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Essay on Watermelon : Health Benefits, Favourite Fruit

May 30, 2020 by Study Mentor Leave a Comment

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Watermelon Essay – 1

Watermelon is my favorite food. It is a large oval-shaped fruit with green skin. It consists of pulpy red color flesh with black seeds.

Watermelon is very rich in water content. It adds hydration process to the human being. Watermelons contain 92% of water. The fruit is related to the cucumber and other fruits. Watermelon is a delicious and refreshing fruit.

Watermelon is rich in fruit because it is high in vitamins. It consists of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B1. It contains 46 calories per cup.

There are lots of benefits of watermelon that will discuss later. Now we will be discussing facts about watermelon.

10 facts about watermelon

There are tons of amazing facts about watermelon, but here we will be discussing the top 10 facts about watermelon.

1. Watermelon is a fruit as well as vegetable

Watermelon is sweet; that is the reason it is majorly considered as the fruit, and they also grow like fruit. It originates from the flower that has been pollinated by bees. If we look from the botanical perspective, they are fruits because they contain seed, but many gardeners grow them as a vegetable.

2. You can eat the whole fruit

Yes, you can eat an entire watermelon. You can consume the inner part of the fruit as well as the rinds of the watermelon. Surprisingly, there are lots of health benefits of rinds. The southern people cook the rinds to make pickles, in the middle east and china; they roast it and make it a snack.

3. They are known as watermelon for a reason

Have you ever imagined why it is called watermelon? Because it contains 92% of the water in it that makes it a perfect refresher for the summer season.

4. Watermelon has 1200 different varieties

Watermelon has 1200 varieties; to make it a little easier, the watermelons are grouped in 4 sections, Seeded, seedless, icebox, and yellow or orange. Icebox is also famous for mini or personal size watermelons. The most popular variety of the watermelon is the crimson sweet. It is the seeded watermelon with deep red, sweet flesh.

5. The seedless watermelons are not genetically engineered

We often hear that seedless watermelons are the results of hybridization. Before a few decades, seedless watermelons are difficult to find, but today it is made up of 85% of the total sales of watermelon is the U.S.A. The white seeds you still find in the watermelons are empty seed coats, and they are safe to eat.

6. Watermelons are meant to grow big, very big

There was a watermelon that grew at Sevierville, Tennessee, in 2013, which holds the Guinness world record for the heaviest watermelon on the earth. It weighed 350.5 pounds. It is equivalent to an NFL lineman.

7.  Watermelons can prevent serious disease like cancer

 Watermelons are a good source of lycopene; it is an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer such as prostate, lung, and stomach.

8. Farmers in Japan have a successful experiment of growing watermelons in different shapes

The farmers of japan are been growing cubicle shape watermelons from the last 40 years. They are forcing watermelons into their square shape by cultivating them in a box like braces. They sell these types of watermelons at the price of 100 US dollars. They have been successful in making other types of shapes like hearts, pyramids, and human faces.

9. A family from South Carolina kept an heirloom variety of watermelon alive for almost 100 years

In 1840, Nathaniel Napoleon Bradford created the unusual sweet Bradford in the summer country, South Carolina. The great-great-great-grandson of Nathaniel is growing that variety commercially now.

10. Watermelons are the official vegetable of Oklahoma state of the U.S.A.

Yes, it is the official vegetable of Oklahoma state. In the year 2007, it has been declared the official vegetable of the state.

Benefits of watermelon

There are lots of health benefits of watermelon. We will be discussing the top benefits of them.

1. Helps You Hydrate.

As you all know, watermelon contains 92% water in the fruit. Due to its high water content, it assists to hydrate the body.

The combination of water and fiber means you are eating and drinking high volume without consuming lots of calories.

2. Watermelon Contains High Nutrients And Beneficial Plan Compounds.

Watermelon has 46 calories in 1 cup. One cup means 154 grams of watermelon. The calories are meager, and fruit is high in volume. It contains vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Potassium, and Magnesium.  

3. It Contains Compound That May Help Preventing Serious Diseases Like Cancer

Research has shown that it contains many antioxidant compounds that help to prevent cancer. It has anti-cancer effects. There is a compound called lycopene, which is antioxidant. It helps to prevent cancer such as stomach, lung, and prostate.

4. Watermelon May Improve Heart Health.

People across the world are dying because of heart disease. Several nutrients in the watermelons have specific benefits of heart health. Studies show that it has lycopene, which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Other vitamins like Vitamin A, C, B6, potassium, magnesium are also good for your health.

5. Watermelons Can Improve The Digestion

Watermelon has lots of water and a small amount of fiber; both things are suitable for the digestion process.  

Fibre provides bulk for your stool, and water keeps your digestive system moving efficiently.

The fruits, which are rich in water and fibre such as watermelons, are beneficial for your digestive system.

6. Watermelon Is Great For Skin And Hair.

Watermelon contains two major vitamins, Vitamin A and C, which are very important for skin and hair growth. Vitamin C is right for your hair, and vitamin is helpful for your skin. Lack of vitamin A can make your skin look dry and flaky.

7. Watermelons May Help Relieve Muscle Soreness.

Many athletes consume watermelon or watermelon juice after intense training of workout. There is an amino acid in watermelon called Citrulline. It may help reduce muscle soreness. Citrulline is also available as supplements. 

Other research has also proved that Citrulline has the potential to improve exercise endurance and performance. 

Watermelons are very beneficial food if we use it wisely. They are rich in nutrients and compounds. There are many more facts about watermelons, which have the potential to surprise you. There are also various other benefits of watermelons. Because they contain high water content, they are very easy to consume. They are high in volume and less in calories, so there are lots of health benefits of theirs. The fiber in the watermelon plays an essential role in the digestive system. Therefore, the watermelon is the perfect fruit for the summer season.

Watermelon Essay – 2

Watermelon is juicy, sweet and large fruit. It is very popular among all ages whether children, adults or aged people.

It satisfies the need of quench of summers due to which it is known as summer cooler. Its cooling agents provide relaxation and respite from the burning sun.

Different color watermelons taste a little different from each other because of the substance that gives them their color.

The red color of water melons is due to the lycopene present in it.    The   amount   of lycopene present in watermelons determines the amount of color in watermelons.   

Watermelons are of different types. Some have green rind on the outside and red-pink flesh inside while some have yellow flesh inside too.

This is due to the different enzymes present in them which brings a variation in its color, taste and size. The flesh can be seedless, depending on the variety of the fruit.

Watermelon’s outer rind is not edible but it can be used as vegetable. The rind can also be pickled to preserve it after the addition of preservatives.

Mostly watermelons are spherical, round or oblong in shape and they come from a vine-like plant. They generally grow on creepers but the creepers are not climbers.

Watermelons are bulky and heavy. Thus the tendrils are not strong enough to bear the weight of the heavy fruit.   

Watermelons are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and vitamin B1. They also have a high amount of potassium, magnesium, carotenoid antioxidant and lycopene.

It is actually made up of 92% of water and 6% of sugar. China is the leading producer of watermelons. Watermelons have very low calories but high amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  

Watermelon health benefits 

It is also good for our bones as it contains potassium which is necessary for the retention of calcium.

In this way it gives stronger bones and joints. It also reduces the possibility of osteoporosis.      

Being low in calorie it helps in reducing body fat. Watermelon has citrulline which reduces the accumulation of fat in fat cells.

It is generally recommended by trainers and fitness freaks. It gives you a full feeling along with taste and also helps to stick to the diet.

The water content increases metabolic activities and thus helps greatly in waste emulation. This in turn stabilizes the weight of the person.    

The potassium found in watermelons is a natural electrolyte. It helps in the regulation of muscles like contraction and extension in our body.

The health of muscles remains intact. The problems of cramps can be well dealt with by including a healthy diet in our eating habits.

Cramps are generally faced by the aged people due to weakening of joints and watermelon is really helpful for them in curing cramps as well as a number of heart diseases, joint pains, muscular pain etc.

The problem of fluctuating sugar level can also be dealt with the eating of watermelons.

It makes sure that it soothes the taste buds but does not inject sugar in the system as the body is incapacitated to deal with the load of sugar in the body due to the varying secretion of insulin.    

The fully ripe watermelon contains the compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. Thus it also prevents the body from overheating.  

It reduces acidity and boosts the immune system also.  

The beta-carotene present in watermelon is converted into vitamin A after entering into our body. Vitamin A is essential for our eyes, skin, teeth and bones.

Thus, watermelon indirectly helps in improving up sight. Watermelons are recommended by eye specialists all over the world for the treatment of vision related problems.

Watermelons provide the much needed richness and strength to the eyes for the functioning.     

Watermelon detoxifies our system and throws all the waste out in the form of sweat and excreta.

Eating a watermelon is like an internal jogging session as it rejuvenates the organs and leaves the body in a state of fitness and health.  

Watermelons have high content of water. Eating it increases the flow of urine and gets rid of fluid wastes from the body.  

Vitamin C found in watermelon helps in healing wounds also as it increases the immunity by stimulating the sleeping white cells.  

It also hydrates our body in hot summer days. The juice of watermelon have electrolytes which helps in the prevention of heat stroke.

Every year when the kink touches high degree in the summer, people sweat and die. Cases have reported of people falling sick from heat stroke or in critical cases were dying from the unbearable heat of the sun.

Watermelon is a seasonal fruit and is mostly enjoyed in summer due to its cooling properties.

The consumption of watermelon increases drastically in the summer and tends to be less in the other months which initially pulls the supply of it.  

Drinking watermelon juice before intense workout helps athletes to save them from muscle pain, regulates their blood flow and maintains a high steady heart rate.   

It contains dietary fiber which is very important for our digestive system. The dietary fiber is not a vitamin or mineral itself but it assists greatly in the digestion of food.    

Conclusion  

There are 1200 varieties of watermelon found till date by the human being. The heaviest watermelon was grown by Lloyd Bright in Arkansas, USA.

It weighed about 121.93 kg. The watermelon is the official state vegetable of Oklahoma which depicts the importance of consumption of watermelon.   

This fruit can be classified as a fruit s well as vegetable. It grows from a seed and that’s why it is considered as a fruit.

It is considered as a vegetable because it belongs to the cucumber, pumpkin family. It can be grown in fields like vegetables.  

Watermelons are loved by all people. The green beauty tastes amazing and has some extraordinary health benefits. Folks, if you haven’t had a watermelon till now, then you should definitely try.

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Have you Burn Crackers this Diwali ? Yes No

• Investigations
• Who is the Nutrition Watchdog?

thenutritionwatchdog.com What's in your food? Discover which "healthy" foods are harming your health and which foods protect your body

The truth about watermelons…and benefits.

By: Catherine Ebeling  Co-author of the best-sellers:   The Fat Burning Kitchen ,  The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Nothing says “Summer” better than a cool, refreshing, sweet, juicy, delicious slice of ripe watermelon—no matter what time of year it is. But I often hear cautions on eating watermelon—that it is high glycemic, full of sugar, mostly water, not very nutritious, etc.

Right? Or wrong?

While watermelons are mostly water—90% or so, they are also full of vitamins A, B6, C, lycopene, antioxidants and minerals. Remember hearing about the lycopene in tomatoes? Watermelon, another red-colored fruit, is FULL of this powerful phytonutrient! In fact, watermelon has some of the highest levels of lycopene of all fruits and veggies. Just one cup of watermelon has 1 and a half times the lycopene of a large fresh tomato. And who eats just one cup of watermelon? I know I don’t!

Because watermelon is one of the best sources of lycopene with more than 6,500 micrograms in less than half a cup, you are getting an army’s worth of inflammation-fighting antioxidant activity! Lycopene from the red flesh of watermelon is very stable, even after the watermelon has been cut and stored in the refrigerator. Lycopene is thought to be even more powerful than its other orange/red colored ally, beta carotene—found in red and orange fruits and veggies.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Lycopene is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, valued for its role in protecting the cardiovascular system, bone health, and preventing cancer. Along with lycopene, watermelons contain another powerful phytochemical, citrulline , an amino acid. Citrulline gets converted into another important chemical in the body, arginine, or L-arginine. Arginine is used to create nitric oxide, which has powerful benefits on the heart and blood vessels. NO can actually cause blood vessels to relax and open up, lowering blood pressure and helping the body carry more oxygen to parts of the body where it is needed–like muscles, your heart and your brain. A study from Florida State University found that watermelon could make a significant difference in lowering blood pressure–especially in overweight people, by relaxing the blood vessel walls.

Citrulline, when it converts into arginine, can also help prevent excess accumulation of fat in fat cells, because it blocks an enzyme that stores this fat. And because citrulline is a precursor to nitric oxide, it can also help improve erectile dysfunction in men, in a similar way that Viagra works—although you would have to quite a bit of watermelon to get the same effect as Viagra.

As you can see in this article, watermelons are on the list of foods that beat statins for heart health!

It’s All About the Lycopene

Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants, capable of destroying free radicals which attack our bodies and can contribute to chronic disease and aging. In one study of 13,000 adult Americans, low levels of carotenoids were a key predictor of early death. Especially low blood levels of lycopene! Lycopene protects our cardiovascular system, the male reproductive system, and in the skin, it protects and prevents UV damage from the sun.

Several studies have been conducted showing the strong link between levels of lycopene and heart disease. Analyses from the Physicians Health Study showed a 39% decrease in stroke risk in men with the highest blood levels of lycopene. Another study in Finland following 1,000 men for 12 years has had similar results as well.

Lycopene is also responsible for limiting the enzyme responsible for making cholesterol, so eating foods with more lycopene also helps to reduce cholesterol—specifically, LDL cholesterol.   (Side note:  speaking of heart health, did you know that grass fed dairy fat actually contains nutrients that help unclog your arteries )

Anti-Cancer Power

Lycopene is a life-saver in more ways than one! Besides its cardiovascular benefits, lycopene’s antioxidant power extends to anti-cancer effects as well. A 2014 meta-analysis of 10 studies shows dietary lycopene to be protective against ovarian cancers, as well as brain tumors and breast tumors.

And of course, we know about lycopene’s value in fighting prostate cancer. In several studies, higher intakes of foods containing lycopene and a higher serum or plasma concentration of lycopene was associated with a very significant decreased risk of prostate cancer —especially the more lethal kind of prostate cancer. When researchers studied only the men who had had at least one high risk PSA test, the subjects had a 50% decreased risk of lethal prostate cancer.

“Based on these results, we hypothesize that the consumption of a diet rich in lycopene-containing foods reduces the aggressive potential of prostate cancer by inhibiting the neoangiogenesis that occurs in tumor development,” Dr. Giovannucci’s team reported online ahead of print in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .”

Other studies have shown lycopene’s powerful cancer fighting ability effective against lung cancer, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, colorectal, and cervical cancers as well.

Extremely Good for Rehydration

Watermelons get their name because they are over 90% water, and that water is full of electrolytes and potassium which helps you stay hydrated or to rehydrate. The perfect fruit to eat on hot summer days, or after a hard, sweaty workout! And that delicious juice can also help prevent muscle soreness—especially if you have watermelon before your intense workout.

Its Not Just the Red Part

While most of us only eat the juicy red flesh of the watermelon, the whole thing is actually edible and chock full of nutrients! From the red center to the stem end, and also the blossom end–including the white part near the rind–are a plethora of impressive antioxidants, flavonoids, lycopene, and vitamin C. Even the green rind is full of nutrients. The rind is full of chlorophyll, and contains even more citrulline than the red flesh. Try throwing your watermelon rinds into the blender with fresh squeezed lime juice for a healthy slushy treat.

It is still best, however, to pick ripest, reddest watermelon you can find. Lycopene content continues to increase all the way up until the time the watermelon is at its reddest and ripest.

And don’t spit out those seeds, unless you are in a watermelon seed-spitting contest! The black watermelon seeds are not only edible, but actually extremely good for you. They are full of iron, zinc, fiber and protein. Seedless watermelons are ok to eat too—they are not genetically modified, only hybrid forms of watermelon bred especially for their no-seed content.

Watermelons also are rich in anti-inflammatory substances including cucurbitacin E, tripterpenoid which help to block the pain and inflammation of certain enzymes, in a similar fashion as NSAID’s like ibuprofen and aspirin.

While being very low in calories (only about 46 calories in a cup), watermelon also contains an impressive variety of other important essential nutrients including:

The Age Old Question—How Do You Pick the Perfect Watermelon?

It can be a huge gamble finding the perfect, red, sweet watermelon. But—if you know what to look for, there is a real method to finding the best one. Look on the underside of the watermelon for a pale, butter-colored yellow spot—not white or green. This is one of the best indicators of the ripeness of the watermelon. Also pick up a few and choose the one that is heaviest for its size. Many people ‘thump’ the watermelon to check its ripeness too—listen for the best hollow bass sound.

Be aware that watermelons do contain a reasonable quantity of fructose, so be mindful of your sugar intake, and eat watermelon in moderation.  With that said, because watermelons are so filling, and have both high water content AND high fiber content, the old myth that watermelons are high glycemic is not entirely true… This is because the “glycemic load” of a watermelon is actually fairly low since it’s nearly impossible to overeat large quantities of a food that is as filling as watermelon.

So enjoy your watermelon, knowing you’re doing your body good!  Also try my friend Danette’s watermelon & lime juice drink here !

References:

Charnow, (feb 2014). lycopene may decrease prostate cancer risk. retrieved from http://www.renalandurologynews.com/prostate-cancer/lycopene-may-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk/article/335907/, figueroa, wong, kalfon. (2014). effects of watermelon supplementation on aortic hemodynamic responses to the cold pressor test in obese hypertensive adults. american journal of hypertension , 2014; doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpt295, furhrman, j., md. how tomatoes can protect you against heart attack and stroke. retrieved from http://www.timigustafson.com/2013/how-tomatoes-can-protect-you-against-heart-attack-and-stroke/, hak ae, ma j, powell cb, et al. (2004). prospective study of plasma carotenoids and tocopherols in relation to risk of ischemic stroke. stroke 2004; 35:1584-1588., journal of the national cancer institute. (feb 1999). tomatoes, tomato-based products, lycopene, and cancer: review of the epidemiologic literature. retrieved from http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/91/4/317.full, karppi j, laukkanen ja, sivenius j, et al. (2012). serum lycopene decreases the risk of stroke in men: a population-based follow-up study. neurology 2012; 79:1540-1547., karppi j, laukkanen ja, makikallio th, et al. (2011). low serum lycopene and beta-carotene increase risk of acute myocardial infarction in men. eur j public health 2011., mateljan, g. world’s healthiest foods . retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.phptname=foodspice&dbid=31, mercola, j., do. (2014). 6 things you didn’t know about watermelon. retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/07/21/watermelon-nutrition.aspx#_edn15, szalay,j. (october, 2014). watermelon: health benefits, risks & nutrition facts. retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/46019-watermelon-nutrition.html, shardell md, alley de, hicks ge, et al. low-serum carotenoid concentrations and carotenoid interactions predict mortality in us adults: the third national health and nutrition examination survey. nutr res 2011; 31:178-189., about the watchdog, related articles, 15 health benefits of raw honey.

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47 comments

Dear help desk,

Pls help me to delete my email from subsciption of your web news, thanks.

my email : [email protected]

As I don’t use this email very often, but it caculates lots of your news and web information at the inbox.

Pls help to remove my subscription.

b.regards, Lyndsey

Very informative.

I am very interested in watermelon not I will include in my daily life thanks for all the wonderful information

Hello, I love Watermelon so much and get so disappointed when it stops selling when fall gets here in Manitoba I miss it so much.. I have it for breakfast everyday and a snack at work. I never knew how good it is for you thank-you for this article I can’t wait until Spring until watermelon is back in the stores:)

Dear Jacie H, Ever tried to freeze the watermelon ? It is so full of water, that it freezes very well. Make sure that you wash and dry the melon before cutting it up into small cubes, include the seeds and the rind, white and the green. you can also put it into the grinder/foodprocessor and then make slush size, freeze it in small containers, and fill the freezer with them for use during the off season. Works like a charm !

st wash the melon before cutting it up

” The Nector Of The Gods “

I have heard and read somewhere watermelon is not recommended for people with Type 11 diabetes. Anyone shed any light on this.

as long as they walk right after eating it, it should be allright; in the article it mentions the fructose in the fruit, but ingesting the natural fiber as it comes from our Creator, better manages the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream..

What about yellow meat watermelon? Does that have any health benefits?

it always has health benefits, albeit potentially dissimilar from the red one..

Watermelon is GREAT.

One possible correction. If I’m not mistaken, citrulline doesn’t convert into arginine. It does something better. It restores spent Nitric Oxide, which is the compound that relaxes our arteries.

I order a book from you and I did not receive please check it

Hi Nenita, I’m sorry to hear about that. The help desk will be able to assist with locating your order, please email them at [email protected] and provide them with additional information if available to help them locate your order more quickly such as order #, name of book, price, etc…

great reading thank you.

Be sure to let your Dr. know that you’re eating watermelon. Their potassium can markedly change medical test findings/diagnosis.

I agree with you 100% I have used water melon to treat my dad who has prostate cancer and he has managed for ten years now without any drug. Please send me that article through email to help others n Know the benefits of watermelon.

I had not known the importance of watermelon and yet we grow it in large quantities, not that I have read this article, I will consume this fruit so much with my family, keep researching for other fruits as well

In order to get the benefits and to enjoy having this wonderful summer fruit we need to get a real one with seeds. The artificial unseeded lab experiments are falling apart on their own and weeping clear water. They are not real, safe food to eat. That’s where we need to start learning about the benefits of our foods is to grow real ones.

Is this true? Only the watermelon with seeds is good for eating.

The seedless watermelons have no taste or they taste like medicine, and the fall apart really easily. After I watched on youtube how the seedless ones are made I quit eating them. But I do love frozen watermelons and frozen grapes for sore throats and in boba drinks.

I think that the taste depends on the type of watermelon you pick. I love seedless watermelons. They must be solid inside (test by knocking) and dark green on the outside. The red in the middle is the sweetest part and I don’t worry about sugar anymore either. My mom taught me how to pick them and although she is gone now, I remember how to do it. I never tasted watermelon that tastes lite medicine? Do you smoke? I quit eight years ago, buy I vape. So I’m not getting all of those chemicals they put in the cigs. Good luck and I hope you find better melons.

If you are ever fortunate enough to actually pick a watermelon from the field where it’s grown, here are some hints on how to choose the right one. (1) Choose a well-shaped one that is large compared to the others. Larger ones are more likely to be ripe. (2) While it’s still lying on the ground, thump the melon with your finger. A ripe melon will give off a dull, bass sound. A sharp, higher pitch sound indicates the melon is not ripe. (3) Turn the melon over and look at the surface of the melon that has been in contact with the ground. I f it’s the same color as the rest of the melon,the melon is not ripe. A ripe melon will have this skin a whitish-yellow color. (4) On the stem that connects the melon to the vine, there is a small, spiral-shaped growth about an inch long called the “curl.” Originally the color of the curl is a whitish pale green. When the melon is ripe, the color changes to a light brown. So, in the watermelon field, choose a well-shaped, large melon, that gives a dull bass -sound thump, with a whitish-yellowish bottom, and with a brown curl.

Thanks for the great information…!!

Awesome info, thanks for the breakdown!! Super useful 🙂

What if eating watermelon produces a fuzzy lip/tight throat feeling?

Never had issues with melons until I reach my 30’s. I avoid them since I grew my own to test if it happened with an organic melon and it happend with three different varieties.

maybe you have an allergy to them. how about cantaloupe or honey dew melons? never heard of that but there’s always one or two?

Hi, Thanks for the information but does watermelon really contain Vitamin A or is it beta carotene. From what I understand beta carotene is converted in the body to Vitamin A. Also there are some people who are poor converters of beta carotene. According to one study published by G. Tang in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in May 2010, “there is genetic variability in β-carotene metabolism”. I am someone who has discovered that I need to take preformed vitamin A. Too much preformed vitamin A can seriously damage your health as it is a fat soluble vitamin and stays in the body as opposed to Vitamin C which is water soluble and is easily eliminated from the body. However my health significantly improved with the introduction of a daily vitamin A capsule.

Vitamin A can be toxic unless balanced with vitamin D. Supplemental D can be toxic unless balanced with vitamin A.Take them together, in a ratio of, say 1000 IUs of D to 5000 to 10,000 IUs of A. Whatever happened to natural cod liver oil – which also provides omega 3s. Read the labels or call the companies.

I read somewhere ,when we open the melon ,some times you will notice holes on the surface that means that melon got inject ,better to dispose it .The good on with sold surface

what? that’s crazy. someone filling your head with garbage. where do you buy your melons? at the store or the local drug cartel? Anyone can inject any piece of fruit. A needle is so tiny you wouldn’t be able to see the hole from it. i think that if you purchase your melon from a well known store, you won’t have any holes in any fruits.

Another thing I learned is a lot of people get upset stomachs from certain type of watermelons–if the watermelon has cracks in it after slicing it open— it doesn’t necessary mean it’s overripe. It means that some countries use a hormone to make the watermelon grow faster hence the upset stomach from the hormone.

I have just spent a long time listening to your wonderful presentation only to find much as I would desperately like to purchase your PREBIO THRIVE that you cannot send it to me in Spain

Please Dr.Grundy is there any other source who ships to Spain.

Why would you bother eating seedless fruit when the seeds in watermelon, grapes and others are so good for you, especially organic? Chewing grape seeds is like getting free grape seed extract which can run a lot of money as a supplement. Chewing the apple, apricot,, cherry seeds is like getting free B17, also expensive in supplements.

APPLE SEEDS ARE ARSNIC POISONOUS THAT SHOULD NOT BE EATEN …..

as the ol;dest olympin ever2012 and 2016 was 93 in 2016 n plyed againsat young guys and didgreat like watermelo hrd to find orngnic one but use them msometimes thanks for such a great artile am almost 98 two time olym,pian also two time hll of famer in tennisplayed alex olmedo rod laver and other alsohonored in namericn legue baseball at knsas city royls gme with 41000 people and oldest or near oldet surivorof us infantry in world war two in combat but none of thismatters now as i see our country in the midst of virus started in china and am very much for mchange goingm on with the november election going to trump a gret american bill guilfoil vetern in eerthing but peoplem and gret foods as you mmention are very importnt tolong life and also am involved in memory research and thiis a mmust for all people bill g

I love watermelon & eat it all summer! I knew it was good for me, just didn’t know it was this good for me! I even crave it at times! I recently discovered one of my local grocer has bottled watermelon juice! I grabbed a small one to see if it was any good & I loved it too! So that might be available during the winter & can help those of us who crave watermelon in the winter!

Would it be possible to get this article sent to my email! I want to send it to my sisters & my great-granddaughter!

Thank you , Mary-Jo Wiese

It’s very good for digestive for meal when ate after my food

I love watermelon but if I eat to much it plugs me up…but I eat it anyway…

Don’t forget watermelon’s significant L-Glutathione content!

A doctor once told me that watermelon is the only fruit that doesn’t cleanse or filtrate the water it takes from the where it grows. Have been trying to confirm or dismiss this ever since, but couldn’t get any info either way. Nobody seems to know anything about it. But watermelon experts that write articles about this topic should know, so, hoping you have an answer.

I know all the nutritional information about watermelon. I love it. But I am a brittle type 1 diabetic. I have never been able to find out about this and would be great to learn more about it. Thankk you

Good information. Thank you

after reading the article on Watermelon I decided to give juicing up a half watermelon, rind and all per day . First we wash the watermelon then give it a diluted vinegar rinse then rinse then blend it up rind and all. After 1 week of this what do I notice…. i) feel better more balanced ii) going to the bathroom is a more complete experience both with #1 and # 2 ….. I do seem to be urinating harder and longer iii) waking up ready for action (if you get my drift) iv) BP went from long term resting 126/82 to 108/72 ( I test a few times per day)… sure this all could be coincidental and nothing to do with the watermelon but I can honestly say I feel better in myself .. less full and less tired as well… as i say jury is still out if its the watermelon and one week is too short a time frame but i will keep on it and monitor it…. we juice it with one lime each time so the extra Vit C surely helps as well….. BP tests to me are the biggest pointer that something is going on

Especially in Regard to Our Equatorial Climate across here in Africa, the Seed filled WATERMELON is Known, much Welcome and Appreciated by a Large Number of the Population. So for it is Overly Juicy, quite cool and with Medium-Level Sugar, making it delicious and Non-Toxin. Certainly, this is a Ripe Fruit that is welcome by all, Young and Old: so to fight and win Over Weakening bodies, out of the hot Weather climates more-so during the Hot, Summer Season. Yes, Watermelon is a Body Coolant, Healthy and Safe.

Just one more truth about watermelons. Watermelons are very high in fructose, which has a hidden problem, causing a metabolic syndrome. Our cells are too smart to accept fructose, so our livers have to metabolise fructose, and eventually get a fatty liver disease (NAFLD). When you check your blood sugar, the result shows only glucose level. Most doctors don’t know that HbA1c can test only glycation by glucose, while glycation by fructose is 10x higher than by glucose. This is why many people have diabetes, but not correctly diagnosed, and don’t even know that, because HbA1c is below a diagnostic level.   Watch this 12-min video for an explanation by Dr. Berry, the most honest doctor, who admits that he was ignorant about fructose dangers:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40ZA0brHmMg

Yes good point made earlier about how “clean” the watermelon is if it doesn’t purify the water it takes in! Some soils/water have toxic elements/compounds in them so these could be taken up by the watermelon and end up in the fruit we eat! That’s why organic is usually a better way if you can get them!! But then how many organic farmers actually test the soil for toxics???

Thank you for this article! I was recently put on a low fodmap diet by a gastroenterologist I was seeing. This diet called for avoiding watermelon which I thought was odd to say the least. After reading this, I feel vindicated and will not be seeing the gastroenterologist anymore (there are other reasons too beside the flawed diet advice). Good health to everyone!

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The History of Watermelon: America’s Favorite Fruit

Published: August 6, 2018

Smooth green skin, red juicy flesh, and an overlooked secret. This is the story of Citrullus lanatus — also known as the watermelon.

The story of the watermelon dates back almost 5,000 years. Theories exist about the watermelon’s humble beginnings but with the earliest evidence of a modern watermelon surfacing 4,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt, all that can be agreed upon is that these magnificent fruits evolved in Africa.

Their history can be traced around the world, serving as a source of water on long voyages, a health remedy, and a religious icon. Although found primarily in Northern Africa and around the Mediterranean Sea around the beginnings of Christianity, watermelons have since spread to every corner of the Earth. When first cultivated all those years ago, these tasty melons were not so tasty, and were used only as a source of water. Through hundreds, if not thousands of years of selection by humans for their sugars, watermelons went from having a white inside flesh, to the yummy red flesh we know and love today. While today’s watermelons no longer have to deal with the trials and tribulations of domestication, they still have their own challenges to overcome.

First and foremost, watermelons are quite needy by their very nature. Particular to specific climates and growing practices, it can be difficult to grow watermelons.

Although the fruit is over 90% water and appears straightforward in manner, these fruits require a lot of attention and care. Watermelons grow on long vines with a number of fruits. For best chance of survival, these vines should be grown in warm, moist climates and in sandy soils.

Each individual fruit consumes 1-2 inches of water per week. It is suggested to keep the soil moist but not soaked because these waterlogged fruits will easily become moldy or rot if exposed to too much water. Second, there are a number of questions regarding the production of melons. In 2018 alone, Americans have bought over 3 billion pounds of watermelon. With such high demand, it is impossible to grow enough watermelons within the United States.

Melons are predominantly grown in Texas, Florida, California and Georgia, while imports come from countries in Central and South America. Importing drastically increases the carbon footprint of the fruit, as these fruits must be transported thousands of miles before they arrive in the US. Varieties of watermelons are also often subjected to genetic modification, so that they become seedless or even various unnatural shapes and sizes. Lastly, although it is called a melon, the watermelon is not even a part of the melon family. Melons can be traced back to Asia, while the watermelon has ties to the gourds of Africa. The watermelon is in the ecological family Cucurbitaceae , the same as cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash. Even with this classification, we still consider these fruits as melons: quite the identity crisis.

For almost 5,000 years, as a lifesaving source of freshwater, or as a medicine, these magnificent fruits have evolved side by side humans. As they have witnessed the trials and tribulations of human history, we too have witnessed theirs.

While the initial shock of this not-an-actual-melon’s juicy past will take time to digest, it is time to sink your teeth into a slice of US-Grown watermelon and taste this remarkable evolutionary history with every bite.

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• Essay on Watermelon
• Post category: Essay
• Reading time: 3 mins read

Watermelon is a vine-like flowering plant. Its fruit is called watermelon. It has a thick peel, which is smooth. It is usually green with dark green stripes or yellow spots. It has a juicy and sweet interior flesh. It is usually deep red to pink, but sometimes orange, yellow, or white in color. It has a large number of small black seeds.

It is originally from the southern parts of Africa. According to John Mariani’s Dictionary of American Food and Drink, the word ‘watermelon’ made its first appearance in an English dictionary in 1615.

Watermelon is also mentioned in the Holy Bible as a food eaten by the ancients. By the 10th century, watermelons were being cultivated in China. Today, China is the world’s single largest watermelon producer. Turkey, Iran, Brazil, and Egypt are other important producers of watermelon in the world.

Watermelon can range in weight from less than one kilogram to more than ninety kilograms. Watermelons have a longer growing period than other garden plants. It can often take up to 85 days to grow completely. A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 91% water.

Like various other fruits, it is a source of vitamin C. Watermelon peel is also eatable. Most people avoid eating its peal due to its unappealing flavor. However, they are used for making pickles and sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried before eating. Watermelon juice can be made into wine.

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Your Shot: Watermelon, the Fruit of Summer and Angels

Mark Twain, who famously adored watermelon, described it as the “chief of the world’s luxuries…when one has tasted it, he knows what angels eat.” In in the summer, we want nothing more for dessert than watermelon, which contains 92 percent water.

While we may think of it as the quintessential American fruit, watermelons ( Citrullus lanatus ) are enjoyed   worldwide. They are natives of Africa. The ancient Egyptians were cultivating them in the Nile River Valley at least by 2,000 BCE; Paintings of enormous and unmistakable watermelons have been found on the walls of Egyptian tombs. Watermelons seem to have arrived in Europe in the eighth century with the invading Moors, who crossed Africa, presumably picking up watermelons en route, on their way to conquer Portugal and Spain. The melons didn’t have much luck in points farther north, such as England and northern Europe, unless one was rich enough to have a greenhouse. The climate was just too chilly for watermelons–but they were wildly successful in the steamier New World.

Watermelons were introduced to North America by the Spaniards, and promptly outran them, the seeds passing from native tribe to native tribe faster than the proverbial hot potato. They were soon flourishing in the Rio Grande Valley, in Georgia and Florida, and throughout the American Southwest. Jesuit missionary Pere Marquette found watermelons growing along the shores of the Mississippi River in 1673; and by 1732, a tourist in colonial Virginia mentioned luscious watermelons “green and bigg as a Pumpin.”

Nowadays, they grown in a variety of colors, sizes and shapes. People debate endlessly about whether they are better with or without seeds (See   Where Did All The Watermelon Seeds Go? ). But mostly, we just slice and eat them, maybe with a little salt or feta, if we want to get fancy.

Take a break and check out our gallery of watermelon being enjoyed around the world from our Your Shot photo community.

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Watermelon: A Valuable Horticultural Crop with Nutritional Benefits

• February 2018

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Scientific Literature Review Confirms Watermelon’s Health Potential

Press Release

Winter Springs, FL – January 26, 2022 — Watermelon is a unique fruit with compounds that may have health effects throughout the body, supporting normal cardiovascular and metabolic health. According to a new comprehensive review of the scientific literature on watermelon, eating watermelon regularly may help promote health. This research paper, authored by Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D., and colleagues from Illinois Institute of Technology was recently published in the journal Current Atherosclerosis Reports .

“Research is unveiling the health-promoting potential of watermelon. The current literature review provides evidence that watermelon intake and citrulline supplementation lower blood pressure in human trials. Although more research is needed, favorable effects on lipids/lipoprotein metabolism are emerging based on the data we reviewed and reported in preclinical models,” said lead author Burton-Freeman.

According to the research, watermelon contains essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. It also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which both act as a precursor to nitric oxide, a molecule that plays a role in blood pressure regulation, lipid reduction and glucose control. Polyphenols and carotenoids, particularly lycopene, are also abundant in watermelon. The nitric oxide benefits of citrulline and arginine coupled with the bioactivity of polyphenols and carotenoids found in watermelon suggests that this fruit may support normal cardio-metabolic health.

Burton-Freeman and colleagues reviewed the preclinical and clinical trial evidence published from 2000 to 2020 to assess watermelon intake and citrulline (a signature compound found in watermelon) on cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes, and to identify future directions important for establishing dietary guidance and recommendations. They explored studies related to the whole fruit as well as citrulline supplementation, focusing on key cardio-metabolic risk factors. More research is needed to confirm findings of the studies identified in this literature review.

The investigators concluded that watermelon provides a combination of nutrients and phytochemicals working across multiple mechanisms to induce biological effects. Citrulline and arginine are central to these cardio-metabolic effects, and polyphenols, lycopene, potassium and magnesium contribute as well.

Continued research is needed to determine the level of sufficient intake for clinical outcomes and will also need to be studied in a variety of populations. Research on the whole fruit and its products (i.e., juice) is also needed to help determine the level of sufficient intake. The research identified additional potential benefits from watermelon consumption that warrant further research, such as body weight control (possibly through satiety mechanisms), glucose control, and brain and gut health.

Low fruit intake is one of three dietary factors associated with death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), as are high salt intake and low whole-grain intake. These dietary factors affect people regardless of age, sex and other socio-demographic variables. 1 Recent research also shows that eating a variety of fruit helps reduce the risk of T2DM 2 , while the amount of fruit and the type of fruit selected provide cardiovascular benefits 3 .

• Afshin A, Sur PJ, Fay KA, Cornaby L, Ferrara G, Salama JS, et al. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8 .
• Cooper AJ, Sharp SJ, Lentjes MAH, Luben RN, Khaw K-T, Wareham NJ, et al. A prospective study of the association between quantity and variety of fruit and vegetable intake and incident type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30041-8 .
• Bhupathiraju SN, Wedick NM, Pan A, Manson JE, Rexrode KM, Willett WC, et al. Quantity and variety in fruit and vegetable intake and risk of coronary heart disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.066381
• Burton-Freeman B, Freeman M, Zhang X, Sandhu A, Edirisinghe I. Watermelon and L-Citrulline in Cardiometabolic Health: A Review of the Evidence 2000-2020

About National Watermelon Promotion Board

The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by more than 700 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.

A serving of nutrient-dense watermelon provides an excellent source of Vitamin C (25% DV), a source of Vitamin B6 (8% DV), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories per 2-cup serving. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was nearly 15.5 pounds in 2022. Watermelon consumption in the United States was nearly   5.2 billion pounds in 2022. The United States exported an additional 328 million pounds of watermelon. For additional information, visit www.watermelon.org .

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10 Refreshing Facts About Watermelon

Whether you think of watermelon as a fruit or a vegetable, you’re correct.

Throughout summer, you’ll find watermelon added to drinks and served as dessert at barbecues across the country. Here are some tasty facts about this colorful, juicy treat.

1. Watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable.

Thanks to their sweet taste, watermelons are commonly considered a fruit. And they do grow like fruit, originating from flowers that have been pollinated by bees, and, from a botanical perspective, they’re fruits because they contain seeds. But many gardeners think of them as vegetables, since they grow them in their gardens alongside other summer veggies like peas and corn. Technically, watermelon is classified as part of a botanical family of gourds that includes other culinary vegetables like cucumber, squash, and pumpkin.

2. You can eat the entire thing.

While we tend to focus on the melon’s succulent flesh, watermelon rinds are also edible—as well as full of nutrients. In China, the rinds are often stir-fried or stewed, while in the American South, cooks like to pickle them. And, across the Middle East and Asia, the seeds are dried and roasted (similar to pumpkin seeds) to make a light, crunchy snack.

3. They’re called watermelons for a reason.

They’re 92 percent water, making them a perfect refresher for those hot summer months.

4. Watermelons come in 1200 varieties.

To make classification a little easier, however, watermelons tend to be grouped into four main categories: seeded (or picnic), seedless, icebox (also known as mini, or personal size) and yellow/orange. One of the most popular varieties is the Crimson Sweet, a seeded melon with deep red, sweet flesh. Some of the more unusual varieties include the Golden Midget, whose rind turns yellow when it’s ripe, and the Cream of Saskatchewan, whose flesh is cream-colored.

5. Seedless watermelons are not genetically engineered.

Contrary to what you might have heard, seedless watermelons are the result of hybridization , a perfectly natural phenomenon that farmers can nevertheless capitalize on. A couple of decades ago, seedless watermelons were hard to find, but today they make up around 85 percent of those sold in the U.S. And those white “seeds” that you still find in your seedless slices? They’re actually empty seed coats and are perfectly safe to eat.

6. Watermelons can grow really, really big.

The heaviest watermelon to date was grown by Guinness World Record holder Christopher Kent, of Sevierville, Tennessee, in 2013. The Carolina Cross ’melon weighed in at 350.5 pounds. To give you some perspective, that’s the equivalent of an NFL lineman.

7. Watermelons contain an anti-cancer compound.

Watermelons are the best source of lycopene, an antioxidant that’s been shown to reduce the risk for several types of cancers, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration.

8. Farmers in Japan have perfected the art of growing square watermelons.

In Japan, farmers have been growing cube-shaped watermelons for the past 40 years, forcing them into their square shape by cultivating them in box-like braces. When the watermelon fills the cube and gets picked, it’s generally not ripe yet, meaning the inedible melons are sold—for prices upwards of $100—as novelty items and gifts. (The original idea was for them to better fit into standard refrigerators.) More recently, farmers have grown watermelon in the shape of hearts, pyramids, and human faces .

9. A South Carolina family has grown an heirloom variety of watermelon for almost a century.

The unusually sweet Bradford —created by Nathaniel Napoleon Bradford in Sumter County, South Carolina, in the 1840s—was one of the most sought-after varieties of watermelon the South has ever seen. But its soft skin made it hard to transport, and by the early 1920s it had proved to be commercially unviable. It would have disappeared completely had the Bradford family not kept it alive in their backyard gardens for multiple generations. It’s now being grown commercially again by Nat Bradford, Nathaniel’s great-great-great grandson.

10. Watermelons are the state vegetable of Oklahoma.

In 2007, the Oklahoma State Senate honored its then-14th biggest crop by voting 44–2 to make it the state vegetable . (Why not fruit? That distinction was already given to the strawberry.) Its celebrated status was threatened in 2015, however, when State Senator Nathan Dahm moved to repeal the bill based on the argument that watermelon is a fruit. Thanks to Rep. Joe Dorman, who represented the town of Rush Springs—the site of an annual watermelon festival—Dahm’s bill died in committee.

A version of this story ran in 2018; it has been updated for 2023.

20 Minutes a Day

A Glimpse into My Life & Passions

A Few Facts about My Favorite Fruit: Watermelon

Watermelon is my favorite fruit. In fact, I just consumed about a fourth of a watermelon a few minutes ago and I am currently staring at its rind.

I am also very tired today after a long round trip to Ojai and Santa Barbara.

I thought sharing a few facts on watermelons might be edifying tonight, plus give me even more reason to eat this tastiest of fruits on as many occasions as possible.

A few interesting facts:

1) Watermelon is a fruit and a vegetable. Did you know that? I certainly didn’t. Apparently, its origins can be traced back to the squash, pumpkin and cucumber family. Alas, anyone can justify copious amounts because you are getting double duty on vegetables and fruit.

2) Apparently, watermelons are full of lycopene, which is a great antioxidant.

3) Watermelons are also full of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are also full of dietary fiber.

4) Watermelon juice reduces muscle soreness. (Hmmm. I didn’t know this, but I’d like to think that I’m not very sore because I eat so much watermelon.)

5) Watermelon is composed of almost all water; therefore, watermelon is an excellent way to keep yourself hydrated.

So, what are you waiting for? Go out and buy 1 or 2 watermelons and starting eating them as soon as possible. Your heart, lungs, skin and vital organs will thank you.

And on that note, I am going to stumble off to bed for the night. I will need to buy another watermelon tomorrow. I finished the one I bought yesterday tonight.

Good night, you all. What kinds of fruit do you love? Tell me in the comments section.

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Published by lenleatherwood

I am a native Texan who has lived for the past 30 years in Southern California. I am a published author of both short memoir and fiction, a two-time Pushcart nominee, a nationally award-winning writing coach, an editor, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. In addition, I am the mother of three grown daughters of whom I am extremely proud, a grandmother of four darling children and the wife of a man I still love after 44 years. View all posts by lenleatherwood

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I had no idea even though I like watermelon too. Must go get some. 🙂

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Watermelon Intake Is Associated with Increased Nutrient Intake and Higher Diet Quality in Adults and Children, NHANES 2003–2018

Associated data.

The data presented in this study are from publicly available data in NHANES and other additional data are available in the article and supplementary material .

Watermelon is a nutrient-dense, low energy food that provides vital nutrients and contributes to overall fruit intake. Previous studies have found positive associations between watermelon and nutrient intake but few focused on raw watermelon intake or had small sample sizes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to utilize a large, nationally representative sample to determine associations between watermelon intake and nutrient intake and diet quality. Data from children (2–18 y) and adults (19+ y) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2003–2018 were utilized in the current study. Watermelon intake was 7.51 and 7.29 g/d per capita in children and adults, respectively. In watermelon consumers, usual intake was 125 and 161 g/d in children and adults, respectively. Total diet quality was higher in watermelon consumers as compared to non-consumers as well as several subcomponent scores. Children and adult watermelon consumers had greater than 5% higher intake of dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin A as well as more than 5% lower intake of added sugars and total saturated fatty acids as well as higher intake of lycopene and other carotenoids. This study suggests watermelon can increase nutrient intake as well as diet quality in both children and adult Americans.

1. Introduction

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit daily due to its nutrient-dense, low energy status as well as of its association with lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, detrimental bone health, and colorectal and breast cancers [ 1 , 2 ]. Additionally, fruits provide vital nutrients to the diet including potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, and E, folate, and fiber while contributing minimally to sodium, added sugars, and saturated fats and may reduce overall energy intake [ 1 ]. Currently, both US children and adults fall short of consuming the recommended fruit servings and only consume 1.10 and 0.88 cup equivalents per day, respectively [ 3 ]. A higher percentage of younger children consume the recommended amount of fruit, but fruit intake decreases during childhood resulting in lower percentages of older adolescents meeting recommendations [ 1 , 3 ]. In adults, the average fruit intake is below recommended levels with younger adults consuming less servings than their older counterparts [ 1 , 3 ].

Watermelon is a member of the gourd family ( cucurbitaceae ) and falls under the Food patterns equivalents database (FPED) category of citrus, melons, and berries [ 3 ]. While in the past watermelon was typically thought of as a seasonal fruit in the US, now watermelon is available year-round [ 4 ]. It contributes certain nutrients, with 100 g providing 112 mg of potassium, 8.1 mg of vitamin C, 28 µg of vitamin A, 10 mg of magnesium, 3 µg of folate and 0.4 g of dietary fiber contributing upwards of 4% of daily potassium, 11–37% of vitamin C, and 4–10% of vitamin A as well as greater than 1% of magnesium and dietary fiber recommendations in adults and children [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Additionally, watermelon has high bioavailability of antioxidant components including lycopene and l-citrulline [ 5 , 12 , 13 ]. Studies focused on watermelon supplements and/or extracts have shown benefits on the cardiovascular system including decreased pulse pressure, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects as well as decreased total and LDL cholesterol in subjects with dyslipidemia [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. While positive results have been reported from consuming watermelon supplements and/or extracts, the treatments often equated to large raw watermelon intakes, equating to over 2 pounds in a day. Studies focused on raw watermelon intake are less common but have reported reduced triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, body weight, BMI, lower risk of prostate, lung, and breast cancer, as well as higher antioxidant capacity [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. These studies are important for our understanding of the benefits of raw watermelon intake but the generalization of results is limited due to small sample sizes.

While the nutrient intake and diet quality benefits of fruits has been well studied, a focused study of the impact of watermelon intake on these variables is lacking. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to assess the differences in nutrient intake and diet quality of watermelon consumers and non-consumers in a large sample size representative of the US population.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. data source and subjects.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a government run continuous survey representative of the non-institutionalized United States population that includes a dietary intake component, What We Eat in America (WWEIA). WWEIA subjects report their intake of food over 1 or 2 24 h periods and is collected using the Automated Multiple Pass Method (AMPM) [ 21 ]. WWEIA consists of 15 main food groups, 46 subcategories, and over 150 unique categories and individual food intakes and is used in conjunction with relevant Food Patterns Equivalent Databases [ 22 , 23 ]. Collection methods are standardized and are available on the NHANES website [ 24 , 25 ]. NHANES methods have been approved by the Research Ethic Review Board and identifying data is not publicly available.

The current study utilized NHANES cycles 2003–2004, 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2009–2010, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2015–2016, and 2017–2018 in which all cycles were designed to have two days of dietary recall which is needed for usual intake determination. Data from male and female participants 2 years and older with complete 24 h dietary recalls were analyzed. Pregnant and/or lactating subjects ( n = 1130) and subjects with incomplete or unreliable dietary reports ( n = 17,239) were removed from the sample, resulting in a sample size of 56,133. Individuals with the most knowledge of their dietary intake were used as proxies for subjects 12 years old and younger. Watermelon consumers were defined as subjects who reported raw watermelon or 100% watermelon juice food codes (63149010 and 64133100, respectively) during their 24 h recall dietary interview. Intake was analyzed using a single 24 h recall and usual intake (UI), a measure of longer-term intake using the National Cancer Institute method [ 26 ]. Day 1 consumers were defined as subjects who reported consuming watermelon on the first 24 h dietary recall. For usual intake, the first and second 24 h dietary recalls were used with the National Cancer Institute method. Given episodic consumption of watermelon, the two-part model (frequency and amount) was used. For demographics, Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), nutrient intake, and trend in intake (supplementary analysis), data for day 1 subjects were utilized. Watermelon intake per capita and by consumers were analyzed for both day 1 and UI. As we were concerned with the possibility that trends in watermelon intake may affect our results, we conducted an analysis of intake over NHANES cycles. Since no significant trends were observed, we combined the data of all NHANES cycles for subsequent analyses ( Supplementary Table S1 ).

2.2. Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality Assessment

Diet quality was assessed using the HEI-2015 which determines adherence to DGA recommendations [ 27 , 28 ]. Higher scores are associated with higher intake for subcomponents total vegetables, greens and beans, total fruit, whole fruit, whole grains, dairy, total protein foods, seafood and plant protein, and fatty acid ratio, whereas lower intakes of foods recommended to be limited, sodium, refined grains, saturated fat, and added sugars, result in higher scores. Total HEI-2015 scores are calculated as the summation of component scores. Macro and micro-nutrient intakes were determined using Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) which provides nutrient values for food and beverages reported in WWEIA [ 29 ].

2.3. Statistical Analyses

All analyses utilized SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA) and were adjusted for the complex sample design of NHANES. Regression analyses were used to assess the difference of nutrient intake and diet quality between watermelon consumers and non-consumers using PROC SURVEYREG of SAS. Covariates for nutrient intake included energy (except for energy intake), age, gender, ethnicity, physical activity, poverty income ratio (PIR), smoking status, and alcohol intake. Upon review of initial results, we subsequently decided to run some post hoc analyses to assess whether intake of other food groups might be confounded with watermelon intake. Given changes we saw in intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium, we chose to run additional analyses with total vegetables, non-watermelon fruit intake, and total dairy intake as additional covariates. These additional analyses were run for both HEI-2015 variables as well as intakes for both age groups.

3.1. Demographics

Day 1 child and adolescent watermelon consumers were younger, more likely to be non-Hispanic White, have a PIR > 1.85, have less than or equal to a High School education, have a vigorous activity level, and to have never been a smoker ( Table 1 ). Child and adolescent watermelon consumers were also less likely to be underweight, non-Hispanic Black, have a PIR < 1.35 or 1.35 ≤ PIR ≤ 1.85, have a sedentary or moderate physical activity level, and be former or current smokers. Day 1 adult watermelon consumers were older, more likely to be female, have a PIR > 1.85, and to have never been a smoker ( Table 1 ). Adult consumers were less likely to have a PIR < 1.35 or 1.35 ≤ PIR ≤ 1.85 and to be a current smoker.

Demographic characteristics of children (2–18 years) and adult (19+ years) watermelon consumers and non-consumers, NHANES 2003–2018.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 2 years and older with complete, reliable recall on Day 1 ( n = 56,133). Values are presented as Mean (standard error). a p value for difference between watermelon consumers and non-consumers. Bolded values are significantly different, p < 0.05.

3.2. Watermelon Intake

The large majority of watermelon intake was provided by raw watermelon (98%) rather than watermelon juice (2%) (data not shown). For day 1, watermelon intake was 7.51 g per day (g/d) per capita in children and adolescents and 7.29 g/d per capita in adults ( Table 2 ). Usual intake of watermelon intake by children and adolescents was 7.73 g/d per capita and 7.43 g/d per capita in adults ( Table 2 ).

Intake of watermelon (grams/day) per capita of children (2–18 years) and adults (19+ years), NHANES 2003–2018.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 2 years and older with complete, reliable dietary recalls ( n = 56,133). Data presented as Mean (SE). a Day 1 consumers defined as subjects who reported watermelon on the first 24 h dietary recall. b Usual intake determined with the National Cancer Institute method and used the first and second 24 h dietary recall.

3.3. Watermelon Consumer Intake

For day 1 children and adolescent watermelon consumers, average intake was 232 g/d and usual intake was 125 g/d ( Table 3 ). The consumer median intake of day 1 watermelon consumers was 152 g/d whereas the usual intake median was 117 g/d. Intake of watermelon was higher in male children and adolescents as compared to females.

Intake of watermelon (grams/day) by child (2–18 years) and adult (19+ years) consumers only, NHANES 2003–2018.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 2 years and older with complete, reliable dietary recalls ( n = 56,133). a Day 1 consumers defined as subjects who reported watermelon on the first 24 h dietary recall. b Usual intake determined with the National Cancer Institute method and used the first and second 24 h dietary recall.

In day 1 adult watermelon consumers, average intake was 286 g/d and usual intake was 161 g/d. The median day 1 intake by adult watermelon consumers was 196 g/d whereas the median usual intake was 141 g/d. Similar to their younger counterparts, adult male watermelon consumers had higher intake of watermelon as compared to females.

3.4. Diet Quality

Children and adolescent watermelon consumers had higher HEI-2015 component scores for total fruit [+1.8 points (pts)], whole fruit (+2.4 pts), saturated fat (+0.5 pts), and added sugar (+0.7 pts), as well as a higher HEI-2015 total score (+6.6 pts) compared to non-consumers ( Table 4 ).

Association of watermelon consumption with Healthy Eating Index-2015 total and sub-component scores in children, NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 2 to 18 years old with complete, reliable dietary recall on Day 1 ( n = 21,004). a Values are adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity (Mexican American, other Hispanic, White, Black, Other), poverty income ratio, physical activity level (sedentary, moderate, vigorous). b p value for difference of intake between watermelon consumers and non-consumers; Bolded values are significantly different, p < 0.05; SE = standard error.

Adult watermelon consumers had higher HEI-2015 component scores for total vegetables (+0.3 pts), total fruit (+2.3 pts), whole fruit (+2.5 pts), fatty acid ratio (+0.4 pts), saturated fat (+0.8 pts), and added sugar (+0.6 pts) compared to non-consumers ( Table 5 ). Adult watermelon consumers also had a higher total HEI-2015 score (+7.3 pts) as compared to non-consumers.

Association of watermelon consumption with Healthy Eating Index-2015 total and sub-component score in adults, NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 19 years and older with complete, reliable dietary recall on Day 1 ( n = 35,126). a Values are adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity (Mexican American, other Hispanic, White, Black, Other), poverty income ratio, physical activity level (sedentary, moderate, vigorous), smoking status. b p value for difference of intake between watermelon consumers and non-consumers; Bolded values are significantly different, p < 0.05; SE = standard error.

3.5. Nutrient Intake

Child watermelon consumers had lower intake of added sugars (−2.6 tsp eq), total monounsaturated fatty acids (−0.9 g; MUFA), and total saturated fatty acids (−1.4 g; SFA) intake as compared to non-consumers. Children and adolescent watermelon consumers also had higher intake of dietary fiber (+1.8 g), choline (+23 mg), copper (+0.1 mg), magnesium (+32 mg), potassium (+219 mg), and vitamins A (+88 RE), C (+23 mg), and K (+10 mg), beta-carotene (+1059 µg), beta-cryptoxanthin (+190 µg), lutein + zeaxanthin (+255 µg), and lycopene (+10,338 µg) compared to non-consumers ( Table 6 ).

Energy and nutrient intakes in children watermelon consumers ( n = 513) and non-consumers ( n = 18,821), NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 2 to 18 years old with complete, reliable dietary recall on Day 1 ( n = 21,004). a Values are adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity (Mexican American, other Hispanic, White, Black, Other), poverty income ratio, physical activity level (sedentary, moderate, vigorous), energy intake (except for energy). b p value for difference of intake between watermelon consumers and non-consumers; Bolded values are significantly different, p < 0.05; SE = standard error, MUFA = monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acids, SFA = saturated fatty acids.

Adult watermelon consumers had lower intake of added sugars (−2.0 tsp eq), total fat (−4.7 g), total MUFA (−1.7 g), total polyunsaturated fatty acids (−0.8 g; PUFA), total SFA (−1.9 g), and higher intake of carbohydrates (+13 g), dietary fiber (+1.2 g), copper (+0.06 mg), magnesium (+22 mg), potassium (+314 mg), thiamin (+0.1 mg), total sugars (+11 g), vitamins A (+92 RE), and C (+41 mg), beta-carotene (+1545 µg), beta-cryptoxanthin (+262 µg), lutein + zeaxanthin (+373 µg), and lycopene (+13,278 µg) compared to non-consumers and lower vitamin B12 (−0.5 µg) ( Table 7 ).

Energy and nutrient intakes in adult watermelon consumers ( n = 792) and non-consumers ( n = 31,569), NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data.

Data source: NHANES 2003–2018; subjects 19 years and older with complete, reliable dietary recall on Day 1 ( n = 35,126). a Values are adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity (Mexican American, other Hispanic, White, Black, Other), poverty income ratio, physical activity level (sedentary, moderate, vigorous), smoking status, energy intake (except for energy). b p value for difference of intake between watermelon consumers and non-consumers; Bolded values are significantly different, p < 0.05; SE = standard error, MUFA = monounsaturated fatty acids, PUFA = polyunsaturated fatty acids, SFA = saturated fatty acids.

Post hoc analyses results (with total vegetable intake, non-watermelon fruit intake, and total dairy intake as additional covariates) are presented in Supplementary Table 2 , Table 3 and Table 4 . In both children and adults, the additional covariates attenuated only slightly the higher total HEI-2015 scores in watermelon consumers (53.7 to 53.2 and 57.6 to 56.4, respectively) with the saturated fat sub-component no longer being significant in children and the fatty acid ratio sub-component no longer being significant in adults. In both children and adults, the additional covariates did not change the statistically higher intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium in watermelon consumers as compared to non-consumers. Vitamin C intakes were reduced some in both age groups (101 to 97 and 123 to 111 mg/d, respectively) but remained 19–30 mg higher than non-consumers.

4. Discussion

The results suggest watermelon is a nutrient-dense food that provides numerous nutrients to the diet and contributes to higher diet quality. These data are similar to previous studies which have shown fruit in general, as well as individual fruits such as mangos and apples, contribute to nutrient intakes [ 1 , 2 , 30 , 31 ]. As opposed to most fruits, watermelon also has high levels of lycopene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein and zeaxanthin. Watermelon has over ten and six times higher beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin content, respectively, than other commonly consumed fruits [ 5 ]. Encouraging Americans to consume watermelon could benefit intake of certain nutrients as well as unique components with antioxidant properties.

This study provides further evidence of the positive impact fruit and especially watermelon can have on the diet quality of children and adults. Watermelon intake was associated with not only higher overall diet quality score, but also higher subcomponent scores unrelated to fruit, further suggesting their benefit towards adhering to overall dietary recommendations. Previous studies have shown other nutrient-dense foods provide benefits in diet quality subcomponents unrelated to the studied food group, for example oatmeal, mango, and nuts, but the current study suggests watermelon may be associated with larger increases. For example, watermelon provided the highest percent change in total vegetables (3 and 10% increase in children and adults, respectively), protein (5% increase in children), fatty acid ratio (9% increase in children) and saturated fat (9 and 13% increase in children and adults, respectively) scores compared to mango, nuts, and oatmeal which increased total vegetables by 3 and 7.5% (oatmeal and mango in adults, respectively), protein by 3% (only mango in children), 7–8% increase in fatty acid ratio, and 1–5% increase in saturated fat [ 30 , 32 , 33 ]. It is interesting that watermelon and other fruit consumption were associated with better HEI-2015 component scores unrelated to fruit indicating the selection of a healthier diet. This was evident in consistently higher scores in both children and adults for saturated fat and added sugars component scores. It’s possible the sweetness of watermelon curbed the desire to have other foods with added sugars. It’s unclear why saturated fat scores were consistently higher (and saturated fat intakes lower), but this may also be related to high added sugars scores (and lower added sugars intake) as many foods with added sugars also have higher saturated fat (i.e., cookies and other bakery items). Further research may be warranted to assess whether watermelon consumption could lower added sugars and saturated fat intake in a clinical trial setting.

The post hoc analyses results (with total vegetable intake, non-watermelon fruit intake, and total dairy intake as additional covariates) further supports, but still does not prove, that at least some of the differences in intakes can be attributed to watermelon intake. That said, it also appears that watermelon consumers also select diets more aligned with current US dietary guidance as supported by higher total HEI-2015 scores in watermelon consumers even after adjusting for intakes of total vegetables, non-watermelon fruit, and total dairy.

Like other fruit, benefits other than those measured as diet quality and nutrient intake are likely associated with watermelon intake but studies are limited. A 2019 study found 2 cups of fresh watermelon daily was associated with lower body weight, BMI, hunger rating, and desire to eat, suggesting watermelon is a healthy snack to help lose weight and curb appetite [ 18 ]. Another important feature of fruit including watermelon is their ability to contribute to total fluid intake with one study reporting approximately 12% total water intake was provided by fruit [ 1 , 34 ]. While numerous beverages would provide more hydration, consuming foods with high moisture content like fruits, including watermelon which is 91% water by weight, can help meet hydration needs [ 5 ]. Hydration status has been associated with numerous health benefits including cognitive functioning and mood [ 35 , 36 ]. Dehydration tends to be more common in older adults [ 35 ] and given that the average age of adult consumers in this study was 52 y, it would be beneficial to encourage more older adults to consume watermelon. Future studies could focus on health benefits of watermelon outside of diet quality and nutrient intake including satiety, cardiovascular, cognition, and mood.

The current study has several strengths including a large sample size representative of the US population and assessment of raw watermelon as compared to watermelon concentrate or powder supplements. Additionally, the post hoc analyses adjusting for intakes of total vegetables, non-watermelon fruit, and total dairy further supports at least some of the changes seen in intakes and HEI-2015 scores were attributable to watermelon intake, however given NHANES is an observational study cause and effect cannot be determined. Additionally, this study has limitations; NHANES utilizes dietary recalls which relies on memory and can be sensitive to misreporting [ 37 ]. Proxies were used for subjects less than 12 years of age which may be less informed about food intake outside of the house possibly further impacting misreporting. Although multiple covariates were utilized, further confounding variables may be present. Seasonality of watermelon intake was unable to be assessed given this is not available in the publicly available data due to NHANES confidentiality issues.

5. Conclusions

In conclusion, watermelon intake was associated with higher nutrient intake and provided high levels of lycopene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Intake of watermelon was also associated with higher diet quality and higher scores for some non-fruit related diet quality components. Consumption of watermelon should be encouraged to help improve US children and adult diet quality and nutrient intake.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/nu14224883/s1 , Table S1: Watermelon intake grams per day per capita among children (2–18 years) and adults (19+ years), NHANES 2003–2018. Table S2: Association of watermelon consumption with Healthy Eating Index-2015 total and sub-component scores in children, NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data. Table S3: Association of watermelon consumption with Healthy Eating Index-2015 total and sub-component score in adults, NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data. Table S4: Energy and nutrient intakes in children watermelon consumers ( n = 513) and non-consumers ( n = 18,821), NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data. Table S5: Energy and nutrient intakes in adult watermelon consumers ( n = 792) and non-consumers ( n = 31,569), NHANES 2003–2018, gender combined data.

Funding Statement

This research was funded by the National Watermelon Promotion Board. The Board accepted the authors’ submission to their request for proposals without modification.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, methodology, analyses, V.L.F.III; writing—original draft preparation, K.F.; writing—review and editing, V.L.F.III and K.F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The NHANES study procedures were reviewed and approved by the NCHS Ethics Review Board.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in NHANES.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

V.L.F.III and K.F. are employees of Nutrition Impact, LLC, a food and nutrition consulting firm which analyses NHANES data for numerous food and beverage companies and related entities. Nutrition Impact has a contract with the National Watermelon Promotion Board and has received travel expenses and an honorarium to present findings of the study to the Board.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Watermelon - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Watermelon is a juicy and refreshing fruit with a sweet taste and a crisp texture. It is typically large and oval shaped with a green rind and a bright pink or red flesh dotted with black seeds. Watermelon is a favorite summertime treat and is often eaten chilled, sliced into wedges or cubes, or used in fruit salads and smoothies. It’s also an excellent source of hydration, containing over 90% water, and is packed with nutrients such as vitamin C and lycopene.

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Where Your Watermelon Came From

A genetic analysis of a melon found in Sudan may point to the wild fruit that gave rise to one of summertime’s sweetest treats.

By Veronique Greenwood

About 4,300 years ago, someone drew a melon on the wall of a tomb in Egypt. It’s big, fat, green and generously striped: Everything you’d expect a watermelon to be. It’s next to grapes and other fruits, suggesting it was eaten back then as we eat watermelon now, raw and for its sweet taste.

This detail of a painting in the tomb of Khnumhotep in Saqqara was a puzzle. While scientists believed that watermelon’s wild ancestors came from the African continent, no one knew of a wild watermelon anywhere near the Nile Valley. Where did this melon come from?

One theory held that the West African egusi melon, grown for its seeds, might be a descendant of watermelon’s most recent wild ancestor, suggesting watermelon’s origins were on that side of the continent. But a paper published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences finds that the small, round Kordofan melon, native to the Kordofan region of Sudan, is much more closely genetically related to our modern watermelon.

The find suggests that watermelon is East African, and the Kordofan melon’s genetics could be ripe pickings for breeders hoping to improve future watermelon varieties. Because Kordofan is not far from Egypt, it may also suggest an origin for the mysterious ovoid green fruit painted on that tomb wall.

The discovery required digging into forgotten corners of African botany, said Guillaume Chomicki, a botanist at the University of Sheffield in England and an author of the new paper.

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Essay: Watermelon

• Post author By Kendra
• Post date September 12, 2011
• 12 Comments on Essay: Watermelon

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我吃好多水果，但是我最喜欢的是西瓜。

西瓜 圆圆的 ，有一条一条的绿色 花纹 ，像一个 皮球 。

破开西瓜， 周围 是白色的瓜皮，中间是鲜红的瓜 瓤 。 咬 一口，甜甜的，真好吃。我好想一口气把整个西瓜吃完，可是妈妈说，西瓜不能多吃，吃多了会 拉肚子 。

吃完西瓜，瓜皮要丢进 垃圾桶 ，可不能随便 乱扔 ，因为有人踩到上面会摔倒的。 Show English translation » I eat a lot of fruit, but my favorite is watermelon.

Watermelon is round, and has a striped green design [on it], like a leather ball.

When you break open a watermelon, it’s surrounded by white skin, in the middle is bright red pulp. Take a bite, it’s so sweet, it’s delicious. I’d love to eat it all up in one mouthful, but mama says you can’t each too much watermelon, if you eat too much you’ll have diarrhea.

When you finish eating the watermelon, you have to drop the skin in the trash can, you can’t just carelessly litter, because if a person steps on it they can slip and fall.

• Tags Essays

12 replies on “Essay: Watermelon”

I am learning chinese and I think this little passage is hilarious and sweet.

on December 4, 2012 Totally agree, NOMU is fab! I subscribed to their maleir years ago and I love receiving their recipes every month (have saved them all)! The styling is equally delicious

i love water melon lol

Wow i have read many of ur articles! Great job im in secondary school now( 14 years old) but my chinese foundations like i do not know how to read and write chinese characters… I cant seem to remember them… However i still can speak and hear chinese… Please do me a favour by guideing me on how to remember well these chinese words. I have been failing ever since the begining! Please dont send me like practice makes perfect just tell me effective ways of remembering thx!

Hi Leon, thanks for dropping by. Everyone’s brain works a little differently, and some people have a hard time memorizing characters. I always found it easy to remember pictures, like characters, but not so easy to remember sounds. I can’t tell you what will work for you, but I can tell me what worked for me.

Whenever I find a characters that I have a hard time remembering, I make up some way to remember. For example, 买 and 卖 – buy and sell. I could never remember which was which, until I made something up: you can see that the bottom of each of these characters there’s a 头, which means “head”. If you’re going to the market with nothing on your head, 买, you’re going there to buy. If you’re going to the market with something balanced on your head, 卖, you’re going there to sell.

And peng – 朋 – as in 朋友，friend. Friends are like two moons next to each other – that’s why this character is 月and 月together. 月 itself looks a little like a ladder to the MOON, if you ask me. 开 looks like one of those Japanese-style temple gates – gates that are OPEN.

So yeah, it’s a little ridiculous, but those kind of things help me remember. Maybe it helps because I spend so much time devising a way to remember that the familiarity with the character helps it stick.

Other than that, the truth is that there’s no way to just open your head and pour the bloody characters in, more’s the pity, and you do have to put the work in. I’m still not a perfectly fluent reader, I need a dictionary often, and I practice a lot and I live in China. But coming up with tricks like that for the harder characters helps me remember. Once you have used tricks to remember the basic characters, after a while you don’t need those tricks because you’ve learned the characters, and you can come up with tricks for harder ones. Good luck!

Hi Leon, a tip on what Kendra has build upon, there is a book from edoardo Fazzioli ( http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Calligraphy-Pictograph-Essential-Characters/dp/0789208709 ) which shows there some of the characters come from and what there meaning is. For example the word 見 (jian) – which means to see and could be used with the word mian in 見面 (jian mian)- to meet, illustrates an eye. Mian means face – so to meet is to see someones face.

wow guys cant believe it! so good to read

Thank you very much!

I love Watermelons!!!!!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Chinese-Calligraphy-Pictograph-Essential-Characters/dp/0789208709

SHOW ENGLISH TRANSLATION »

我吃好多水果，但是我最喜欢的是西瓜。 西瓜圆圆的，有一条一条的绿色花纹，像一个皮球。 破开西瓜，周围是白色的瓜皮，中间是鲜红的瓜瓤。咬一口，甜甜的，真好吃。我好想一口气把整个西瓜吃完，可是妈妈说，西瓜不能多吃，吃多了会拉肚子。 吃完西瓜，瓜皮要丢进垃圾桶，可不能随便乱扔，因为有人踩到上面会摔倒的。

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