Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day, this delectablethirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributesto conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, andarthritis.

Concentrated in Powerful Antioxidants

Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the mostimportant antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A,notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon isalso a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. Thesepowerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing freeradicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause agreat deal of damage. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making itstick to blood vessel walls, where it can lead to heart attack orstroke. They can add to the severity of asthma attacks by causingairways to clamp down and close. They can increase the inflammationthat occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause mostof the joint damage that occurs in these conditions, and they candamage cells lining the colon, turning them into cancer cells.Fortunately, vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting ridof these harmful molecules and can therefore prevent the damage theywould otherwise cause. As a matter of fact, high intakes of vitamin Cand beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies toreduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occursin asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of thesymptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A cup ofwatermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and,through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.

More on Watermelon's Lycopene

Watermelon is also a very concentrated source of the carotenoid,lycopene. Well known for being abundant in tomatoes and particularlywell absorbed from cooked tomato products containing a little fat suchas olive oil, lycopene is also present in high amounts in watermelonand mangoes. Lycopene has been extensively studied for its antioxidantand cancer-preventing properties. In contrast to many other foodphytonutrients, whose effects have only been studied in animals,lycopene has been repeatedly studied in humans and found to beprotective against a growing list of cancers. These cancers now includeprostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer andcolorectal cancers. A study published in the American Journal ofClinical Nutrition found that in patients with colorectal adenomas, atype of polyp that is the precursor for most colorectal cancers, bloodlevels of lycopene were 35% lower compared to study subjects with nopolyps. Blood levels of beta-carotene also tended to be 25.5% lower,although according to researchers, this difference was not significant.In their final (multiple logistic regression) analysis, only low levelsof plasma lycopene (less than 70 microgram per liter) and smokingincreased the likelihood of colorectal adenomas, but the increase inrisk was quite substantial: low levels of lycopene increased risk by230% and smoking by 302%. The antioxidant function of lycopene-itsability to help protect cells and other structures in the body fromoxygen damage-has been linked in human research to prevention of heartdisease. Protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white bloodcells has also been shown to be an antioxidant role of lycopene.

Energy Production

Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energyproduction. Our food ranking system also qualified watermelon as a verygood source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium,and potassium. Part of this high ranking was due to the higher nutrientrichness of watermelon. Because this food has a higher water contentand lower calorie content than many other fruits (a whole cup ofwatermelon contains only 48 calories), it delivers more nutrients percalorie-an outstanding health benefit!

Protection against Macular Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright asa child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more importantfor keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmologyindicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may loweryour risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary causeof vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consumeless than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men,researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption offruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; andcarotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, amore severe form of the illness associated with vision loss.While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins andcarotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form ofARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form ofthis vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound likea lot to eat each day, but watermelon can help you reach this goal.What could be more delicious on a hot summer's day than a slice ofsweet, refreshing watermelon? For a great summer spritzer, blendwatermelon with a spoonful of honey and a splash of lemon or lime, thenstir in seltzer water and decorate with a sprig of mint. If you didn'texperience the fun of a seed spitting contest as a child, it's not toolate to introduce this summer ritual to your children or the child inyou!