Not only does Honeydew Melon boast a juicy, sweet flavour which can be enjoyed in desserts, smoothies, salads and snacks but it is also super nutritious with a range of benefits we think go overlooked!
Here are 10 Surprising Benefits of Honeydew Melon:
1. Rich in Nutrients
The diverse nutrient profile of honeydew is impressive and makes it easy to see how this melon contributes to so many health benefits!
One cup (177g serving) of honeydew melon provides:
- – Vitamin C: 53% RDI
- – Vitamin B6: 8% RDI
- – Folate: 8% RDI
- – Vitamin K: 6% RDI
- – Potassium: 12% RDI
- – Magnesium: 4% RDI
- – Calories: 64
- – Carbohydrates: 16g
- – Fibre: 1.4g
- – Protein: 1g
- – Fat: 0g
2. Can Help Reduce Blood Pressure
Honeydew melon can help reduce blood pressure due to its high potassium and low sodium content.
These factors have been proven to positively influence blood pressure regulation.
3. Contains Nutrients Vital to Bone Health
Honeydew melon contains several nutrients that are vital for repairing and maintaining strong bones, including folate, vitamin K and magnesium.
In particular, honeydew is a good source of folate, which helps fight the breakdown of bone mineral density over time and Vitamin K which helps produce a major structural protein, called osteocalcin, to support healthy bones.
Honeydew also contains small amounts of other bone-supporting nutrients, including calcium, phosphorus and zinc.
4. Improves Blood Sugar Control
Regularly eating fruit, such as honeydew melon, is associated with a lower risk of diabetes and related health complications. This is due to the fibre and other health-promoting nutrients found in these fruits.
5. High in Electrolytes and Water
Honeydew melon is about 90% water and also contains electrolytes like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. This combination of water and nutrients makes honeydew great for hydrating, more so than just water alone.
This can be most beneficial after a workout or sports activity, when young children are ill/teething or if you’re just trying to stay hydrated throughout your day.
6. Supports Healthy Skin
Honeydew melon supports healthy skin with both its hydrating abilities (outlined in the previous point) and its high Vitamin C content.
Honeydews are rich in Vitamin C, a nutrient that promotes the production of collagen for better elasticity in our skin and helps protect your skin from sun damage too!
7. Boosts Your Immune System
Vitamin C is arguably best known for its role in supporting immune function and honeydew melon is loaded with it!
The human immune system is complex and requires a wide array of nutrients to function properly with Vitamin C being a critical component.
Research suggests that adequate intake of dietary vitamin C may both prevent and treat various respiratory and systemic infections, such as pneumonia and the common cold.
8. Promotes Proper Digestion
Adequate intake of dietary fibre slows blood sugar response and promotes bowel regularity and the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
Whilst honeydew melons contain less fibre than some more well known high fibre fruits – it is better tolerated for those who have certain digestive disorders like IBS, or for those who are newly introducing or reintroducing more fibre into their diet.
9. Supports Vision and Eye Health
Honeydew melon contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that are known to support healthy eyes and vision and prevent the development of age-related vision loss.
Research indicates that regularly eating foods that contain these antioxidants, such as honeydew melon, may support proper eye function throughout your entire life.
10. It’s Easy to Add to Your Diet!
A great selling point for fruit is that it can easily be enjoyed by itself — a slice of cool, ripe melon on a warm day is hard to beat!
For something a little more creative, there are many other ways you can enjoy this fruit, including (but definitely not limited to):
Salads
- – Slice some honeydew into bite-sized pieces and add it to your favourite salad.
Desserts
- – Puree the melon and use it as a base for popsicles!
- – Add bite-size chunks to your ice cream
- – Dice along with apple and berry for a delicious Crumble
Breakfast
- – Serve sliced honeydew melon with yoghurt on bagels
- – Blend some into a smoothie (keep your eyes peeled on our social media for an upcoming yummy recipe!)
Soups
- – Serve honeydew as the base of a chilled soup with peppers, mint and cucumber
Appetisers and Snacks
- – Wrap slices of honeydew in cured meats like prosciutto
- – Dice it into a spicy salsa for a delish combo!
Beverages
- – Juice it with cucumber, add some mint (and gin) for a hot Friday afternoon
- – Smoothies!
The key is choosing a ripe melon while it’s in season!
But however you choose to add honeydew melon to your diet – just do it today!
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