
sources at bottom of page
Nutrition
Watermelon is 92% water, thus the name. Watermelon is light on calories, fat, and protein while containing simple sugars made up of 50% fructose, 25% glucose, 20% sucrose, and slight amounts of others. What it lacks in other nutrients, it makes up for with its special ingredients. Watermelon is rich in minerals including copper, which is often lacking in western diets. Watermelon’s super ingredients are beta carotene, citrulline and lycopene, which have many healthy benefits. Lycopene is what gives it the red color. The more ripe and red the watermelon, the more lycopene it has.
Where is Watermelon Grown
Historically, watermelon was believed to have originated in West Africa. Records show that watermelons were cultivated in ancient Egypt. Watermelons were described in the Kalahari Desert and semi-tropical regions of Africa in the 19th century by David Livingston.
In Season
Watermelons are grown in the summer where the temperatures range between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit. They are typically grown from May to September in the northern hemisphere.
Economic Impact
Watermelon agriculture and industry is responsible for large amounts of jobs and revenue to the economies of many nations.
Environmental Impact
Social Impact
Watermelon is a popular crop in many parts of the world. Chinese workers tend to work longer hours for lower wages in worse conditions than the farm workers in Kurdistan and the United States. Watermelon crops are comparatively high yield which provides a nutritious food source with minimal impact on resources.
Food Safety
The protective skin of the watermelon helps prevent pathogens and disease. It is still recommended to thoroughly rinse watermelon before cutting and eating.
SOURCES
Nutrition
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167765/nutrients
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/watermelon#nutrition
- https://www.livescience.com/46019-watermelon-nutrition.html#:~:text=Watermelons%20are%20mostly%20water%20%E2%80%94%20about,a%20modest%20amount%20of%20potassium.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21982501/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23862566/
- https://foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/article/view/1203
Seeds
- http://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/html/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20160502.18.html
Fat & Fiber
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372955/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5885715/
Antioxidants
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23440782/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23741676/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157511001049
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235731681_Bioactive_compounds_and_antioxidant_activities_during_fruit_ripening_of_watermelon_cultivars
Anti-inflammation
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2802626/
- https://journals.lww.com/shockjournal/fulltext/2006/06001/choline_suppresses_inflammatory_responses.137.aspx
Weight loss
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/3/595
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12481979/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18029483/
Anti-Cancer
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/prostate-supplements-pdq#section/all
- https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/complementary-and-alternative-medicine.html
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17352962/
- https://www.eatright.org/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01635581.2013.806672?journalCode=hnuc20
Digestion
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5372955/
Heart
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23674806/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11196344/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11196344/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17352962/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24352797/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21968645/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23615650/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20616787/
Brain
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996905000839
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12672916/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12672916/
Immune System
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23440782/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10642085/
h - ttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12481979/
Diabetes
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18029483/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24936248/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16772327/
Allergies & Asthma
- https://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies/types-food-allergy/oral-allergy-syndrome
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18788424/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19847095/
Where Grown
- https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/watermelon#:~:text=While%20watermelons%20are%20grown%20across,in%202014%20was%2031%2C800%20pounds.
- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-watermelon-producing-countries-in-the-world.html
- https://www.farm-equipment.com/articles/9077-four-states-account-for-most-us-watermelon-production
Season
- https://www.almanac.com/plant/watermelons
Economic Impact
- http://www.worldstopexports.com/watermelon-exports-by-country/
- https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/watermelon-seeds-market
- https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-watermelon-producing-countries-in-the-world.html
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/outlooks/98171/fts-370.pdf?v=1507.8
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=98169
- https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/watermelon#:~:text=While%20watermelons%20are%20grown%20across,in%202014%20was%2031%2C800%20pounds.
- https://florida.growingamerica.com/news/2016/09/usda-imports-supply-about-a-third-of-u-s-watermelon-consumption-2016-09-05
Environmental Impact
- https://www.longdom.org/open-access/growth-and-development-of-watermelon-in-response-to-seasonal-variation-of-rainfall-2332-2594-2-117.pdf
Land Use
- https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/watermelon#:~:text=While%20watermelons%20are%20grown%20across,in%202014%20was%2031%2C800%20pounds
Water
- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/171c7aaf3f8b49d09496e5814fcb7839
Pesticides
- https://healabel.com/w-ingredients/watermelon
Fertilizer
- http://www.fao.org/land-water/databases-and-software/crop-information/watermelon/en/
Air Pollution
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214317315300123
Social Impact
- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/171c7aaf3f8b49d09496e5814fcb7839
Food Safety
- https://www.fda.gov/media/116691/download