Table of contents:
- Health benefits of watermelon skin
- 1. Increase libido
- 2. Improve fitness during exercise
- 3. Helps lower blood pressure
- 4. Healthy prostate
The most delicious part of the watermelon, of course, lies in the red flesh or fruit. Apart from causing a sensation of freshness, the benefits of watermelon lie in the content of vitamins and minerals needed in the body, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and other important nutrients. After eating the fruit, you will definitely just throw the peel into the trash. Eits, wait a minute. Watermelon skin is also edible, you know. Even the skin has benefits that are no less important than the flesh of the watermelon.
Health benefits of watermelon skin
Every 3 centimeters of watermelon skin contains 1.8 calories. Even if you don't get large amounts of macronutrients, watermelon skin can provide two percent of the daily intake of vitamin C and one percent of vitamin B6 that your body needs every day. So, watermelon skin is very good for your skin and immunity. What are the other benefits?
1. Increase libido
Watermelon skin is not a Viagra or natural strong medicine. However, several studies have shown that watermelon skin can help men deal with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction problems. So that your performance in bed is more awake and durable.
Citrulline is an amino acid that is very characteristic of watermelons and is more abundant in the skin than in the fruit. The content of citrulline is what can dilate blood vessels and increase libido, just like how strong drugs or Viagra work. To get the benefits of watermelon peel, try eating it with lemon juice or by applying chili powder over the skin of the watermelon. Both of these ingredients are also good for your heart health.
2. Improve fitness during exercise
Apart from improving performance in bed, citrulline content can also improve fitness during exercise, especially for athletes. A study from the Universidad Politectica de Cartagena in Spain tested the benefits of watermelon on post-workout muscle soreness. Participants in the study were given one of three juices, including natural watermelon juice, citrulline-fortified watermelon juice, and placebo juice one hour before exercise.
Both natural watermelon juice and the addition of citrulline have a modifying effect on the heart rate and decreased muscle soreness. This is because the citrulline content in watermelon as a whole can help synthesize nitric oxide and increase glucose flow in skeletal muscle. Thus, muscle fatigue and stress levels in athletes tend to decrease.
Try to eat watermelon skin before exercising so that you will be more energetic and fit. Or, turn the watermelon rind into a pickling dish like you would pickle a cucumber.
3. Helps lower blood pressure
If you have hypertension, try to eat watermelon, including the skin. Several studies have shown that watermelon extract supplements can help control blood pressure in obese adults. The citrulline content in mango skin can increase blood flow in the body so that blood pressure becomes more stable.
Watermelon is also a potential diuretic drug, a drug that is often prescribed for people with high blood pressure. So, how do you eat it? It's easy, just freeze watermelon slices and skin before consumption to help lower blood pressure while providing a sensation of freshness during hot weather.
4. Healthy prostate
Watermelon is an excellent source of lycopene, even higher in content than tomatoes or other vegetables. Lycopene is an antioxidant that can help maintain healthy skin, heart, and ward off prostate cancer.
Doctors from The University of Illinois at Chicago have studied the effects of lycopene administration on patients who wish to undergo prostatectomy for three weeks before surgery. The results prove that there is a significant reduction in prostate tissue damage. Even so, further research is still needed to prove the relationship between lycopene in watermelon and prostate cancer prevention.
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