As much as I love this wonderfully humongous fruit now, I loved it ten times more when I was younger. When pregnant with both my children (now in their mid twenties), I craved watermelon. I mean, I could and most times did, eat a whole one per day. Thank goodness there are only 0.36g of fats, 0.038g of saturated fats, 0.088g of monounsaturated fats, and 0.119g of polyunsaturated fats in each cup of watermelon, because I couldn’t stop eating it. It certainly provided me a lot of electrolytes, which my body truly needed. I stayed very ill with both pregnancies, experiencing that “morning sickness” syndrome throughout the entire nine months. With all the vomiting I did (I just had to go there, right?), my body highly welcomed watermelon’s fiber, sodium and potassium–not to mention just the overall hydration–to restore my body to an alkalined state.
Going back even further in my childhood, I cherish great memories as a small child watching my maternal grandfather, the master of watermelon eating, strategically chew the juicy meat of the fruit on one side of his mouth, while spitting the seeds out on the other. Naturally, us kids worked hard at imitating him.
Unfortunately, my grandfather, and millions of other people throughout the generations, had it all wrong about those seeds! For decades, people–me included– have been spitting out the most nutritious part of the watermelon! Gasp! Extracting the seeds became so common that soon fruit growers were genetically modifying watermelons, and a host of other fruits, like grapes for instance. That’s why it’s so easy to purchase seedless watermelons, while you’re hard pressed to find any with seeds.
We’ve been duped! We pay big money to purchase this GMO fruit WITHOUT the seeds when in essence, doing so is giving us less for our money (not to mention all the other dangers we read about GMO processing). Have no fear! The information is widely available to us nowadays so we can enjoy the whole fruit and do so to our wildest contentment!
Now, excuse me while I go get a bowl of this wonderful melon for breakfast, as you read below about its many benefits to our hair, skin and overall health…
Here are 17 benefits that blogger stylecraze gives for watermelon seeds:
1. Your body requires amino acids but there are some essential amino acids such as arginine and lysine which the body cannot produce on its own and these have to be provided from food sources. Watermelon seeds contain some of these essential amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamic acids. Lysine helps in calcium absorption to facilitate formation of collagen and connective tissues in the body whereas arginine improves the body’s metabolism, cardiovascular system and sexual health.
2. Watermelon seeds are good sources of magnesium with 100 grams of seeds providing 139 percent of the recommended daily requirement. Magnesium is vital for normal heart functioning, maintenance of normal blood pressure, supporting metabolic process and protein synthesis. It is also beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension besides controlling blood pressure and diabetes.
3. Watermelon seeds contain lycopene which is good for your face and also helps in improving male fertility.
4. These seeds are excellent sources of multivitamin B and can replace some of the supplements. Vitamin B present in watermelon seeds comprises of niacin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. B vitamins are vital for maintaining healthy blood, nervous system and effective immune response.
5. These seeds can be used for treating diabetes. Boil a handful of watermelon seeds in 1 liter water for 45 minutes, keeping the pot covered. This concoction should be taken every day like tea.
6. Watermelon seeds are effective in recovering health after illness and sharpening your memory.
7. Almost half of the watermelon seed contains oil which comprises of 20 percent saturated fat and the rest monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat including omega-6 fatty acids. One cup of dried watermelon seeds contains around 50 grams of fat which constitutes about 80 percent of the daily recommended value. Thus, watermelon seeds are an important source of calories and energy.
8. Protein deficiency is quite common, leading to diseases like marasmus and kwashiorkor in poorer countries of the world. Being high in protein, watermelon seeds can be extremely beneficial in combating protein deficiencies. One cup of dried seeds provides about 30 grams of protein. Protein and its amino acids are vital for growth and repair of muscles, skin and connective tissues as well as for making enzymes. Protein is also required for the maintenance of long and strong nails.
Skin Benefits of Watermelon Seeds:
In addition to their health benefits, watermelon seeds are good for your skin as well. Being rich in nourishing nutrients such as unsaturated fatty acids like oleic and linoleum acids, watermelon seeds keep your skin healthy and glowing from inside. Some of their benefits for skin are as follows.
9. The unsaturated fatty acids in watermelon seeds keep the skin moisturized, soft, firm, well-toned and prevent acne and other skin disorders.
10. Watermelon seeds prevent signs of ageing because they contain antioxidants and oils which make your skin look younger, healthier and more vibrant. These benefits can be observed by consuming a handful or two of watermelon seeds a week.
11. Water melon seed oil, also known as Ootanga oil or Kalahari oil is extremely beneficial for your skin. Being light in texture, it does not clog skin pores, thus allowing your skin to function naturally and is a great moisturizer. Due to its excellent moisturizing properties, watermelon seed oil is used as an essential ingredient in baby oils.
12. Watermelon seed oil also removes sebum, dirt and grease that build up in your skin pores and are responsible for causing acne and giving a dull appearance to your skin. This oil is suitable for all skin types including dry, oily, acne prone and maturing skin.
13. Watermelon seed extract locks moisture, thus combating the ageing degradation. It also rejuvenates the elasticity of your skin.
14. The wide array of nutrients contained in watermelon seeds protects your skin from certain types of skin cancers and infections as well.
Hair Benefits of Watermelon Seeds:
As stated earlier, watermelon seeds have a high content of protein in them which can keep your hair healthy and shiny. This protein contains certain essential amino acids such as lysine, arginine, tryptophan and glutamic acid which are needed by your body to keep your hair healthy and strong.
15. Roasted watermelon seeds contain copper which is involved in the production of melanin. As you know, melanin is a pigment that provides color to your hair and skin.
16. In addition to its skin benefits, watermelon seed oil can also be used for your tresses. As pointed out earlier, this oil is light in texture that gets absorbed easily without clogging the pores of your scalp. It provides moisturizing benefits and improves hair growth by maintaining hair and scalp health.
17. Watermelon seed oil provides the hair with
essential fatty acids which are needed by your hair to prevent breakage and keep it moisturized.
Here are 10 benefits blogger stylecraze gives for watermelon juice:
1. Keeps the heart healthy:
Watermelon is very rich source of Lycopene which is an antioxidant that helps to defuse ‘free radicals’ that could potentially damage tissues and organs of the body (1).
2. Ideal diet for weight loss:
As it mainly comprises of water and minerals and negligible amount of fats it is best suited for weight loss diet. Being rich in electrolytes and Vitamins it proves to be a complete power packed fruit (2).
3. Stress Buster fruit:
Watermelon is high in vitamin B6 (3) which is used by the body which relieves from fatigue, stress, anxiety etc.
4. Anti-aging agent:
The presence of Lycopene in it is also beneficial for the skin as the antioxidants tend to decrease free radicals from the body and retards the process of aging quite effectively (4).
5. Instant source of energy:
It is an excellent source of instant energy as it contains electrolytes (sodium & potassium), minerals and carbohydrates in it which keeps the body hydrated and energetic (5).
6. Fibre rich fruit:
Being a fibre rich fruit (6) it adds bulk to the food and is very helpful in digestion and the water content is responsible for flushing out the toxins from the body.
7. Perfect fruit for skin problems:
It is very good for the skin and removes excess oil from the skin which cures many skin problems like acne and pimples (7).
8. Natural moisturizer:
It proves to be a natural moisturizer and toner for the face and keeps the skin glowing and well hydrated (8).
[ Read: Best Food For Clear Skin ]
9. Remedies to disease:
It is believed that a glass of watermelon juice everyday will keep diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and colon cancer at a good distance.
10. Maintains Blood Pressure:
As it has good proportion of electrolytes, it keeps the blood pressure on a check and normalizes it efficiently (9).
***
Bottom line, watermelon is a terrific fruit to consume as one of your top choices towards a healthier you. With 0mg of cholesterol, and a makeup of 89% carbohydrates, 7% protein, and 4% fats, it would behoove you to bring it to your and your family’s meals as much as possible.
Love & RAWspect,
Terri
Living Superfood Recipes – downloadable version
Living Superfood Recipes – print version
26 Tips for Healthier Juicing – downloadable
Remember last fall when I showed you my first attempt at fruit art? No doubt, it had to be a watermelon. This summer, perhaps I’ll try my hand at it some more and become a more skilled fruit scuplturer.
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