Recent studies reveal that the juicy, crunchy water melon isn’t only nutrient rich but also has amazing healing properties. Despite popular belief that it is made up of only water and sugar, watermelon is actually considered a nutrient dense food, a food that provides a high amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for a low amount of calories.  Read on to discover why you should eat more watermelon.

Antioxidant

Water melon is loaded with lycopene. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that fights cancer-causing free radicals and promotes cardiovascular health. Watermelon has lots of this carotenoid, which is also found in noteworthy amounts in tomatoes and pink grapefruit (giving these fruits their redish color). The riper the watermelon, the more lycopene it will have. Diets rich in lycopene may help protect against heart disease. As an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C as well as other antioxidants, watermelon can help combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. Lycopene intake has been linked with a decreased risk of prostate cancer prevention in several studies.

Nutritients

From the juicy flesh to the seeds to the skin, watermelon is loaded with vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Watermelon seeds provide good amounts of zinc and iron.

Asthma prevention

The risks for developing asthma are lower in people who consume a high amount of certain nutrients. One of these nutrients is vitamin C, found in many fruits and vegetables including watermelon.

Blood pressure

A study published by the American Journal of Hypertension found that watermelon extract supplementation reduced ankle blood pressure, brachial blood pressure and carotid wave reflection in obese middle-aged adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension and that watermelon extract improved arterial function.