13 HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATERMELON - NUTRITION - 2025

The health benefits of watermelon are numerous: it improves cardiovascular health, it is anti-inflammatory, it helps to maintain the skin, it improves the condition of the skin, it prevents the formation of stones in the kidney, it improves digestion and others that follow you I explain.

Watermelon has a multitude of names. Among them, we find some such as paitilla, aguamelón or even water melon. In its scientific form it is called as Citrullus Ianatus. It is cultivated throughout the world, but its main production focus is in Africa. On the other hand, in the Mediterranean area it is common to see it bloom in the months of June and July.

The watermelon is characterized by showing a rigid and oval greenish rind together with a fleshy and reddish interior. It is precisely in its nucleus where we observe a large number of black seeds that can measure up to 1 centimeter in length. When ingested, its flavor leaves a sweet taste as well as soft, being pleasant to the palate at all times.

A little note: lycopene

Before explaining the different benefits of watermelon, it is necessary to refer to a type of essential nutrient of which it is composed: lycopene. This substance is a phytonutrient that acts as an antioxidant, carrying a set of benefits for our health such as:

- Creation of healthy tissues and organs.

- Detoxification of non-beneficial substances for the body.

- Strengthening of the immune system and muscular system.

In addition, as with other foods such as tomatoes, lycopene is responsible for giving the reddish color to watermelon. The darker it is, the higher the concentration of this phytonutrient.

13 amazing benefits of watermelon

First of all it is necessary to point out a couple of tips:

- In the first place, the watermelon must be at its maximum point of maturity to get the most out of its different benefits.

- Second, it would be ideal to keep the watermelon at room temperature. In this way it will conserve all of its antioxidants.

That said, the 13 amazing health benefits of watermelon are:

1- Improves cardiovascular health

Watermelon improves cardiovascular health, regulating high blood pressure, which is one of the main causes of heart attacks in people. In a study published by the University of Pardue and the University of Kentucky, watermelon was confirmed to have multiple benefits for the heart.

In such research, tested on animals, they obtained results where mice fed watermelon had 50% less LDL cholesterol than those that did not ingest it.

In addition, watermelon also helps women who are in a postmenopausal stage. Florida State University published in early 2013, a study in which several postmenopausal women experienced an improvement in their cardiovascular health after six weeks taking watermelon extracts.

In other research by the American Journal of Hypertension, watermelon extract would be shown to reduce blood pressure and hypertension.

Experts believe that this decrease in cholesterol occurs due to citrulline, which can also control weight gain.

2- Better functioning of body insulin

When suffering from a disease such as type 2 diabetes, our body begins to stop producing insulin, which leads to problems related to cell production. As a consequence, the level of glucose and sugar in the blood becomes difficult to regulate in our body.

Now, if we fall into the habit of consuming watermelon, we can improve the creation of insulin more easily thanks to the arginine that this fruit contains. Several studies have already shown this.

Therefore, if you suffer from diabetes, do not forget to add a daily serving of watermelon to your diet.

3- Improves the health of the eyes

The high levels of vitamin A that watermelon provides to our body will improve your optical health, helping the development of the pigments of the retina of your eyes.

In addition, vitamin A helps protect you against macular degeneration and night blindness. Likewise, lutein and zeaxanthin will act as powerful protectors.

In this way, do not forget that to notice these changes, you will have to eat said fruit for long periods of time.

4- Strengthens the muscular system

Don't you know how to soothe those muscle aches during and after training? Well, I don't have to tell you that the ideal food for these occasions is watermelon. For this, there are several investigations that corroborate it:

- According to research, citrulline and arginine found in watermelon improve blood circulation in athletes. In addition, it reduces aches and pains the next day.

- Another similar study observed in turn that the intake of citrulline and arginine only benefits novice athletes and those who begin to perform some type of sport. On the contrary, for professionals and high-level athletes, eating watermelon was of no use.

- As if that were not enough, another study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that eating watermelon relaxes our muscles after an exhausting session of physical exercise.

Having read this, if you are starting to practice some type of sport and want to reduce the relevant aches and pains, do not forget to regularly consume watermelon or some derivative. A clear example can be natural juice.

5- Fight against erectile dysfunction

Watermelon intake improves blood circulation. In fact, a study carried out by researchers from Texas A & M University, concluded that watermelon has very positive effects to combat impotence.

Bhimu Patil, director of the Center for Fruit and Vegetable Improvement at the University of Texas, stated that "watermelon is a source of nutrients with an effect similar to viagra, as it has stimulating effects on blood vessels and libido."

This help present in watermelon is due in large part to arginine, which leads to an increase in libido, thus reducing frigidity.

6- Powerful anti-inflammatory

In this benefit we must refer to the power of lycopene, since it acts directly on cell damage, and as it is an antioxidant, it fights against free radicals.

In the words of Professor Jarzabkowski, "The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit."

In addition, another of the favorable components of watermelon is cucurbitacin E, a chemical compound that reduces the activity of enzymes, which cause inflammation in our body. Similarly, the Shock Medical Journal published an article in 2006 where choline was pointed out as a regulator of chronic inflammation.

Finally, we should mention manganese, a mineral that also acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory.

7- Helps prevent cancer

Again, antioxidants enter the picture. Lycopene fights anti-cancer cells that can harm our health.

Watermelon is the food with the highest percentage of lycopene in its composition. The National Cancer Institute states that "lycopene has chemopreventive effects on prostate, skin, breast, lung and liver cancer."

Dr. Mercola himself mentioned that “lycopene reduces the growth of brain tumors. In addition, after depriving mice of lycopene, breast cancer broke out in their organism ”.

8- Great source of hydration

Watermelon contains nothing more and nothing less than 92% water in its composition.

That said, watermelon has high levels of potassium in its composition (around 5% for each serving), and is also a type of electrolyte that controls hydration levels in our body, as well as helping to oxygenate the cells of the body. Thanks to these electrolytes we can avoid strong heat strokes.

9- Disease prevention

There are a large number of diseases that occur as a result of a high consumption of meat, eggs and dairy products.

However, thanks to the alkaline-forming effect of watermelon, we can reduce the risk of suffering from diseases derived from these foods.

10- Improve our digestion

You may have ever heard that watermelon is an excellent diuretic.

Cynthia Sass, editor of Health, stated that "watermelon contains dietary fiber for digestive health, as well as potassium, a mineral that helps keep blood pressure under control."

And indeed it is. You are very likely to urinate more than normal when drinking watermelon. This occurs due to potassium and its high levels of dietary fiber, which will help eliminate toxins and the natural cleansing of the body.

11- Avoid kidney stones

This benefit has a lot to do with the help that watermelon gives to our digestion. Thanks to the elimination of waste, we can avoid the accumulation of uric acid in the blood, which leads directly to avoid stones in the kidney.

Try substituting other types of diuretics like coffee or even weight loss pills for watermelon. This method will be much healthier, natural and beneficial for your kidneys.

12- Rejuvenates our skin and hair

Everyone wants to look in the mirror and be able to show off their healthy and youthful skin. Did you know that watermelon helps to achieve this? Two types of vitamins present in water melon act here: A - with 17% - and C - with 20% -.

- Vitamin A has a molecular structure that accesses the lower layers of the skin. It is there where the collagen and elastin are located, managing to fight against the roughness of the skin. The Cleveland Clinic has already roundly confirmed these benefits.

- Vitamin C, like A, works so that collagen levels remain regulated. In addition, this vitamin protects us from UVA rays and clears up dark spots on the skin. In turn, it also increases the speed of healing.

On the other hand, thanks to its high percentages of water, watermelon will help hydrate our skin in a natural way so that it looks smoother.

13- Help keep the line

Watermelon is one of the fruits with the lowest caloric index that we can find.

Specifically, for every 154 grams of watermelon, we will ingest about 46 calories. Also, referring to the nutrition data, we will observe that it has minimal levels of fat.

Due to the citrulline that the body absorbs when ingesting watermelon, there will be a decrease in the creation of fat. This drop will correspond to the blockage produced by citrulline by blocking the creation of fats, thus avoiding excess accumulation within our body.

In addition, thanks to their high percentages in water, they make us feel fuller than normal.

So now you know: start eating watermelon regularly without fear of putting on a few extra kilos.

Watermelon curiosities

- Did you know that watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable? Due to its family trees, the watermelon is curiously related to cucumbers, squash and zucchini, which gives it that fruit and vegetable status.

- From the watermelon you can take advantage of everything. And when we say everything, we mean both its inner seeds and its shell. This is due to the dual nature that makes it both a fruit and a vegetable.

- Watermelons first came to Europe from the Arabs in the 13th century.

- Its weight usually varies between 3 and 6 kilos. Now, the largest watermelon in the world weighed a total of… 122 kilos!

- Although it sounds strange, it is not uncommon to find yellowish watermelons inside. Its flavor is similar to that of melon, although it does not stop being a watermelon.

- One method used to choose the best quality watermelons is to use the ones with hollow sounds. The more hollow it sounds, the better it will be.