watermelon. Capsules containing concentrated citrulline are available on the market as a dietary supplement to enhance sports performance. While research into the advantages of citrulline is still ongoing, some evidence suggests that supplements with this ingredient could potentially decrease sensations of tiredness during workouts.
Allergies
Unlike other food types, allergic reactions to watermelon are atypical. Nonetheless, there's a possibility that those experiencing hay fever or carrying allergy towards ragweed pollen or grasses might have something known as the food-pollen allergy syndrome. This could potentially initiate any cross-sensitivity to proteins present in watermelons that resemble the nature of pollen.
Consuming watermelon under such conditions may cause you to experience an itchiness or prickling sensation within your mouth. Though not common, severe outcomes like throat inflation or anaphylaxis can emerge in certain instances.
Negative Consequences
Watermelon is mostly harmless, according to studies that categorize this fruit as "non-poisonous and devoid of known adverse reactions." Nonetheless, due to its sugar content, individuals suffering from diabetes should exercise restraint while consuming watermelon in order not to cause an abrupt rise in their blood glucose levels.
Types
Multiple types and cultivars of watermelon exist, reaching into the dozens. We can categorize them based on dimensions- smaller "icebox" varieties against larger "picnic" variants, by their internal color (could be pink, yellow or orange), and also according to presence or absence of seeds.
Watermelons carry a substantial rind that could either be solidly green, striped green or have white blotches scattered on it. They typically weigh between 6 to 29 pounds and might be roundish or an oval in profile. The crisp inside is largely red-hued with shades tending towards deep pink although golden-fleshed kinds are gaining popularity.
Originally found in the tropical regions of Africa, watermelons are now commercially grown within the U.S., specifically in warmer climates suitable for lengthy growth periods such as Texas, Florida, Georgia and California.
Optimal Timing
Watermelon in the U.S. typically becomes available during the summer season. If you're selecting a ripe one, it should feel somewhat heavy for its dimensions. The skin must be robust and devoid of any noticeable marks or indentations. Pay attention to the portion where the melon was lying on the earth - it ought to display an off-white hue rather than pure white.
Safekeeping and Food Safety
Fresh watermelon that has not been sliced can be kept at room temperature. High temperatures may lead to its dehydration, hence, storage in a cool area such as a refrigerator or cellar is recommended if the environment is hot.
Unsliced watermelon retains freshness for two to three weeks inside the fridge. Once it's been chopped up, storing in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag will extend its shelf-life up to five days within refrigeration conditions. Moreover, one could also preserve it by freezing; this technique applies specifically for chunked pieces of watermelon only.
Preparation Tips
Watermelon doesn't only need to be eaten in basic slices, there are numerous ways you can incorporate it into your meals. It's a great addition to smoothies, salsas and salads - both those loaded with fruit or predominantly veg based ones. Its mild sweetness couples nicely with nuts, cheese along with other sources of protein.
Grilling watermelons or freezing them results in delightful desserts. You could toss frozen or chilled watermelon pieces in seltzer water or plain water for an appealing low-calorie drink.
You can consume every part of the watermelon. Yes! This includes its seeds and rind as well. In some parts of the world, the rind is also processed into flour, stir-fried served after stewing it or even pickling it. Also remember that seedless melons can have white 'seeds', these aren't really seeds but immature seed coats.
