Watermelon Juice: About the Benefits

Nutritional Facts:

• Watermelon contains more of the antioxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes; one cup of watermelon has 1.5 times the lycopene as a raw tomato

• L-citrulline, an amino acid in watermelon, seems to protect against muscle pain

• Watermelon rind is edible and actually contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the pink flesh; citrulline is converted to arginine in your kidneys, which is important for heart and immune system health

• New research showed citrulline and arginine supplements derived from watermelon extract lead to significant improvements in blood pressure and cardiac stress in obese study participants

• Watermelon contains cucurbitacin E, or tripterpenoid, which blocks the activity of the pain and inflammation-causing enzyme cyclooxygenase — the same enzyme blocked by COX-2 inhibitor drugs

• Never discard the seeds or rind when juicing. These contain a crazy amount of nutrients.

• The rind alone contains tons of chlorella and more of the amino acids citrulline than the flesh of the watermelon.