Watermelon is a delicious fruit with lots of water, rich in potassium and magnesium which makes it an excellent natural diuretic. Eating watermelon helps to eliminate excess fluids in the body, making it a great option to swell the belly after a day of salt and seasonings.
It is made up of 92% water and 6% sugar. This keeps it diluted and does not increase the amount of sugar in the blood and even helps the cells to better capture the water of the watermelon, which helps to moisturize the skin and hair.
The 7 main benefits of watermelon are:
- Helps to Reduce: its diuretic action cleanses the kidneys;
- It's great for weight loss: it contains few calories and is a great choice for a healthy dessert;
- Strengthen the body's defenses because it is an excellent source of vitamin C;
- Protect skin from the sun because it has lycopene;
- It improves the intestinal transit because it has good fibers and water that increase the fecal cake;
- Regulates the pressure because it has water, potassium and magnesium;
- Helps strengthen the bones because it is a good source of calcium.
The red part of the watermelon is rich in antioxidant carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene that protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, but the clear see part, close to the bark is also rich in nutrients and so should be consumed whenever possible. See also the benefits of melon to lose weight.
Nutrition information of watermelon
The table shows the amount of nutrients in 100 g of watermelon:
| Nutrient | Amount | Nutrient | Amount |
| Vitamin A | 23 mcg | Carbohydrates | 6.9 g |
| Vitamin B1 | 20 mcg | Protein | 0.5 g |
| Vitamin B2 | 30 mcg | Calcium | 7 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.2 mcg | Phosphor | 12 mg |
| Energy | 31 calories | Magnesium | 10 mg |
| Fibers | 0.4 g | Vitamin C | 8.1 mg |
| Lycopene | 4.5 mcg | Betacarotene | 303 mcg |
| Folic acid | 4.5 mcg | Potassium | 112 mg |
| Zinc | 0.15 mg | Iron | 0.32 mg |
Watermelon Recipes
The simplest recipe with watermelon is to prepare a delicious juice by beating the blender 1/2 watermelon and 3 lemon juice and when the watermelon is very ripe it is not necessary to even sweeten it.
Watermelon and pomegranate salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium slices of watermelon
- 1 large pomegranate
- mint leaves
- honey to taste
Method of preparation
Cut the watermelon into pieces and peel the pomegranate, enjoying its berries. Put everything in a bowl, garnish with mint and drizzle with honey.
Watermelon wedge stew
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon of watermelon
- 1/2 tomato
- 1/2 chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons parsley and chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- For seasoning: salt, black pepper and 1 bay leaf
Method of preparation
Make a sauté by putting the garlic clove and the onion and the olive oil to brown. Then add the watermelon, tomato and bay leaf and leave to medium heat for a few minutes until everything is soft. Add the water, the parsley and the spring onion and then serve with a meat or fish dish.
Green Salpicão
Ingredients
- Hash of 1 watermelon
- 1 chopped tomato
- 1 chopped onion
- parsley and chives chopped to taste
- 1kg cooked and shredded chicken breasts
- cut olives
- 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon juice
Method of preparation
just mix all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place in small pans or cups and serve ice cream, accompanied by rice, for example.
