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Watermelon is a summertime staple. But what's hidden behind the sweetness?

Befitting its name, watermelon is about 92% water, which suggests why ancestral watermelons were carried in Africa's Kalahari Desert as long as 5,000 years ago. This is a treat with a lineage: Modern-looking versions are depicted in ancient Egyptian tombs. Where watermelon really stands out is in its concentration of certain antioxidants, which regulate cell-damaging free radicals in the body. "Our body has its own antioxidant system, but it helps to get a boost from our diet," Allerton said. "And watermelon is a good source of those antioxidants." Lycopene, which gives watermelon its reddish color, is one of those antioxidants, along with vitamins C and A. Lycopene also works as an anti-inflammatory…

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 Watermelon May Be the Most Unnatural, Yet Delicious Fruit

Unlike its little predecessor, the more accessible modern watermelon is easily sliced (or smashed) open, revealing its sweet, red flesh. Red flesh is a relative latecomer in the watermelon’s long history of artificial selection. Just consider the famous still life by Italian artist Giovanni Stanchi, for example, probably completed in the mid-1600s. Scholars debate exactly what it’s showing, but the watermelon here is distinctly weird-looking, with a lot of whitish flesh heavily packed with whorls of seeds.

Articles of Interest

Ask Well: Is Watermelon Good for You?

Watermelon is rich in nutrients – including vitamins A and C, B vitamins and potassium — but where it really packs a punch is with lycopene, the antioxidant pigment that gives the fruit its deep red color. Some studies suggest that lycopene may have cardiovascular benefits, including reducing the risk of stroke, and eating watermelon may slightly lower blood pressure. Researchers have also looked at lycopene's possible role in protecting against various cancers, though evidence is scant.

Five Reasons to Eat Watermelon

Big, sloppy slices of watermelon served at a picnic table are the quintessential summer snack—sweet enough to be dessert but, as several recent studies remind us, good for our health as well.

Fruit of the month: Melons

Watermelon contains several nutrients known to benefit heart health. One is lycopene, an antioxidant that may help improve cholesterol levels and blood pressure. The other is citrulline, an amino acid that may boost levels of nitric oxide, a substance known to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure. How do you choose a ripe watermelon? They usually have a light green or white "bald spot" where the melon rested on the soil. When that spot changes to a pale yellow or cream color, the melon is ripe.

How Healthy Is Watermelon?

It’s hydrating, to start. Here’s what else experts had to say about this warm-weather treat — along with some refreshing recipes.

How the Watermelon Became a Symbol of Palestinian Solidarity

The use of the watermelon as a Palestinian symbol is not new. It first emerged after the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel seized control of the West Bank and Gaza, and annexed East Jerusalem. At the time, the Israeli government made public displays of the Palestinian flag a criminal offense in Gaza and the West Bank. To circumvent the ban, Palestinians began using the watermelon because, when cut open, the fruit bears the national colors of the Palestinian flag—red, black, white, and green.

Is it worth it: watermelon juice

You could buy an actual watermelon for roughly the same price, and it would probably yield far more juice.

Is Watermelon Good for You?

The fact that it’s sweet and refreshing is probably what makes watermelon popular. But flavor alone isn’t the only reason to include watermelon in your diet.

Is Watermelon Good for You?

It’s pretty safe to assume that when something is a fruit, it has some kind of health benefit. But people seem to be super confused when it comes to watermelon.

Is Watermelon Good for You? 8 Benefits of Watermelon

The ultimate summer fruit is low in sodium and fat and is excellent for your skin.

Is Watermelon Healthy?

Watermelons are among the largest and heaviest fruits available at most grocery stores, but is lugging them home worth the effort? Are they nutritious, or just a bunch of water and sugar? Here’s what to know about the nutrition benefits of watermelon — plus, the pros and cons of eating them.

Is watermelon the new Viagra?

This story, however, is not entirely without merit: according to Dr Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M University's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center (how do you improve a watermelon? Put a hat on it?), watermelon contains a phyto-nutrient called citrulline. Citrulline is converted by the body into another amino acid, arginine. Arginine, in turn, boosts nitric oxide levels, "which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has," says Dr Patil, "to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it." This is why, in the spirit of scientific inquiry, I find myself at the supermarket at midday - not in an attempt to treat erectile dysfunction, mind you, but perhaps to prevent it. Oddly, there is only one watermelon left. Has word got out already?

Nutrition: The Best Watermelon May Not Be the Coldest

Some people think that watermelon is more refreshing when it’s cool, but a whole watermelon is more nutritious if it is stored at room temperature, an experiment performed by scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture suggests.

Opinion: Watermelons Are Too Heavy

I find that pre-cut watermelon often isn’t as good as buying a whole watermelon (and is much more expensive), but buying a whole watermelon and transporting it to my house on the subway or walking it back many blocks is tough as well because they are so heavy

Researchers Uncover the Watermelon’s Origins

A Sudanese plant called the Kordofan melon is the watermelon’s closest wild relative, according to a new study.

The 5,000-Year Secret History of the Watermelon

Ancient Hebrew texts and Egyptian tomb paintings reveal the origins of our favorite summertime fruit. To taste a watermelon is to know “what the angels eat,” Mark Twain proclaimed. The angels, however, would have gagged if they had eaten the watermelon’s wild ancestor—a bitter fruit with hard, pale-green flesh. Generations of selective breeding, spanning several countries and cultures, produced the sweet red fruit that’s now a common sight on picnic tables.

The Health Benefits of Watermelon That Will Make You Want a Slice

These watermelon nutrition facts make it clear why this fruit is a summertime staple. Believe it or not, the watermelon is technically a berry. In botany, a berry is a fleshy fruit that doesn't have a stone or pit (like, say, mango or apricot), according to Colorado State University. Specifically, the watermelon is a pepo, a type of berry that has a fleshy interior and thick leathery rind.

The RIGHT Way to Choose a Watermelon

Because be honest—you're not really sure, are you?

The Science of a Ripe Watermelon

Can you really tell if a watermelon is ripe by tapping it? A physicist explains

The wonders of watermelon

Did you know watermelon has more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable? Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related eye disorders.

This is how much watermelon it’d take to kill you

Heaps of any fluid-rich fruit could kill you. Cells inundated by water expand to normalize their electrolyte balance. Swelling like this in the brain can damage nerve cells and pinch off the oxygen supply.

This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Watermelon Every Day, Per Experts

Again, there is no scientific evidence to support a watermelon cleanse. That said, watermelon itself is a nutritious food packed with vitamins and antioxidants, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Watermelon - The New Men's Health Superfood

While the presence or absence of watermelon in your routine won’t make or break your long-term health, we absolutely have to acknowledge that watermelon is a truly unique food from the men’s health perspective.

Watermelon Has More Health Benefits Than You Think, Research Finds

Two studies have found that watermelon plays a role in diet quality and heart health.

Watermelon lycopene and allied health claims

Watermelon is one of the unique sources having readily available cis-isomeric lycopene. The distinctive aroma of watermelon is imparted by medium- and short-chain fatty acids along with geranial, ß-ionone and neral. Its consumption has been escalated owing to rich nutritional profile and allied health benefits.

Resources

Watermelon.org

Did you know that 100% of watermelon is usable? Yes, even the rind! Whether you’re eco-, budget- or health-conscious (or just taste-conscious!), challenge yourself to use the whole watermelon – flesh, juice and rind.