The 10 benefits of watermelon juice for your health

The watermelon is one of our favorite thirst-quenching fruits. Who doesn’t get excited by that beautiful pink flesh, the clumsiness of slicing such a huge thing and the delicious sweet taste? Besides being inspiring and delicious, the watermelon is also very healthy. Plus, like its cousin the cucumber, the watermelon’s high moisture content makes it a good candidate for increasing your fluid intake.

In this blog, we tell you all about the watermelon and about watermelon juice. We look at the health benefits of watermelon, we give you tips on how to make a watermelon juice and we also look at whether there are any risks associated with consuming this big pink friend (should you eat those seeds or not?!).

In this blog you will find the following chapters:

• Watermelon facts
• How healthy is watermelon juice?
• Watermelon juice nutritional value
• Risks and disadvantages
• Drinking and eating watermelon

Watermelon Facts

The watermelon is a fruit with many names. In Latin it is called Citrullus Lanatus, in India it is known as Tarbry and in Swahili it is called Tiki Tiki Maji. Watermelon, like squash, zucchini and cucumber, is from the family Cucurbitaceae. It is a tropical climbing plant, but with proper care it can do well in the Netherlands.

The fruit probably originated in Africa, but found its way to India and China as early as the first millennium AD, where it became a popular snack, and was also valued for its special qualities. Seeds of the watermelon have already been found in Egyptian tombs between 4,000 and 5,000 years old! So the partnership between humans and watermelon has a long history.

A few facts about the watermelon:

– China is the largest international producer of watermelons.

– The Chinese also eat the rind of the watermelon: it is pickled and used in cooking. The rind contains much of the compound citrulline, the raw material for the essential amino acid arginine.

– In Africa, the seeds are eaten dried: they contain healthy oils and proteins.

– In India, watermelon is also used as medicine in traditional ways! The traditional doctor then makes a paste of watermelon that is smeared on the patient’s shaved head for a few days. This is said to have a cooling effect.

How healthy is watermelon juice?

We are quite impressed with the health benefits of watermelon. It is an excellent source of natural water and provides many healthy nutrients. The rind is healthy, the seeds are healthy and the flesh is delicious. Even the pickiest children usually can’t get enough of it, so watermelon is also a good choice for difficult eaters. Watermelon juice can also contribute to hydration. Because of this, a juice made from watermelon can also be perfectly used as a natural sports drink. Let’s list the health benefits of watermelon and watermelon juice for you.

1. Good for blood pressure and blood vessels

The first benefit of watermelon juice that we want to highlight is the beneficial effect it has on your blood pressure. This is because watermelon juice is an excellent source of the mineral potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure. In addition, it contains a lot of vitamin C, which is good for your blood vessels. This is because this vitamin helps keep your vessel walls strong and supple. So not only is watermelon juice a delicious thirst quencher, it is also a perfect juice to offer your blood pressure and blood vessel support.

2. Protection of your cells

Because watermelon juice is high in antioxidants, it is a protector against free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can cause damage to your cells and tissues when there are too many of them in your body. Antioxidants can trap free radicals. So by eating and drinking foods high in antioxidants, you help protect your body from free radical damage. Our Hydrate watermelon juice is a good source of several antioxidants, including manganese, copper and vitamin C.

3. Good for your energy metabolism

Watermelon juice not only provides you with many good nutrients, it also helps your body properly convert these nutrients into energy. This is because vitamin C and the minerals copper and manganese from watermelon juice promote your energy metabolism. These substances play a role in the activity of certain enzymes involved in energy metabolism, thus supporting your energy levels.

4. For fatigue

Do you regularly feel tired and could use a boost at these times? Then maybe watermelon juice could help. Indeed, due to its high vitamin C content, this invigorating juice can contribute to extra energy when tired.

5. Good for nerve function

Did you know that you also need adequate vitamins and minerals for proper nerve function? Your nervous system is an important organ for controlling your muscles and processing stimuli from your senses to your brain. The mineral potassium, which is relatively abundant in watermelon juice, contributes to stimulus transmission between nerve cells. As a result, it helps ensure the proper functioning of your nerves.

6. Fine after exercise

During exercise, you lose a lot of fluid by sweating. Drinking watermelon juice is not only a good and tasty way to maintain your fluid intake, it also provides you with many minerals (including potassium) that can support your normal muscle function.

7. Good for your brain function

Do you have a difficult question you need to wrack your brain over? Then we definitely recommend looking for the solution while enjoying a nice watermelon juice. After all, vitamin C in watermelon juice is good for your concentration and memory function.

8. Hydration

It is important to pay close attention to your fluid intake. Especially in hot countries, in summer, or after exercise. Sapjes or other drinks with natural electrolytes can be a good alternative to the old-fashioned sports drink. Watermelon juice is then one of the options, as it is a source of potassium.

9. Immunity

Watermelon juice also offers you good support in maintaining a healthy immune system. The presence of vitamins C and A in watermelon juice helps ensure a good resistance. So even in the dark days, watermelon juice is worth trying.

10. For skin and eyes

In addition to copper and vitamin C, watermelon is an important source of vitamin A from beta-carotene. Vitamin A plays an important role in the health of your skin. It is associated with protecting the skin from UV light and helps care for the skin from the inside out. Vitamin A is also good for your eyesight. Our carrot juice contains more than 2x the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A.

Nutritional value of Hydrate(per 100 ml)

• Energy 36 kcal
• Proteins 0.7 gr
• Fats 0.1 gr
• Saturated Fat<0.1 gr
• Carbohydrates 6.9 gr
• Natural Sugars 3.1 gr
• Salt<0.1 gr
• Dietary fiber1,2 gr
• alories: 46

Vitamins/Minerals per bottle of Hydrate (and % of RDA)

• Potassium 526 mg 26%
• Vitamin A 316 μg 40%
• Vitamin B1 0.1 mg 9%
• Vitamin B2 0.1 mg 7%
• Vitamin B3 0.7 mg 4%
• Vitamin B5 0.6 mg 10%
• Vitamin B6 0.1 mg 7%
• Folic acid 24 μg 12%
• Vitamin C 34 mg 43%
• Vitamin E 0.2 μg 2%
• Vitamin K 19 μg 25%
• Calcium 60 mg 8%
• Phosphorus 58 mg 8%
• Iron 1.2 mg 9%
• Iodine 1 μg 1%
• Copper 0.2 mg 20%
• Magnesium 41 mg 11%.
• Manganese 0.3 mg15%
• Zinc 0.4 mg 4%

Is watermelon juice healthy? Risks and disadvantages

Now, of course, you’d like to know about those seeds. Spit them out or swallow them? Also, have you ever heard that you shouldn’t eat or drink watermelon before bedtime?

To answer the question of this headline, it seems that watermelon juice qualifies as healthy. It can be an important source of many essential nutrients and natural water. Also, the pink melon is a good substitute for sweets and sodas because it is rather sweet, but provides more satiety and contains a lot more healthy nutrients. But of course, watermelon contains quite a lot of sugar in the form of fructose, so it’s best not to eat or drink too much of it. It is best to eat or drink it in combination with less sweet vegetables, for example, as watermelon cucumber juice.

Another reason not to drink too much watermelon juice is its diuretic properties. This may also be the reason why in India people warn against eating watermelon before bedtime: after all, no one feels like having to get out several times a night.

Drinking and eating watermelon

So, how do you go about incorporating more watermelon into your diet? Fortunately, this fruit has a host of surprising possibilities and can be used in many inspiring recipes.

– You can drink watermelon as pure juice or as a mix juice or smoothie with, for example, coconut water, cucumber, mint, lemon or lime or mango. At Sap.je we choose to combine with more vegetables like fennel and cucumber, for a balanced and healthy juice with a delicious subtle taste. You can buy our watermelon juice Hydrate here.

– Incorporate watermelon into a salad! You can go all sorts of ways with it. For example: a spicy watermelon salad with red pepper, mango and lime dressing. Another popular one is watermelon, feta and basil salad. And how about a twist on the Middle Eastern Tabboeleh with watermelon instead of tomato? Pair it with bulgur and lots of parsley, cilantro, basil or mint.

– Did you know that you can even grill watermelon on the barbecue? We haven’t tried it yet, but have heard that it is a unique experience.

– You can easily turn your watermelon juice or smoothie into delicious ice lollies by pouring it into an ice lollipop mold and freezing it overnight.

– We are also salivating over a sorbet of watermelon. How about a combination with strawberry, rhubarb and mint?

– Another one of our favorite is cold watermelon soup! Think Spanish Gazpacho or Salmorejo and live it up! Combine the watermelon with blanched almonds, parsley, tomatoes and peppers, for example, and don’t shy away from some raw onion or garlic, a splash of lemon and olive oil and a pinch of pepper or roasted paprika.

Conclusion

Is your mouth watering already reading about the health benefits of watermelon and all the delicious juices and other things you can make with it? By now we can’t wait for summer. The watermelon was a hype last summer and maybe now you understand a little better why: this big red fruit contains a lot of healthy substances, is a good way to hydrate and contributes to a balanced diet. Moreover, it is delicious and offers inspiration for countless juice recipes and juice ideas. Go watermelon juice!