The Benefits of Eating Cantaloupe
The cantaloupe melon is one of the most appealing fruits to eat during the summer. It’s refreshing and can be consumed at any hour and in many ways. What everyone might not know is that besides being a refreshing fruit, it has multiple benefits.
In this article we’ll guide you through some of them.
1. High potassium content
Every 100 grams of cantaloupe contains 167 milligrams of potassium, a quantity comparable to that of the banana. This makes it particularly ideal for those who exercise, and therefore lose a substantial amount of minerals.
In addition, foods rich in potassium have all of the following benefits. They:
- Help to maintain blood pressure
- Stimulate bowel movement
- Contribute to the proper development of the bones
- They’re fundamental for protein production
Apart from cantaloupe and bananas, potassium can be found in many other foods. Some of these are: potatoes, pork, prunes, cauliflower, oranges and eggs.
The recommended daily intake of potassium for an adult is around 3.500 milligrams. That’s why the best way to meet the daily intake, is to eat cantaloupe and complement it from the foods listed above.
2. Contributes to weight loss
Cantaloupe is one of those ‘star’ foods suitable for all diets. This is because it contributes to weight loss and makes it an efficient process. A large part of the cantaloupe’s composition is water, which makes it a satisfying food with very few calories.
All this makes the cantaloupe the perfect food for those looking to lose weight, given that it reduces appetite and it practically doesn’t add any more calories to your diet. A slice of cantaloupe is perfect for eating between meals and when appetite grows.
A good option is to prepare a lunchbox with some cut up cantaloupe. It’s easy as it sounds and you’ll have a healthy snack that you can enjoy at work, on the beach or pool days.
3. Laxative properties
Cantaloupe is also an interesting food from the digestive perspective, since it has laxative properties. It’s even considered one of the best natural laxatives.
A couple of slices of cantaloupe a day are enough to fight occasional and mild constipation problems naturally.
If you decide to eat this fruit because of its laxative effects and put an end to your constipation problems, know that the best time to do so is during breakfast. This is because it’s very easy to digest and goes directly and entirely to the bowel, achieving the desired effect.
4. Protects the immune system
This last benefit is also the most renowned. Few people know that by consuming it, they’re protecting their immune system, therefore helping to prevent diseases.
Eating cantaloupe is a completely natural way of preventing colds and other mild illnesses.
Our recommendation is to follow a balanced diet before you take any supplements. Include foods like cantaloupe, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and onions in it. Adding them to your daily diet is a natural way of increasing your immune defenses.
As you already learned, cantaloupe has many benefits and it’s therefore a very interesting food to include in your daily life. These benefits are especially important to those who have a weak immune system or who suffer with occasional constipation.
But before ending this post, here’s an important warning you must take into consideration: cantaloupe contains a considerable amount of sugar, which is why people who suffer from diabetes must be careful with it. This doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t consume it, but instead just do so moderately without exceeding the two slices per day.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Campos, Castellanos, & Alejandra, M. (2015). Evaluación Fitoquímica, Fisicoquímica e Hipoglucemiante del Extracto de Momórdica charantia (cundeamor, balsamina o melón amargo).
- Fundación Española de Nutrición (FEN). Melón. Frutas. https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12937-015-0057-5
- Quann, E. E., Fulgoni, V. L., 3rd, & Auestad, N. (2015). Consuming the daily recommended amounts of dairy products would reduce the prevalence of inadequate micronutrient intakes in the United States: diet modeling study based on NHANES 2007-2010. Nutrition Journal, 14(1), 90. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-015-0057-5