Ever heard of Citrullus lanatus? Perhaps
not. How about Watermelon? Sounds familiar, right? Welcome to the world of the
watermelon (or Citrullus lanatus, if you prefer its fancy botanical name) where
there is more to it than its familiar pink and green appearance.
Because of its sweet juice and the refreshing
taste, the watermelon remains a favourite for many fruit lovers. Interestingly,
not all watermelons are pink; some are yellow and are sweeter than their pink
cousins with distinctive honey flavour. However, we in Nigeria are used to the
delicious pink watermelons.
So,
apart from being delicious, what else should we know about the watermelon?
For one, it is
an incredible source of nutrients. Let’s start with some of the vitamins that can
be found in the watermelon:
·
Vitamin A: This helps us maintain our vision. It boosts
the body’s immunity by enhancing lymphocytes, the infection fighting component
of the white blood cells.
·
Vitamin B6: Also helps the immune system. Vitamin B6
plays a key role in producing antibodies which are needed to fight diseases.
·
Vitamin C: Yet another vitamin that plays a key role in
bolstering the body’s immune system against infections and viruses. It helps
protect the body from harmful free radicals that can accelerate aging and
conditions such as cataracts.
It doesn’t end there. If you are a –‘weight-watcher-’,
watermelon may be the fruit for you. It has more than 90% water which helps in
keeping you fuller for longer. So it’s bye-bye binge eating!
Watermelon
also contains as little as 80 calories with no fat at all. How amazing! The
fleshy insides are not the only nutritional parts of the watermelon. For every time you throw away the watermelon
seeds and the rind (the skin), you are actually throwing away valuable
nutrients. Not sure what to do with the rind? Here’s a recipe for you; throw in
the rind along with some lime into a blend and the resultant green brew is rich
in chlorophyll (yes the same chlorophyll
in plants) that helps cleanse and maintain the human blood. As for seeds you
are guaranteed of a healthy dose of iron, zinc, protein, and fiber, if you just take out
time to chew them.
