Al-Marsad newspaper: Watermelon peel means the white part and the green peel on the edges of the watermelon pulp, and it has been found to have many benefits.
On the benefits of watermelon peel:
1. Providing the body with citrulline: A study found that watermelon peel contains more citrulline than the pulp of the watermelon fruit, so it is an important source of this compound, which offers many benefits to the body, the most prominent of which are: Contributing to reducing the risk of heart disease, due to its ability to expand It also contributes to lowering high blood pressure, improving the sexual ability of men, as citrulline is able to contribute to the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Reducing the risk of depression, and it has been found that increasing citrulline in the body relieves symptoms of depression, if present.
Reducing pain in people with sickle cell anemia, as it contributes to improving their blood health.
2. Providing the body with a good amount of fiber: One of the benefits of watermelon peel is that it contains good amounts of dietary fiber, and this is what makes it provide the following benefits to the body when eating it:
Treatment of constipation, as fiber increases the movement of the intestines, as it softens the stool, and this facilitates the process of its exit from the body.
Reducing the risk of hemorrhoids, because a person who eats fiber does not need much energy to expel stool, as the tension energy on the rectal muscles leads to hemorrhoids over time.
Contribute to the prevention of colorectal cancer, and this benefit is under study to find out the mechanism of fiber’s ability to do so.
Reducing levels of harmful cholesterol, and this makes the body more healthy and resistant to cardiovascular diseases in particular.
Contribute to improving blood sugar levels, because fiber slows down the absorption of sugar from foods eaten, and this contributes to regulating sugar levels, according to the Web Medicine website.
Weight loss, as fiber increases the feeling of satiety for a longer period, and this is followed by eating less food, which leads to weight loss.
3. Promote healthy skin
One of the benefits of watermelon peel is that it promotes skin health, because it contains lycopene, flavonoids, and antioxidants, and most of what watermelon peel offers to the skin are the following:
Reduce the appearance of pimples.
Delaying the appearance of wrinkles.
Contribute to the treatment of spots and pigmentation.
4. Boost immunity
The watermelon peel contains vitamin C, which may make it a good contributor to strengthening the body’s immunity, as vitamin C stimulates white blood cells, which are the first line of defense for bacterial infections.
5. Contribute to protecting the body from chronic diseases
The watermelon peel contains citrulline and lycopene, which may contribute to the resistance to free radicals, which leads to a reduced risk of chronic diseases.