5 Cool things you might not know about Watermelon

Posted in: Fitness, Health, Nutrition by TheGreenRoom
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It’s summer and there’s nothing more refreshing than a few, fresh slices of watermelon to quench your thirst.

Watermelon is more than just a tasty treat though. It’s packed with goodness and there is more to this delicious, sweet product than you may think.

So here are 5 cool things you may not know about the watermelon.

1. It has more lycopene than raw tomatoes

In a single cup of watermelon, there is 1.5 times more lycopene than you’ll find in one large tomato. Lycopene is a super antioxidant, preventing free radicals from damaging your cells and immune system.

2. The juice can relieve muscle soreness

Studies have found that drinking watermelon juice can actually be quite soothing after a workout. Athletes who consumed around 16 ounces of watermelon juice before exercise had less muscle soreness and a lower heart rate within 24 hours.

Watermelon contains a natural substance called citrulline, which is thought to improve circulation and lower blood pressure, this may be the reason for the reduced soreness.

3. It’s a fruit and a vegetable

Like most fruits, watermelon is the product of a seed producing plant and has a typical sweet, fruit taste. However, it also has traces back to the squash, pumpkin and cucumber family known as Cucurbitaceae. This means that not only can you eat the sweet inside but even the skin is edible too… It’s a win win.

4. It Really does live up to it’s name

In the hydration stakes, the watermelon is in a class of it’s own. A whopping 91.5% of watermelon, is made up of…. water! Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, poor concentration, fatigue and bad moods, so all the more reason to get on the melon.

5. Not ALL watermelons are pink on the inside

Although nearly identical from the outside, there is one variety of watermelon that instead of being pink on the inside, is actually a sunny yellow. Called the Yellow Crimson, this variety has a sweeter, honey like taste. Also it’s nutritional values are different from the pink variety but nobody has yet studied exactly what they are.

So there you have it. 5 great reasons to get onto the watermelon and continue to enjoy this wonderful summer we are having.