The melon is a fruit that you surely know very well and with which we all associate summer. In the following article you will be able to find everything you need to know about melon, such as: its properties, the types there are, uses, curiosities, how to know if it is ripe and some more things that we hope will be of interest to you.
What varieties of melon exist?
Several types are distinguished, with multiple varieties within each type, differing in their appearance, their properties, and their mode of cultivation. The most widely cultivated types are yellow, ananas, cantaloupe, Italian cantaloupe, calameño (or Chilean cantaloupe), charentais, crenshaw, Japanese earl, eartern shipper, galia, gold melon, green melon or tuna melon (known in English as honeydew), skin of toad, tendral, western shipper.
What are the benefits of melon?
The nutritional value of melon makes it a fruit that should not be lacking in your usual diet since it is rich in vitamins A (it is the fruit with the highest content of this vitamin), group B (including B9 or folic acid), C and E. It also contains minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium and sodium.
Below you can see the most important benefits that this fruit offers you:It provides some
- It provides some carbohydrates, vegetable protein, and fiber, making it an excellent fruit for breakfast , mid-morning meals, or for a snack.
- It is low in calories , since for every 100 gr. gives you 34 calories. In addition, on the other hand, its fat content is practically zero.
- Avoid macular degeneration and help improve your vision.
- It controls the heart rate and blood pressure due to its potassium content, which prevents heart-related diseases.
- Helps your body resist diseases caused by infections, viruses and bacteria, by having vitamin C and manganese .
- Melon is one of the fruits with the highest water content. Up to 95% of melon is water, that is why it is excellent to eat it, especially since its time of consumption is during the hottest months of the year and thus helps you to maintain good hydration and avoid dehydration. In addition to the melon water hydrating you, it also has a cleansing and diuretic effect on your body, being especially interesting for people with arthritis or gout.
- This fruit is rich in antioxidants that help you fight free radical damage and protect your DNA. The antioxidants in melon also help you, among other things, to improve the defenses of your immune system and also to prevent cardiovascular diseases and anticoagulant action of the blood due to a component it contains (adenosine).
- The fiber that melon contains helps you regulate intestinal transit and maintain a healthy colon.
- The melon favors the functioning of your kidneys and helps you prevent kidney diseases. It is also a fruit indicated in cases of hypertension or high blood pressure.
- This fruit is very beneficial for people with iron deficiency anemia and states of stress, weakness and fatigue. It is also especially indicated during pregnancy and lactation due to its folic acid content .
- Apart from all the> above, it helps to lower the fever . Its juice is very beneficial.
- Melon is also widely used in beauty treatments , since in addition to all these internal benefits, it produces several external ones. It is used in masks, creams or simply applying it mashed and directly on the skin for about 15 minutes. Leaves skin hydrated, smooth and toned, and helps prevent wrinkles.
Did you know that melon seeds or seeds are very good for your health?
Do not throw them away and take advantage of their nutritional properties. Melon seeds are nutritious, help eliminate gastrointestinal parasites and provide you with very important antioxidants that delay aging.
How to choose a melon?
To choose a melon you have to make sure that it does not have stains, cuts or bumps on the skin. It is also important that it has a sweet and noticeable smell, this will tell you that it is well ripe. And if you have to choose between several, take the heaviest one, because generally the thick-skinned ones taste better.
How to know if a melon is ripe?
To know if a melon is ripe, you must support the melon on the part where it joins the bush, and press the melon on the other side. If it yields, it means that the melon is ripe, if the skin does not yield, the melon takes time to ripen. In addition, by squeezing and yielding the skin, you will be able to verify that a certain melon smell comes out; that will be another signal to know that it is ripe.
Finally, you can also shake the melon and if you notice that something is heard inside or moves, it is too ripe.
conclusion
As you can see, melon is a great fruit with probably more properties and benefits than you were aware of. But as always, we remind you that there is nothing to abuse, we must take everything in moderation and be careful with the false myths of fruits and vegetables . Remember that a varied, balanced diet composed of fresh and seasonal foods is ideal for your diet.
Do you know any other properties of the melon that we have added?