Mark Twain praised the watermelon by saying: “When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angles eat”.Known as tarbooz in Hindi and Urdu, kadu-vrindavama in Marathi, tormuj in Bengali and indrak in Gujarat, watermelon not only quenches thirst, but also keep the dil (heart) healthy. Fondly called baby-doll and sugar-baby, and also ‘a poor man’s snack’, it now figures on the plates of the well-off.
Watermelon offers a ton of health benefits and also acts like aphrodisiac. It is often used Bollywood in order to give a symbolism of passion and love. Just as a glass of milk is served to a newly wed Indian couple at night, a plat of watermelon is served to the newly wed couples at night in Africa and many other heat-regions to meet urgency of water and minerals.
Sitesh Srivastava, Fruits Researcher and Principal of Institute of Hotel Management, Hajipur, says, “The red-colour edible part of a watermelon is the power house of ‘antioxidant’ lycopene nutrient that keeps cardiovascular in healthy condition.” He adds that proper intake of watermelon reduces cholesterol. Eating watermelon increases the vitality of bones and manages osteoporosis, especially post-menopause. During pregnancy, it is advised to eat 10 to 15 pieces of watermelon. A glass of watermelon juice mixed with salt or lemon helps fight cancer and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
To those who workout, watermelon a great source of ‘citrulline’ that generates instant energy after sweating. Srivastava adds that watermelon eaten three days in a row during fasting, cleans the kidney deposits and gallbladders more effectively than prescribed medication. “A person working more than eight hours on the computer is advised to eat it twice in summer”, he said.
Dr Madhusudan Singh, physician and diet-expert of the Bihar police force, said: “Watermelon eaten after a hectic workday increases ‘diuretic’ process and the flow of urine without casting undue stress on the organs. It rejuvenates the functioning of the kidney and brain, and also increases facial shine.” He adds, that it cures a number of inflammatory disease and provides potassium to keep the brain working fast.
According to the National Institute of Horticulture, India, s ranked at 28th globally producing 3,75,000 to 4, 000,000 metric tonnes of the fruit annually.