There are many different names for the cantaloupe (including muskmelon), but no matter what you call it, most of us think it’s certainly delicious. The melon with the brown exterior and bright orange fruit inside is actually the most popular melon in the United States. Most would assume that it’s the watermelon, but that’s not the case as cantaloupe is typically easier to prepare, a bit cheaper and available more throughout the year.
With its great and juicy taste, cantaloupe is one of those foods that you love to eat, and you really should be eating more. A perfect food for any time of the day, cantaloupe brings a lot of benefits to your palate, as well as your overall health. So why should you be eating cantaloupe on a regular basis? Here are some of the fantastic proven health benefits from the popular melon.
Nutritious and Delicious
Just one cup of sliced up cantaloupe allows you to get some great nutritional value that your body needs. That cup will get you past the daily recommendation of both vitamin A and vitamin C. There aren’t many foods that can make that claim, so cantaloupe addicts certainly won’t be getting scurvy anytime soon. There is also a decent portion of your dietary fiber recommendation with each serving.
While not quite as abundant as vitamins A and C, there are still other great vitamins in cantaloupe. Vitamin K, thiamin, niacin, folate and vitamin B6 all have significant showings in each cantaloupe serving. You can also find just about every helpful mineral that your body needs, with the most abundant being potassium with 14 percent of your daily recommendation. This proves that cantaloupe is really one of the more versatile foods out there, and is almost a multivitamin in itself.
Weight Loss
Just when you thought cantaloupe couldn’t be more versatile with its nutrients, you get all of that great stuff in one serving with just 60 calories, that’s it! Cantaloupe is also quite a bit more filling than a lot of other fruits, as it is more dense and has significant fiber. This will help you feel more full, and people that are on a weight loss program have found success eating pure cantaloupe for breakfast with nothing else.
Of course, you will need some more protein throughout the day, but cantaloupe is one of those foods that you can eat frequently without doing any damage. If you are looking to drop a few pounds, consider cantaloupe as a breakfast food, snack or even a dessert. It tastes great in any capacity, really.
Nature’s Candy
There are a lot of fruits that contain natural sugar, but not to a point where it’s going to harm your blood sugar. Cantaloupe is no exception, as there are 14 grams of natural sugars in each serving. While that number might scare some people, cantaloupe actually helps you to control your blood sugar. WIth a low glycemic load (five on the index), cantaloupe improves your body’s insulin levels.
This allows your body to stabilize the insulin, preventing any crashes or spikes that some people get throughout the day. This is especially beneficial for those with diabetes. Insulin balance helps your kidneys, as well, preventing much of the inflammatory problems that can come from uncontrolled blood sugar. So while cantaloupe is sweet, it’s not too sweet.
Disease Prevention
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins that your body needs to keep a healthy immune system. Since cantaloupe is so packed with vitamin C, your immune system will see an almost instantaneous boost. Keeping those nasty colds and flus away from you throughout the year is important, and you can do that with the increase in vitamins.
Killing all of that bacteria (since cantaloupe has antioxidants) will make your everyday life much easier. It’s not just the little nagging diseases, either, as cantaloupe will also help you prevent chronic diseases down the road. The vitamins in cantaloupe attack the free radicals that cause these illnesses, preventing certain forms of cancer and heart disease in the process.
Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties are also beneficial for your bones. Arthritis flare-ups can be very painful, and brought on by inflammation. Cantaloupe’s vitamins will help your body relieve some of this pain naturally without taking too many pills. That’s some comforting news for people with achy joints and bones.
Double Vision
Arthritis is one condition that comes with aging quite commonly, just like vision problems. Cataracts and macular degeneration become harder to avoid the older you get, but eating more cantaloupe can reduce your chances of these diseases. You can lower your risk of macular degeneration by nearly 40 percent by eating more cantaloupe, while also stopping cataracts from forming.
Lots of Energy
The nutrients inside of a cantaloupe will give you an almost instantaneous natural energy boost. Add in the fact that your body will be more hydrated thanks to the high water content in cantaloupe, and you won’t feel slugged down throughout the day. The folate content in cantaloupe is important in avoiding anemia, which can be more common in women that are pregnant, those with epilepsy and much more, allowing it to help a broad range of people.
The potassium levels also work with your calcium levels to increase muscle and bone strength. Most people don’t think of cantaloupe of being a perfect exercise supplement, but it’s really the perfect food to eat before heading to the gym. Since it’s mostly water, it won’t weigh you down and make you feel too bloated while working out, either.
Summing it Up
Cantaloupe has so many benefits that there’s no wonder it’s the most popular melon in the United States. Like we do with any other wonderful food, though, we have to wonder if there are any negatives. Really, there isn’t anything bad about cantaloupe itself, and you can feel free to eat as much of it as you want. There have been some rare cases of salmonella, but that is more on the growers than the fruit itself.
There also might be some people that are allergic to melons, but that is also incredibly rare. Lastly, cantaloupe might not be at its juiciest in certain parts of the year, as it is typically more juicy and delicious in the summer. Even during the winter you can find some good cantaloupe, you just have to do a little digging and expect to pay a bit more.
Other than that, cantaloupe has no limits as to how much you can eat. There are also many different ways to prepare cantaloupe, as some people prefer freezing them and then eating them like popsicles while others like melon balls. Whichever way you choose, you are doing your body a tremendous service by eating more cantaloupe.