Watermelons are mostly water about 92 percent but this refreshing fruit is soaked with nutrients. Each juicy bite has significant levels of vitamins A, B6, and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants, and amino acids. There’s even a modest amount of potassium. Plus, this quintessential summer snack is fat-free, very low in sodium, and has only 40 calories per cup.

Nutrients value.
Serving size: 2 cups diced (10 oz / 280 g) Calories: 80 (Calories from Fat 0)
Amount per serving (and %DV*) *Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Total Fat: 0g (0%)
Total Carbohydrate: 21g (7%) Dietary Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugars: 20g
Cholesterol: 0mg (0%) Sodium: 0mg (0%) Potassium: 270mg (8%) Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: (30%) Vitamin C: (25%) Calcium: (2%) Iron: (4%)

HEALTH BENEFITS.
Heart health.
Watermelon’s high levels of lycopene are very effective at protecting cells from damage and may help lower the risk of heart disease, according to a study at Purdue University. A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that watermelon extracts helped reduce hypertension and lower blood pressure in obese adults.

Watermelon may be especially important for older women. A study published in Menopause found that postmenopausal women, a group is known to have increased aortic stiffness, who took watermelon extract for six weeks saw decreased blood pressure and arterial stiffness compared to those who did not take watermelon extract. The authors of the study attributed the benefits to citrulline and arginine.

Arginine can help improve blood flow and may help reduce the accumulation of excess fat.

Anti-inflammatory properties.
The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit. Lycopene is an inhibitor for various inflammatory processes and also works as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals. Additionally, the watermelon contains choline, which helps keep chronic inflammation down, according to a 2006 article published in Shock medical journal.

Reducing inflammation isn’t just good for people suffering from arthritis. When you’re sick, you have cellular damage, which can be caused by a variety of factors including stress, smoking, pollution, disease, and your body becomes inflamed. It’s called systemic inflammation. In this way, anti-inflammatory foods can help with overall immunity and general health.

Hydration.
Watermelons help with overall hydration, and that is a great thing. They say we can get 20-30 percent of our fluid needs through our diet alone, and foods like these certainly help. Additionally, their juice is full of good electrolytes. This can even help prevent heatstroke.

Digestion.
The watermelon contains fiber, which encourages a healthy digestive tract and helps keep you regular.

Skin and hair benefits.
Vitamin A is stellar for your skin, and just a cup of watermelon contains nearly one-quarter of your recommended daily intake of it. Vitamin A helps keep skin and hair moisturized, and it also encourages the healthy growth of new collagen and elastin cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Vitamin C is also beneficial in this regard, as it promotes healthy collagen growth.

Muscle soreness & athletic performance.
Watermelon-loving athletes are in luck: drinking watermelon juice before an intense workout helps reduce next-day muscle soreness and heart rate, according to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. This can be attributed to watermelon’s amino acids citrulline and arginine, which help improve circulation.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology suggests that watermelon’s citrulline may also help improve athletic performance. Study participants who took citrulline supplements saw a boosted performance with more power production in a high-intensity exercise like cycling and sprinting.

Cancer prevention.
Like other fruits and vegetables, watermelons may be helpful in reducing the risk of cancer through their antioxidant properties. Lycopene in particular has been linked to reducing prostate cancer cell proliferation, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Health risks.
If eaten in reasonable amounts, watermelons should produce no serious side effects. If you eat an abundance of the fruit daily, however, you may experience problems from having too much lycopene or potassium.

The consumption of more than 30 mg of lycopene daily could potentially cause nausea, diarrhea, indigestion, and bloating, according to the American Cancer Society.

People with serious hyperkalemia, or too much potassium in their blood, should probably not consume more than about one cup of watermelon a day, which has less than 140 mg of potassium. According to the National Institutes of Health, hyperkalemia can result in irregular heartbeats and other cardiovascular problems, as well as reduced muscle control.

Source: livescience.com

Fruit truly is the perfect food. It is the easiest for our bodies to digest, and our system has to do almost nothing to break it down.

All fruit is good for the body, but it eating when it’s ripe to properly digest it and use it for energy.

Think of all the colors, shapes, and textures of fruit as different antioxidants and phytonutrients to load upon. And then include a variety of fruits in a diet to take advantage of all the benefits they have to offer from fighting colds and warding off inflammation to making your skin glow and your hair shiny.

Instead of sitting down to a piece of toast or an egg, Koko, or white omelet each morning, do something amazing for your health and indulge in one of these delicious fruit plates.

1. Anti-inflammatory plate: Cherry, pineapple, blueberry.
Pineapple is packed with vitamin C and contains an enzyme called bromelain that reduces inflammation of the gut, boosts immune function, and stimulates protein digestion.

Try combining it with blueberries, which are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and E.

Anthocyanin is the main antioxidant in both blueberries and cherries and is what gives these fruits their gorgeous deep blue and red colors.

Grab some tart cherries over sweet ones as they are shown to contain higher amounts of phenolic compounds, delivering a stronger anti-inflammatory punch.

2. Immune-boosting plate: Grapefruit, kiwi, strawberry.
Feeling a little run down? Kiwi, grapefruit, and strawberries can give your immune system the boost it needs to keep you healthy.

Kiwis are rich in vitamin C, which helps support the immune system and prevents free radical damage that can lead to inflammation in the body.

Grapefruit and strawberries are also some of our top vitamin C foods (containing more C than oranges!) that can help boost immunity and fight off sickness. Rich in both vitamins A and C, strawberry seeds also contain minerals that support immune function.

Helpful hint doesn’t wait until it’s too late and you’re already sneezing. This would be a great fruit plate to get in before a long flight so that your immune system is strong and ready to go.

3. Antioxidant plate: Fig, red grape, pomegranate.
These three fruits are high in antioxidants and disease-fighting compounds that protect our bodies from free radical damage and keep us looking and feeling youthful.

The resveratrol in red grapes and red wine offers powerful antioxidant and anti-aging properties that help combat disease and signs of aging. Grapes are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which keeps our vision strong and can minimize the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.

Pomegranates contain higher levels of antioxidants than most fruits and can help to reverse free-radical skin damage.

Figs are not only dangerously delicious they are also rich in minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper and they are a great source of vitamins A, E, and K.

Incorporate some of these antioxidant fruits on your plate to help you fight disease, age gracefully, and keep strong.

4. Detoxifying plate: Goji berry, watermelon, lemon.
We can’t detoxify without the help of foods that will hydrate and flush toxins out of the system.

So, let’s start with watermelon, which is 92 percent water and also contains a major detoxifying agent called glutathione. It is also a source of lycopene and vitamins A and C, which further aid in detoxing and fighting free radicals.

Super alkaline upon digestion, lemon is also a strong detoxifier and has antibacterial and antiviral qualities. I like to squeeze it over my fruit, add it to green juice (with lots of parsley and cucumber for a major de-bloating combination), or drink it with warm water first thing in the morning to help cleanse the body and get the digestive system going.

And let’s not forget goji berries. These little guys are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins (A, B, C, and E), iron, and choline, which the liver needs for detoxification processes.

5. Beauty plate: Blackberry, papaya, cantaloupe.
Here’s what you should be eating in the morning before your next big event!

Papaya is full of antioxidants and nutrients that assist in the production of collagen. It also contains an enzyme called papain that helps to counter skin damage.

Blackberries are delicious low-sugar fruits that are packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and C.

We don’t want to miss out on cantaloupe. It contains beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body and helps make our skin glow and our hair strong and shiny.

6. Energy plate: Banana, avocado, apple.
The next time you’re looking for some fuel or wanting to charge up your pre-or post-workout, throw together this energy plate. These nutrient-rich fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit) will replenish and keep you going for hours.

Bananas provide us with quick energy and are a great choice pre-workout. The healthy fats in avocados slow down digestion and are better to incorporate into your post-workout meal.

Apples are high in fiber and will keep you full for long periods of time. Take your pick or choose all three… If you’re looking for a burst of energy, this plate is for you.