There are several types of melon. The most popular are listed below;
- Honeydew - long, oval-shaped melons with dark green skins; the flesh is white with a greenish tinge.
- Charantais - small and round with a mottled green and yellow skin; the flesh is orange colored.
- Cantaloupe - large round melons with regular indentations; the rough skin is mottled orange and yellow and the flesh is light orange in color.
- Ogen - small round mottled green skins, each suitable for one portion (depending on size); mainly used as a dessert, hors d’oeuvre on in sweet dishes.
Care must be taken when buying as melon should not be over-or-under-ripe. This can be assessed by carefully pressing the top or bottom of the fruit and smelling the outside skin for sweetness. There should be a slight degree of softness to the cantaloupe and charentais melons. The stalk should be attached, otherwise, the melon deteriorates quickly. Storage: at home, place them in cool, well-ventilated place. Cut sections, however, should be kept inside the refrigerator.
Health benefits of watermelons include:
| Health Benefits | Explanation |
|---|
| The fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin A | Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant and is essential for healthy vision. It is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A has been known to help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. |
| Offers protection against stroke, and coronary heart diseases. | It is a moderate source of electrolyte, potassium. 100 g fruit provides 267 mg of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids and helps control heart rate and blood pressure. |
| Improves Eye Health | Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eye where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV light-filtering functions. It, thus, offers protection of eyes from "Age-related macular degeneration" (ARMD) disease in the elderly. |
| Protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. | It is also rich in antioxidant flavonoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidants have the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen-free radicals and hence; offer protection against colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. |
| Alkaline-forming | Watermelons have an alkaline-forming effect on the body when fully ripe. Eating lots of alkaline-forming foods (fresh, ripe, fruit and vegetables) can help reduce your risk of developing disease and illness caused by a high-acid diet (namely, meat, eggs, and dairy). |
| For weight loss | Melons are the ideal food for people who want to lose weight because they are low in sodium, fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories (a whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories). They will also make you feel fuller because of the high water content. The natural sweetness found in melons will help you not to be tempted to grab those high-calorie sweets. |
| Maintaining healthy skin | Melon contains collagen, the protein compounds that affect the integrity of the cell structure in all connective tissues such as skin. Collagen also serves For accelerates wound healing and maintain skin firmness. If you often eat melon means the skin will not be rough and dry. |
| Cancer Prevention | Melon fruit contains high carotenoid that this fruit can prevent cancer and reduce the risk of lung cancer. Melon fruit can prevent and kill cancer seeds that will invade our bodies. So try to eat melons, to avoid cancer. |
| Good for digestion | Melons can launch a bowel movement, when we are experiencing digestive problems then eat melon to be easy and smooth bowel movement. The water content in the melon is very good for digestion. Mineral content is able to eliminate the acidity of the body need to be eliminated because it can interfere with digestion, particularly in the stomach organ. |
| The boost of Energy | Most melons are contained B vitamins. B vitamins are responsible for a lot of your body's energy production (they are necessary for the body to process sugars and carbs). Hence, eating melons can give you substantial energy |
| Helps heal kidney disease and eczema | Melon has a very good diuretic power so that it can help cure kidney disease and severe diseases and acute eczema. If combined with lemon, then a melon can cure gout. So a good idea to consume melons regularly once a day in the morning. |
