Often passed over for the more popular watermelon and muskmelon, honeydew melon makes a delicious addition to salads, kebabs, smoothies, slushies, and even pies. Its mellow, sweet, and succulent flavor tastes great when had on its own as well. Considering that it hails from the melon family, it is no surprise that honeydew melon packs in nutrition that provide all the health benefits that have been listed below.
1. Promotes Hydration
We’ve heard it time and again that keeping up with the recommended 8 glasses of water is important to stay hydrated and support various body functions. But it’s important to remember that to effectively hydrate, your body needs more than just water, it needs electrolytes as well. Over 90% of honeydew melon is water.1 It also packs in electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium. This makes it a perfect post-workout snack, an ideal choice during illness, and an overall perfect addition to your diet for hydration.2
2. Aids Digestion
Consuming honeydew melon regularly can help keep your gut health in check. A cup of its serving offers 1.36 grams of fiber, which makes up for roughly 5% of the recommended daily intake. And although most other fruits offer more fiber per serving, honeydew melon still contributes to your daily intake. And an adequate intake of dietary fiber has been found to promote bowel regularity and the growth of healthy gut bacteria. Hence, in the long run, honeydew melon can help improve digestive health. Besides, it might be well tolerated in people with certain digestive disorders, especially if they’re newly introducing or reintroducing fiber into their diet.
3. Improves Vision
Eye health tends to deteriorate with age but consuming honeydew melon may help. It contains two potent antioxidants: lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoids that have been found to support eye health and prevent the development of age-related vision loss. Studies have also found that consuming foods that contain these two antioxidants may help support proper eye function throughout one’s life. Adding honeydew melon may, hence, keep your vision healthy.3 4
4. Promotes Bone Health
Honeydew melon can help strengthen your bones. A cup of its serving offers 32.3 mcg of folate, which makes up for 8% of the recommended daily intake. This nutrient has been found to be essential for the breakdown of homocysteine, which has been found to reduce bone mineral density over time if its levels are too high. A cup also provides 4.93 mcg of vitamin K, which makes up for 6% of the recommended daily intake. And vitamin K is involved in the production of a major structural protein in the bone, which is known as osteocalcin. Besides these, one serving of honeydew melon also packs in 17 mg of magnesium, which helps you meet 4% of your daily magnesium needs.5 This nutrient has been found to be vital for the proper functioning of the cells responsible for building and breaking down bone tissue. In addition to these nutrients, honeydew melon also contains small amounts of other bone-supporting nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, and zinc. And while all these nutrients aren’t highly concentrated in honeydew melon, they make a great contribution to a well-balanced diet.6 7 8 9
5. Improves Skin Health
Adding honeydew melon to your skincare routine can really help tackle skin woes. It packs in vitamin C with a single cup of its serving providing 30.6 mg of the nutrient, which makes up for a whopping 53% of the recommended daily intake.10 Adequate intake of vitamin C has been found to be important for the proper production of collagen, a major structural protein that’s vital for repairing and maintaining your skin tissue. In addition to this, research has found that this vitamin can also protect the skin against sun damage.11 12
6. Boosts Immune System Functioning
The vitamin C in honeydew melon can also keep the sniffles away. Research has found that adequate intake of vitamin C may prevent and treat various respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and the common cold. This vitamin may also shorten the duration of a cold. Consuming it regularly can, hence, keep your immunity in good shape.13
7. Balances Blood Sugar Levels
Whether you’re diabetic, at risk of it, or just trying to balance your blood sugar levels, adding honeydew melon to your diet might help. A recent study that was conducted over a span of 7 years found that people who consumed fresh fruit, including honeydew melon, daily were 12% less likely to develop diabetes as compared to people who didn’t. In addition to this, participants who had diabetes at the beginning of the study experienced a 13–28% lowered risk of diabetes-related health complications as well as a 17% reduced risk of premature death after consuming fruit at least 3 times a week. Besides this, honeydew melon packs in fiber that can help improve blood sugar control over time.14
8. Lowers Blood Pressure And The Risk Of Heart Disease
Eating honeydew melon regularly can keep your heart healthy. Research has found that a low-sodium diet and adequate potassium intake can improve blood pressure regulation. Honeydew melon checks both of these boxes. In fact, besides being low in sodium, a cup of this fruit’s serving makes up for 12% of the recommended daily intake of potassium.15 16 Besides, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, in general, is associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure and, in turn, heart disease.17
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