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Sweet and juicy watermelons are in demand these days as the mercury has risen to uncomfortable levels. The fruit contains 90 per cent water and a truckload of vitamins, fibre, potassium and other minerals. Watermelon not only helps prevent dehydration, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses, but it also keeps your immunity high in summers. While everyone loves to eat the sweet red pulp of the watermelon after removing its thick, green outer portion, many also remove the white layer around the fruit. However, removing it may mean you are depriving yourself of some extra vitamins, minerals, zinc and a special compound called citrulline. (Also read: Is Eating Watermelon On An Empty Stomach Good Or Bad For You? What A Nutritionist Says)
When the scorching heat threatens to overheat your body and affect vital organs from the heart, lungs to the brain, there is nothing more refreshing than savouring a big bowl of watermelon. Eating watermelon in the summer can help you get a big dose of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and important micronutrients for your body. However, the white layer is a storehouse of many nutrients just like the fruit itself and can be a good source of citrulline.
Why should the white layer surrounding the red pulp of watermelon not be removed?
Nutritionist Ryan Carter says in his recent Instagram post that when enjoying watermelon, the white layer surrounding the red pulp should not be removed.
He says, “Next time you eat watermelon, don’t make this mistake. By doing this you will eat only the middle part and ignore the white part on the outside, which does not have much taste.”
Watermelon rind helps in arginine production
Ryan says that watermelon rind contains citrulline, an amino acid that supports the arginine system, and is related to nitric oxide. Citrulline is converted by the body into the amino acid arginine, which is believed to improve blood flow and help build muscle. Arginine plays a key role in an organism’s metabolism. It is a precursor for the synthesis of proteins and other molecules of great biological importance, including nitric oxide, ornithine, polyamines, agmatine, proline, glutamate, creatine, dimethylarginine, and urea.
Benefits of Citrulline
“The key thing here is arginine supplements. They technically don’t work with the peripheral system that deals with our muscles or our reproductive organs. It helps with our urea cycle which is how we break down and remove excess protein or nitrogen in our bodies. Citrulline has been found to be better than arginine in this regard, even when you add high intensity training in obese individuals. Taking citrulline with arginine has been shown to reduce more fat and improve strength. So consume citrulline which is found in abundance,” advises Ryan Carter.
Other benefits of the white part of watermelon
- It is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Magnesium.
- They contain high concentrations of certain antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and active ingredients.
- They are rich in fibre, which aids in digestion and also helps in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Watermelon rind is also rich in nutrients like chlorophyll, citrulline, lycopene, amino acids, and flavonoids and phenolic compounds.
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