Honeydew melon fruit is one of the fruits in the cucumis melo (muskmelon) family. At least 30 species of this fruit family are in Africa.
Not many persons are aware that this yellow fruit is sweet.
The attractive fruit is becoming more popular because of its health benefits. It is usually abundantly available in Nigeria between late May and early August.
If you have not eaten honeydew melon before, there are amazing health benefits about it that be your basis for trying it.
There are different studies supporting these benefits that the fruit offers.
Here are health benefits of honeydew melon.
1. Good For Hydration
Honeydew melon contains different nutrients that are beneficial to your health and wellbeing.
One of the very things your body needs on a daily basis is water. Your body is made up of at least 60% water and staying hydrated is important to your health.
It is often not so easy for us to just drink the amount of water our body needs daily. Adding other fruits with high water content is a good way to supplement.
While this melon provides your body water it contains other essential nutrients.
These nutrients in form of electrolytes – Sodium, potassium, and their attendant anions – are good for your health. A study highlights that these are important components of all body fluids (1).
Most importantly, those who exercise, or want to stay hydrated could add honeydew melon to their diet.
They will not only get water, they will get other nutrients that are beneficial to their organs.
2. Rich In Different Nutrients
We mentioned that honeydew melon is rich in nutrients. Here are some of the major nutrients that the fruit offer.
The melon contains vitamins C, B6 and K, carbohydrates, folate, protein, potassium, magnesium.
Also, it contains calcium, iron manganese and sodium. The outer skin contains more of these nutrients. They decrease in the inward direction.
According to a study, the activities of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase increase in an inward direction (from outer skin to inner pulp).
Honeydew melon also contains phytonutrients such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
“When expressed on a dry weight basis, the concentrations of ascorbic acid, boron, copper, fructose, glucose, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc were higher in the sub peel region compared to the inner mesocarp tissues” (2).
We will look at all of these nutrients in honeydew and then explain how your body will benefit from them.
3. Honeydew Melon Improves Heart Health
The movement of fluids around the body helps to carry energy around in your blood and this is a vital daily need that helps you stay healthy.
First, fruits are really great for your heart, as they carry nutrients in their natural state that your body system loves.
Your body understand these nutrients better and break them down more effectively for your body to use.
Potassium is one of the nutrients in the melon and studies have interesting things about potassium intake and your heart.
A study of 1,606 participants says increased potassium intake reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure (3).
Magnesium is also another nutrient that supports heart health. It is a mineral that plays an important role in regulating cardiovascular function.
Also, it helps in modulating vascular smooth muscle tone (4).
4. Boosts Fertility
Folate is one very vital nutrient that has positive impact on reproductive health.
It is one of the very supplements that doctors recommend to women who just took in.
It plays an important role in pregnancy because it aids the growth and development of the foetus (5).
If you are a woman trying to conceive, make it a habit to eat this fruit each time it is in season.
Also, magnesium in the melon is beneficial for women who are waiting to conceive and those that are pregnant.
According to a study, magnesium is an essential mineral required to regulate body temperature, nucleic acid, and protein synthesis.
It plays an important role in maintaining nerve and muscle cell electrical potentials.
Also, it may reduce fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia as well as increase birth weight (6).
5. Supports Bone Health
Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble vitamins that play a role in blood clotting and building of bone. It also helps to regulate blood calcium levels. It can modulate bone metabolism (7).
This means that eating this fruit also helps keep your bone strong. As we age, the tendency of our bone to break increases. This is why you should intentionally add fruits that boosts bone strength.
6. Lowers Blood Sugar Level
Fibre is one thing that you need to slow down how fast the glucose in your food hits your bloodstream.
As much as the melon contains carbohydrate and sugar, it is also rich in fibre and that makes it great for regulation of blood sugar.
Interestingly, a large epidemiological study in Chinese adults, found that higher fresh fruit consumption was associated with significantly lower risk of diabetes.
Also, researchers found that among diabetic individuals, people who consumed more fruits had lower risks of death and development of major vascular complications (8).
7. Improves Your Skin
Really, this fruit will give you an amazing skin and researches confirm this.
First, water does not only keeps you hydrated. Water has a positive impact on your skin.
Away from water, the fruit is a rich source of vitamin C that you need daily. For instance, a cup of honeydew melon gives you 53% of your reference daily intake of vitamin C.
This vitamin is also beneficial for the beauty of your skin. It is an antioxidant.
This vitamin helps stimulate collagen synthesis and assists in antioxidant protection against UV-induced photodamage (9).
Eating the fruit will help you have a finer skin.
8. Good For Your Eyes
Furthermore, oxidative stress could affect cells in the eyes. But with antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin in this fruit, damage-causing free radicals are kept away.
Your eyes are vital organs that you have to supply adequate antioxidants to. Adding this fruit to your diet is one way to get the antioxidants that benefit the eyes.
9. Honeydew Melon Boosts Your Immune System
You already know that vitamin C is a great immune booster that you need daily. Also, it works as an antioxidant that helps to keep free radicals that could cause chronic diseases away.
Earlier, we stressed that it adds a reasonable amount of vitamin C to your daily need.
Interestingly, this fruit is available at a period people often experience flu and other diseases that are triggered by cold and change of weather.
In Nigeria, the fruit is often available in the rainy season, a period you need a strong immune system to ward off diseases.
10. Great For Your Digestive Health
Fibre is necessary for proper breakdown of food and cleansing of your colon.
The fruit provides fibre that aids digestion.
Also, the benefits of fruits are enormous. Different studies show fruits have positive effect on your digestive health (10) (11)(12).
If you want good bowel movement, take this fruit when it is in season or any time you find it.
You can eat the fruit the way it is or add it to your salad or in combination with other fruits.
Kindly share this article with your friends and loved ones to help them know the benefits of honeydew melon.