On warm days you may crave for a nice ice cream, but how about a refreshing summer fruit? Then there’s nothing better than a juicy watermelon. It’s a fruit very low in calories, but high in vitamins A and C. A refreshing and healthy choice, especially if you want to watch your weight! Here are some more beneficial properties of watermelon!

1) Helps You Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water is vital for a healthy body, not just on hot days. Foods high in moisture can help. Did you know that watermelon is 92 percent water! The combination of water and fiber ensures that you eat a large amount without immediately consuming a large number of calories.

2) Promotes Heart Health

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. Adopting a particular lifestyle, including a healthy diet, can significantly reduce your risk. Watermelon contains several vitamins and minerals that contribute to heart health, including lycopene, vitamin B6 and magnesium.

3) Good For Skin and Hair

The two vitamins mentioned above, A and C, are essential for the health of your skin and hair. Vitamin C promotes collagen production, which is needed for supple skin and strong hair. Vitamin A stimulates skin cell production and repair. Besides, lycopene and beta-carotene can protect your skin from the sun!

4) Supports Your Nerves and Muscles

Watermelon is rich in potassium, a natural electrolyte. Potassium is essential for proper nerve and muscle function. Among other things, potassium determines how often and to what extent our muscles contract and also stimulates nerve impulses in our body.

5) Good For Your Eyes

Watermelon is an excellent source of beta-carotene (that rich red hue of watermelon is beta-carotene), which is converted into vitamin A in the body. This vitamin also supports the production of retinal pigments and protects against degeneration and night blindness. Vitamin A also maintains the health of skin, teeth, bones, and mucous membranes.

6) May Improve Digestion

Watermelon is an excellent combination of plenty of water and a small amount of fiber. Both ingredients are essential for healthy digestion. Fibre gives stools ‘body’, while water stimulates the digestive tract. Fruits high in water and fiber can therefore promote healthy bowel movements.

7) Watermelon Supports Kidney Function

Watermelon acts as a natural diuretic, making you urinate more often but does not overload the kidneys. If you’re more prone to fluid retention, watermelon is the perfect natural remedy to combat it. The fruit supports the liver’s process of removing ammonia from the body (ammonia is a waste product of protein digestion). This spares your kidneys while you release moisture.

Watermelon also contains phenols, which block the activity of certain enzymes and thus reduce the body’s inflammatory response. Always choose ripe watermelon as it is much richer in these beneficial phenols. You can recognize a ripe watermelon by its dark green color. Avoid yellow and light green watermelons as they are often not ripe.

8) Calories in Watermelon

Want to lose a few pounds and want to know if watermelon is suitable for your diet? Watermelon is made up mainly of fruit sugars and natural water with fiber. This fruit contains only 30 calories per 100 grams! And precisely because it’s so watery, it’s also very filling, so you won’t be tempted to overeat. However, you can eat a reasonable portion of 30 calories per 100 grams.

What’s more, watermelon fits into almost any diet. For example, watermelon is perfect for a low carbohydrate diet because it contains only 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Besides, it also has no fat and very little protein. Fruits are perfect for detox diets due to their moisturizing and diuretic properties.

How do you like your watermelon? Off the sleeve or rather in a refreshing smoothie? Let us know in the comments below!