Where was the first watermelon known and used as a healthy food ?

The first watermelon fruit appeared in South Africa some 5,000 years ago, and we still can find many wild variants there, from sweet, too bland and bitter,
watermelons spread from there and by the 2000th year BC they were cultivated and became an everyday food in ancient Egypt. One of the earliest proofs of that are the hieroglyphs on the buildings from that time that tell stories about the harvesting of watermelons.

Popularity of watermelon during ancient times

Remains of watermelons were also found in tombs of the kings where they were left as food for the deceased in the afterlife.
Its popularity in the hot, desert regions can be attributed to the high amount of water that watermelon contains. Even Bible mentions watermelon as the food of ancient Israelites who were a slave in Egypt at that time.

Importing watermelon from Africa to Europe, Asia and America

From Africa, watermelon crossed to Europe (Moors brought it in the 10th century) where it grew successfully in the warmer parts of Mediterranean. By the 7th century, it reached India and from there China which saw its first watermelons in the 10th century.

Today, China is the world’s largest producer of watermelons. Rest of Europe didn’t state growing watermelons until the 17th century when they were widely accepted as a minor garden crop.

watermelons were brought to Americas by European colonists and by slave trade from Africa.The first ones were grown in Florida in the 16th century. Later, in the 17th century, they were grown in Massachusetts, Peru, Brazil, Panama and many British and Dutch colonies.

Food intake of watermelon

As watermelons are 91% water and 6% sugar, they are eaten as dessert, but they are not just sugary sweets, And they have high amounts of vitamin C and are low in fat and sodium which makes them healthy food.

They can also be turned into juice. Rind of watermelon is also edible but is rarely eaten raw because of its not-so-pleasant taste. It can be stir-fried, stewed and pickled and is sometimes used as a vegetable. Even its seeds can be eaten when they are dried and roasted, or ground into flour.

Characteristics of watermelon and its types

Watermelon is a tropical and subtropical plant and needs temperatures above 25 to grow. There are many types and there are more than 1200 types and its color can be red, pink, orange, yellow or white.

watermelon Health benefits and nutrition

Heart health

Watermelon’s high levels of lycopene and can help lower the risk of heart disease, watermelon extracts helped reduce hypertension and can help reduce the accumulation of excess fat for obese adults.

Anti-inflammatory properties

watermelon is an anti-inflammatory fruit,” Reducing inflammation isn’t just good for people suffering from arthritis. “When you’re sick, you have cellular damage, which can be caused by a variety of factors including stress, smoking, pollution, disease, and your body becomes inflamed,

Hydration

we can get 20-30 percent of our fluid needs through our diet alone, and foods like watermelon certainly help.

Digestion

The watermelon contains fiber, which encourages a healthy digestive tract and helps keep you regular.

Skin and hair benefits

Vitamin A is stellar for your skin, and just a cup of watermelon contains nearly one-quarter of your recommended daily intake of it. , Vitamin C is also beneficial in this regard, as it promotes healthy collagen growth.

Muscle soreness & athletic performance

drinking watermelon juice before an intense workout helps reduce next-day muscle soreness and heart rate .

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