Chill Out! Don't Chill Your Watermelon Just Yet!
What better way to celebrate a beautiful summer day than to indulge in a little mouth miracle known as watermelon? They're in season and ripe for the eating, but here's some advice to make them even more nutritious.
Watermelon is 92% water by weight, the highest of any fruit, and only contains about 100 calories in a two-cup serving — not bad at all, considering it tastes like nature's candy. But the ol' melon doesn't stop there. It also brings two powerful antioxidants to the (picnic) table: beta carotene and lycopene.
Beta carotene helps protect your body and your cells from harmful and damaging free radicals. And, your body can even convert that beta carotene into vitamin A, which is critical to keeping your immune system in top condition.
Lycopene is what gives watermelon its rich, deep red color. But, aside from just the pleasing visual effects, lycopene also offers extra protection against prostate cancer, macular degeneration, and a variety of other illnesses and diseases.
Now, before you go throwing a cape on your superhero watermelon and burying your face in its juicy goodness, here's a tip to make sure you're getting the most antioxidant bang for your buck.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture measured the beta carotene and lycopene content of a variety of different watermelons. Then, they divided them into different groups and stored them in three different coolers. One cooler was set at 41 degrees fahrenheit (5 C), one at 55 degrees fahrenheit (13 C), and one at about room temperature, or 70 degrees fahrenheit (21 C).
The study found that storing the uncut watermelons at room temperature increased their beta carotene and lycopene levels by 100% and 20%, respectively, compared to a 0% increase in the other two coolers.
So, next time you get watermelon (probably today after reading this article!), place it on the counter until you're ready to cut it open and dig in. Once cut however, you will need to store it in the refrigerator, or it will go bad in only a day or two.
And remember, just because watermelon is good for you, calories are still calories, so don't use this article as an excuse to down an entire watermelon all by yourself!
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My 3 yo can down 1/4 of a really big watermelon! Now that you posted it, I am craving for one, especially it is so hot here. One question: is it safe to swallow watermelon seeds? I am too lazy to take the seeds off one by one and would usually just swallow them with the watermelon flesh and all that juices.