Nutrition Value of Watermelon seeds

 

Watermelon seeds are packed with nutrients including fatty acids, essential proteins and lots of minerals. Around 100 gram of watermelon seeds provide around 600 calories same as having 10 loaves of bread. Around 400 calories come from fats in watermelon seeds. Fat content in 100 gram of watermelon seeds is around 80% of daily dietary requirement of fats. Around one third of watermelon seeds is proteins, mainly highly essential proteins like lysine.

Mineral and Vitamin content of watermelon seeds

Watermelon seeds are good source of vitamin B like Thiamin, niacin, folate. Watermelon seeds are rich in minerals like magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, Zinc, Iron, potassium and Copper. 100 grams of watermelon seeds provides around 139%, 87%, 82%, 74%, 44%, 20% and 37% of daily dietary values of these minerals respectively. Watermelon seeds are also good source of dietary fibers which are essential for healthy bowel movements and digestion.

Eating Watermelon Seeds and Uses of watermelon seeds

Globally watermelon is widely consumed, but in most places watermelon seeds are discarded. In Asian and Middle Eastern countries, watermelon seeds are collected, dried and roasted for eating. Watermelon seeds are also used in making soups or other beneficial products like watermelon seed oil, watermelon seed tea and watermelon seed extract are made.

Cooking Watermelon Seeds: We all read how nutritious watermelon seeds are. We can just roast them and eat them as snack. These roasted watermelon seeds can also be used to garnish salads. Oil obtained from watermelon seed is used as moisturizer for skin. Watermelon seed oil finds its place in some of skin care products and cosmetics. Sometimes watermelon seed extract is used instead. Watermelon seed extract is considered as home remedy for stomach and urinary tract related disorders. Tea from ground watermelon seed is also consumed in some parts of glob. It is because of health benefits of watermelon seed tea, it is considered to improve health of kidney. Research is ongoing to confirm this health benefit of watermelon seed tea.

How to make roasted watermelon seeds

Collecting watermelon seed from watermelon we eat is first process. Dark coloured watermelon seeds should be preferred. These collected seeds shall be washed well, removing any pulpy matter. These washed seeds should be dried. You can dry them under sun if you want. These dried seeds should be fried with some oil. Keep stirring the seeds till they look completely roasted. Add some salted water to this pan, and keep heating the seeds till the water is evaporated and seeds are completely dried. Avoid overheating the seeds as you do not want the nutrients especially vitamins to be removed and enjoy completely the health benefits of watermelon seeds.
These salted, tasty watermelon seeds can be stored and enjoyed as munching snack. Roasted and salted watermelon seeds remains as one of the traditional Egyptian snacks. These seeds can also be ground into cereal and used to make bread or used in stews and soups

Health benefits of Watermelon seeds

Essential Amino Acids – Amongst all the amino acids body requires, there are some known as essential amino acids which body cannot produce. These include arginine, lysine and others. Watermelon seeds supply some of these essential amino acids including tryptophan, glutamic acids. Lysine plays important role in calcium absorption and formation of collgen and connective tissues in body. Arginine helps in improvement of body metabolism, cardio vascular system and sexual health.

Watermelon seeds are rich in magnesium and 100 grams of watermelon seeds provide around 139% of daily dietary requirement of magnesium. Magnesium is responsible for normal heart functioning, promoting normal blood pressure, supporting energy metabolism and protein synthesis. It has beneficial effect in treating cardiovascular diseases, hypertension. Magnesium regulates carbohydrate metabolism and thereby checks blood sugar and controls diabetes.

Watermelon seeds are equivalent to multivitamin B complex supplements we consume. Some of the vitamin B present in watermelon seeds include niacin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, panthothenic acid. About 100 gm of watermelon seed provide 19% daily value of niacin, which is essential in maintaining the nervous system, digestive system and skin health.

Water melon seed is considered demulcent. Lipids in watermelon seed helps form protective layer mucus membrane and thus reduces inflammation. Watermelon seed is believed to promote production of urine. It thus because of its diuretic action helps excretion of water from body and aids detoxification. It is employed in treatment of urinary passages and treat bed wetting.  An emulsion created by scrubbing and shaking watermelon seeds with water is traditionally used in treating catarrhal infections, disorders of the bowels, urinary passage and fever.