Eating Fabulous

Summer’s Thirst-quencher: Watermelons

by ruth on August 8th, 2006

Ah, watermelons! My all-time favorite summer fruit. With its high water content, it’s the perfect thirst-quencher, snack or dessert during hot summer days. It’s a staple on our picnic basket (despite its weight!).

But aside from saving you from potential dehydration, there’s more to watermelons than just water. It is rich in Vitamins A and C, and a carotenoid called lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with reduced cancer risk and lower rates of heart disease. In fact, there’s a study that showed that watermelons contain even more lycopenes than tomatoes, its more popular and common source.

Are all watermelons created equal? A survey of 50 commercial cultivars of watermelons revealed that although most types had high lycopene content, it varied greatly among the different cultivars, ranging from 33 to 100 mg/kg. Your best bet would be the seedless red-fleshed varieties.

If you bought a whole uncut watermelon and you don’t plan to eat it just yet, just store it in room temperature (about 21°C/70°F). According to researchers from the US Department of Agriculture, this will give the watermelons more opportunity to develop more of these phytochemicals. If on the other hand, you bought your fruit already cut up in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, don’t worry; your watermelon didn’t lose a significant amount of nutrients even after a few days in the fridge.

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POSTED IN: Food Talk, ~Cancer, ~Cardiovascular Health, ~Fruit and Vegetables