Health Benefits of Watermelon Seeds - Fusion - WeRIndia

Generally we eat watermelon and discard the seeds by throwing them out.

But do you know that watermelon seeds have numerous health benefits?

Watermelon seeds are rich source of many essential minerals and vitamins.

These include vitamin B, manganese, iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus.

The magnesium in watermelon seeds aids in the metabolism of the body and provides energy that is required for regular activities.

100 grams of seeds provide approximately 140 percent of recommended daily required amount of this mineral.

Magnesium helps in controlling blood pressure and prevents cardiovascular diseases.

Watermelon seeds consist of essential amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamic acids.

These are required by our body and cannot be synthesized by it.

Tryptophan acts as a building block in protein biosynthesis and a biochemical precursor for various compounds like Niacin, Serotonin etc.

Glutamic acid is the precursor of amino acids. Glutamates are the carboxylate anions and salts of glutamic acid. They are important neurotransmitters and are vital in cellular metabolism.

The unsaturated fatty acids in these seeds keeps the skin moist and nourishes it. They also protect skin from ultraviolet rays and thus reduce skin disorders.

Watermelon seeds are a rich source of lycopene which reduces cancer risk especially prostate cancer.

Lycopene is also found to be beneficial for skin and bone health and improves fertility in males. It acts as an antioxidant and protects body from free radicals.

Thus watermelon seeds are good for overall health. These seeds are decorated on desserts, ice creams and cakes.

They are eaten dried or roasted. Eating a cup of dried seeds provide almost half of the many essential minerals, proteins carbohydrates, fats and vitamins.

Image Credit: ProjectManhattan / CC BY-SA 3.0