3. Contains useful plant nutrients and compounds
As for fruit, watermelon is one of the lowest calories – just 46 calories per Cup (154 grams). This is lower even for low-sugar fruits such as berries.
A Cup that weighs about 154 grams of watermelon also has many other nutrients, including these vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C:21% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
- Vitamin A:18% of the RDI
- Vitamins B1, B5 and B6:3% of the RDI
- Magnesium:4% of the RDI
- Potassium:5% of the RDI
- Zinc, manganese, selenium, fluorine and other useful minerals
- tryptophan, leucine, lysine, arginine and other antioxidants
Watermelon is also rich in carotenoids, including beta-carotene and lycopene. It also has citrulline, important amino acids.
Here is a summary of the main antioxidants of watermelon:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an agent antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.
Carotenoid
Carotenoids are a group of herbal compounds that include alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a type of carotenoid that is not converted to vitamin A. This powerful antioxidant gives a red color to plant foods such as tomatoes and watermelon and has many health benefits.
Cucurbitacin E
Cucurbitacin E is an herbal compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Bitter melon, a watermelon relative, contains even more cucurbitacin E.
