Most of us automatically assume that a watermelon is a fruit, but technically it is counted as a vegetable (The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill on 17 April 2007 declaring watermelon as the official state vegetable, with some controversy surrounding whether a watermelon is a fruit.). It is related to the cucumber, squash and pumpkin plants. The watermelon is classified as Citrullus Lanatu. Regardless of whether the watermelon is a fruit or vegetable, it is known to be very healthy.
Adding watermelon to your diet is now recommended by the American Heart Association because of the healthy amounts of lycopene that are a natural part of this vegetable. Lycopene is proven to help reduce the risk of prostrate cancer in men. It is also healthy because it is low in sodium and fat free.
Watermelon is a very low calorie veggie, (disguised as a fruit), and is also full of vitamins such as vitamin A, C and B6. A full cup serving of watermelon only contains around forty calories and is almost entirely made up of water. The benefits of the vitamins in watermelon help the eyes and can also boost the infection fighting white blood cells in the body. Eating watermelon can alleviate some of the symptoms of anxiety because of the vitamin B6 it contains. Vitamin B6 produces dopamine and serotonin which have a calming effect on the body. The Vitamin C that is naturally in watermelon provides a good source of infection fighting free radicals, which can slow the aging process and lessen the chance of developing cataracts in the eyes.
There are over twelve hundred different varieties of watermelons. This vegetable ranges in sizes from quite small to very large, with some weighing as much as two hundred pounds. The meat or flesh of the watermelon also comes in a wide variety of colors and textures. Some of them include red fleshed varieties, yellow, orange or white.
Choosing good fruit is important for taste. A truly fresh watermelon will have a smooth exterior with no cracks. Because they are made up of approximately ninety percent water, they should feel very heavy. A farm raised watermelon will have a yellowish tint to the underside from where it was ripened in the sun in the field.
Watermelon can be eaten by itself or made into tasty juice drinks. Organic watermelons are especially nutritious as they are grown with no chemicals or pesticides. Fresh fruit salads almost always contain watermelon. Although not normally consumed by most, the rind of the watermelon is eatable. Many Chinese dishes use the rind for stir fry recipes. The watermelon rind is a good source of vitamins and nutrients as well as the flesh of the inside of the melon. Pickled watermelon rinds are also very popular in some areas. The juice from this tasty vegetable can be used for a nutrition drink and can also be made into wine.
Photo by Still Burning
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By reading this article, one can understand the usefulness of water melon. Living healthy life is possible by taking fruits like watermelon as it has low calories and is rich in vitamins and it also helps people to reduce the aging process and avoid developing cataracts in eyes.
I don’t want to be a debbie downer. I like all the fun facts about this… but I have to say… Watermelon is a fruit. I don’t say that because it’s common knowledge but because it is fruit due to the seeds it within the watermelon. I.e. Tomatoes are fruits just like apples, strawberries, and oranges.
Responding to James, ^^^^^. Just because it has seeds within does NOT mean its a fruit! I enjoyed this article! It was very informative.
Actually, James is right, WATERMELON IS A FRUIT. The author is correct in stating that watermelon is related to squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins; however, these are also fruits. They are fruits because the flesh enclosing their seeds is derived from the plant’s ovary. Melons and gourds are pepos, a type of modified berry typical of their plant family, Cucurbitaceae.
While it is important to encourage healthy eating, please be sure research your facts properly. When you don’t, you undermine the credibility of the rest of your article and spread misinformation.
cheers,
Rosie
My husband and I just got into a discussion about a tomato whether its an fruit or veggie ( he’s says veggie but I proved him wrong) anyways we went on to avocados. And so on… I found a site that said to figure out if whether something is a fruit or veg ask your self this question after the item is picked does it continue to ripen? If it does its a fruit. If it don’t its a vegetable. I once always thought a watermelon was a fruit but know reading this and asking myself that question I am now a believer that a watermelon is a vegetable.
i say that watermelon is a friut because its sweet and it dosent taste like regular veggies if you know whati mean that is what i say it is and im going to keep on saying it telling my friends about this un believable stuff to i LOVVE MINDLESS BEHAVIOR THEY ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that Watermelon is a VEGE… Because it won’t continue ripen when the watermelon is picked.
This whole vegetable vs fruit thing is stupid. It depends on if you are speaking about common definition, botanical definition, legal definition, etc. For example, the common definition of a tomato is a vegetable. Botanically, it is a fruit. Legally (in the USA) it is a vegetable (there was a Supreme Court ruling, Nix v. Hedden).
So yeah, go ahead and call it a fruit, but realize that unless we’re biologists, that makes ketchup a smoothie.
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