Watermelon

WATERMELONS grow on vine like plants on the ground, originally thought to have come from the Kalahari dessert. They are usually a green, round or oval-shaped fruit, which can also have variegated markings. It consists of a smooth hard exterior, with a sweet, juicy flesh which is usually pink or red in colour. Although new cultivars have been produced which give yellow/ orange fleshed watermelons. They have brown/black pips through out the flesh, although you can get seedless varieties.

The deeper the red colour of a watermelon the more lycopene that is present. This is important, since lycopene has been shown to help in the prevention of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Lycopene is a powerful anti-oxidant that is mainly found in fruits and vegetables that have a red colouring like tomatoes, pink grapefruit and guavas.

Watermelons contain Vitamins A, C and B6, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, choline and betaine. They are made up of approximately 92 % water, the rest being fibre and fructose, this means that its a very hydrating fruit to consume, especially after exercise or being in the heat. Also one cup of watermelon is only 46 calories.

The high water content along with the fibre present in watermelon helps prevent constipation and encourages regularity for a healthy digestive tract.

Eating the watermelon rind not only cuts down on food wastage but helps increase your dietary fibre intake, which in turn helps digestion along with cholesterol control and weight gain.

Here are some recipes to try using watermelon as the main ingredient.