Cover Story:
Watermelon
It wouldn’t be a hot summer without a slice of chilled, juicy Watermelon to cool you down and
with practically no calories there’s even more good reasons for us to be tucking in to this thirstquenching star…
For starters Watermelons are jam packed with nutrients, vitamin and minerals including
‘Lycopene’ which is great for cardiovascular health and is now thought to help give us stronger
bones too!
All that gorgeous red Watermelon flesh is a great source of beta-carotene which converts into
Vitamin A so good for eyes and they are rich in potassium which helps to retain calcium in your
body, resulting in stronger bones and joints and helps regulate the action of nerves and muscles
in our body.
Its also packed with Vitamin C and one of it’s amino acids ‘citruline’ is converted into another
amino acid called ’arginine‘ by our bodies which, according to some new evidence, can help keep
down the level of fat in our cells. It’s a natural diuretic too !
Watermelons also have an alkaline-forming effect which can help counteract the high acids we
consume but one of the best things has to be something called ‘tripterpenoid cucurbitacin E‘
found in Watermelons which can help to reduce inflammation.
Don’t just eat it on it’s own - it adds a lovely refreshing burst to salads too.
What’s not to love…..and the riper the better!